Happy Face Episode 7 Recap: My Jesperson Girls

After focusing on Heather’s case for a long time, episode 7 of ‘Happy Face’ allows Melissa to fix her issues back home as a complex rift develops between her and Ben. Worried about Keith talking to Hazel, the two parents try different approaches to understand their daughter in a new light. However, problems arise as Ben feels increasingly alienated from his own wife, especially with the drama of the last few weeks. Matters get further complicated when the tension in their relationship is undercut by a shocking revelation that leaves Melissa reeling for answers about her childhood and her true bond with her dad. In her desperation, she turns to a man who offers her a way to understand her own issues, even if it puts her in the way of danger. SPOILERS AHEAD.

Ben and Melissa Head Out For a Pointless Trip to the Penitentiary

The episode starts with Melissa and Ben confronting Hazel in her bedroom about her secret burner phone. When she states it is in her school locker, the two parents order her to pack up as they head for a family trip. At Dr. Greg’s office, Ivy shows her boss the footage of Elijah speaking to the public as a free man. The host is excited about sitting down for an interview with Elijah. Ivy suggests that moving forward, ‘The Dr. Greg Show’ can be more meaningful and work on cases like Elijah where they can make a difference. While the idea is appreciated, Dr. Greg quickly sweeps it under the rug and walks away. Meanwhile, Melissa’s family arrives at a hotel, where they are lodging for a while. Melissa’s mother, June, drops by to babysit Hazel and Max while the parents head off for an excursion of their own.

The purpose of Ben and Melissa’s trip is revealed to be a visit to the Oregon penitentiary. Ben wants to sit down with Keith and stop him from interfering in his daughter’s life. While they wait for him to show up, the couple argue about their duty as parents and their shortcomings over the last few weeks. In the end, Keith never shows up for a visit. At the same time, Hazel opens up to June about her recent transmissions with Keith. June merely states that she can see her granddaughter throwing her life away just like Melissa once did. It irks Hazel that her grandmother is so harsh with Melissa. As Ben and Melissa head back to the hotel, she receives a call from her dad. Ben uses the opportunity to issue a threat to Keith, which the latter bats away jokingly. However, the serial killer loses his mind when Melissa calls him by his name rather than “dad.”

Melissa Discovers a Startling Truth About Her Father

In the hotel’s lobby, Melissa and Ben get into yet another argument. Ben accuses his wife of “protecting” Keith and not being able to let go of him from her life. She convinces him to step away while she privately talks with Hazel about Keith. During the conversation with Hazel, Melissa tells her daughter that Keith is grooming her. When Hazel refuses to believe her mother, Melissa informs her about several instances in her life when Keith manipulated her and hurt her in terrible ways. She finishes the talk by telling Hazel to stay away from her father. However, June overhears the dialogue and interjects. She states that Melissa is still trying to make excuses for Keith and is unable to let go of the notion that he loved her once. Subsequently, June tells Melissa a shocking story about her childhood when Keith tried to burn the house and kill both his wife and daughter.

Devastated by the fact that her father never loved her, Melissa heads out on a drive to clear her head. She breaks down tearfully as she contemplates the fact that her dad tried to kill her. Feeling hopeless, she visits Ashton at his trailer residence in the woods. Although angry at seeing her at his place, he takes her on an ominous walk through the woods and toward the river. Elsewhere, Ben sits down for some gin and tonic at a local bar. After walking for a while, Ashton and Melissa finally arrive at a pier. He takes out a crab from his crab trap and sits down to chat with Melissa about his life after his mom’s murder. The open dialogue allows Melissa to relate elements of his story to her life. Eventually, she tells him that Keith was always a monster, even when she was a child. He tells her to redefine her story and find a new purpose from the pain.

Melissa and Ben Face a Crossroads Moment in Their Relationship

At the bar, Ben runs into Bassett, the prison guard who mocked him during his earlier visit to the penitentiary. Ben suggests the possibility of punishing Keith somehow and putting Bassett up to the task. The guard tells him to go back to his wife and kids in a demeaning way. Outside, Ben is approached by another guard from the penitentiary, a man named Chavez. He tells Ben that he is willing to upset the power dynamics inside the prison because he is sick of Keith running the show. However, the only way to take down Keith is to kill him because a normal beatdown will have no effect. As such, Ben is left with a dilemma. In the meantime, Melissa continues her cathartic night with Ashton at a local eating place. They have a fun time singing in front of a live audience.

When Melissa returns home near midnight, Ben greets her in the living room. The two apologize for the harsh words they’ve been using against each other. Ben also forces Melissa to promise him that she will no longer have any contact with Keith moving forward. As she accepts the promise, the two head off to bed, rekindling their passion for one another. In the morning, Melissa wakes up to a text message from her dad, showcasing a drawing of Bob, the guy who was in charge of the evidence from Heather’s case. The protagonist feels compelled to follow up on the cryptic message because Keith should not know what Bob looks like. The couple have another argument, especially after Melissa’s promise last night. Ben tells his wife that their lives will no longer be the same when she returns home because he is tired of dealing with Keith.

Ben Makes a Tough Choice as Melissa Fishes For the Truth

Elijah and Joyce sit down for their interview with Dr. Greg. He describes his surreal feelings about his newfound freedom. He also expresses a sense of anger for losing a good chunk of his life because of a false conviction. While collecting the laundry from Hazel’s room, Ben finds a creepy drawing of a woman with a taped mouth and a happy face symbol. He grows concerned about Keith’s influence on his daughter. Elsewhere, Melissa tracks down Bob and meets him at a barbecue diner. She questions him about Heather’s evidence, forcing him to come clean. He admits that he allowed a woman claiming to be Heather’s daughter to collect a necklace from the box of evidence while he was away. However, this mysterious woman (who was not Heather’s daughter) also took Heather’s bloody dress.

Worried about the legitimacy of Heather’s case, Melissa asks a forensic expert if it is possible to transfer DNA from Heather’s bloody dress to a wrench. The expert states that it is well within the possibilities of a test to pick up any small strain of DNA because of the sensitivity of modern techniques. In the meantime, Ben sneaks into Hazel’s room while she is sleeping and takes her art book. He rifles through the drawings, finding more links to Keith. He suddenly has a flashback to his first meeting with Keith at the penitentiary. When Melissa leaves for a toilet break, Keith threatens Ben by stating that the Jesperson girls will always belong to him and Ben is merely borrowing them for a while. He promises that Ben will be helpless in stopping him when he comes to take them away.

Desperate to keep his family intact, Ben gets in contact with Chavez, texting him that he is willing to go through with their earlier agreement. He promises to pay Chavez in Bitcoin for his services as long as he takes care of Keith somehow. At the same time, Melissa visits Ivy’s place, telling her that Keith never killed Heather. She explains everything she found out through her conversation with Bob. Melissa believes that Keith staged the whole ordeal so that he could reestablish contact with her, especially because he stopped talking with him for a long time. Ivy states that she always suspected something was amiss. However, they are also convinced that Elijah is not the killer. Thus, the mystery of who killed Heather remains a burning question, one they need to find an answer to.