Aahana Swrup
In the NBC sitcom ‘Happy’s Place,’ two estranged half-sisters find themselves thrust into each other’s orbits after the death of their father. This abrupt discovery of a much younger half-sister comes as a startling shock for Bobbie, who initially struggles with accepting Isabella as part-owner and inheritor of her father’s tavern. However, just as the two work through the complications of becoming business partners, brand-new hurdles are put in their path as they agree to become roommates. As it turns out, the two have vastly different approaches to conflict resolution—something that threatens to give Isabella cold feet. As a result, the tavern once again becomes the ground zero for unconventional family-drama-filled shenanigans. SPOILERS AHEAD!
Isabella Bolts at the First Sight of Tension
The morning after Bobbie’s initial invite for Isabella to stay at her house, the woman extends the offer further, asking her younger sister to move in with her fully. The former remains excited at the prospect, even after Emmett—the resident no-nonsense chef at Happy’s Place—points out her overcontrolling tendencies. Inevitably, his concerns end up coming true the following evening when the half-sisters decide to have a movie marathon together. Throughout the day, Bobbie had noticed a few of Isabella’s quirks—such as her tendency to store her deodorant in the refrigerator—that slightly ticked her off.
Therefore, Bobbie reaches a limit when she realizes Isabella has moved a few things around. Consequently, she brings up the issue and how it affects her need to micromanage and have everything in the right place. However, Isabella freaks out when she floats the idea of verbalizing every small grievance either of them may have with each other to clear the air. Consequently, the younger woman arrives at the conclusion that it would be best for her to move back into the motel to avoid any unnecessary conflict between the duo. Nonetheless, the decision ends up disheartening Bobbie.
As it turns out, Bobbie had truly enjoyed sharing her home with someone else again. Isabella’s momentary presence in her home reminded her of how lonely things had gotten since her father’s death and her daughter Gracie’s deployment. In turn, Isabella’s return to motel life doesn’t bear any better fruits. The constant noises in the seedy motels she can afford are enough to ruin anyone’s night. Fortunately for her, she has decided to shadow Emmett at the restaurant for the day, which leads to a vulnerable heart-to-heart. As a result, Isabella begins to realize that her fight-or-flight response stemmed from the way her mother treated conflict around the house when she was growing up.
Steve and Dakota Bond Over Mismatched Socks
While Bobbie and Isabella’s complications at home build, business continues as usual at the tavern. However, a yet undetected grievance comes to Dakota’s notice. The waiter likes to wear mismatched socks—a quirk that he inherited from his young daughter, Yarrow. As it turns out, the fashion choice has been silently bugging Steve, the accountant who works at the establishment’s bar. Being the nice guy that he is, Dakota decides to go the extra mile and starts wearing all-black matching socks while at work for Steve’s comfort.
Although the gesture is incredibly nice, Steve regrets the fact that his co-worker felt the need to change something so personal to him for his benefit. For the same reason, he decides to buy a pair of mismatched pair for Dakota. When the latter expresses his reluctance to cause the accountant any discomfort, even with his permission, it compels him to reveal a story about his childhood. When Steve was young, he used to spend a lot of time painstakingly straining out the flaps of his mother’s Venetian blinds in the living room. However, his father would always mess them up the slightest, finding his son’s agitation to be humorous.
Therefore, after a lifetime of having people go out of their way to make him uncomfortable, Dakota’s considerate actions leave a lasting impression on Steve. Thus, he’s willing to overlook his fears and extend the same care and respect to the other man. In fact, to showcase his seriousness on the matter, Steve even buys himself an identical mismatched pair of socks in solidarity. This exceptional display of friendship eventually inspires Isabella to take charge of her own fears.
Isabella Moves Back in With Bobbie
In light of Isabella’s exit from Bobbie’s house, Gabby—the try-hard bartender who is desperate to be best friends with the latter—decides to help her out by inviting herself over for the evening. With a handy bottle of wine in tow, she instigates a moment of bonding with Bobbie in an effort to liven up her house again in her sister’s absence. Even though the pair have a great time together, Isabella’s absence inevitably creeps up on the tavern owner. The latter’s sudden presence in her life made her realize how much she misses having family around to share her life with.
Even though Gabby proves to be a great friend—despite her drunken faux passes—she knows she can never fulfill the role that Isabella occupied in Bobbie’s life. Fortunately enough, Steve and Dakota’s friendship inspires the young woman to patch things up with Bobbie on the same evening. Much like the accountant, she also doesn’t want to let fear control her life. As such, she shows up at Bobbie’s door, willing to give their living situation another try. The pair decide that despite the approach to conflict that their previous families undertook, they’re going to create new traditions as they find their footing together—as a family of two.
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