Reba from Happy’s Place Reunion Creates a Character Problem That Needs Fixing

Reba McEntire returns to network TV with Happy placeand she’s bringing one of her old Reba castmates, whose new character has a glaring problem. The NBC sitcom, created by Kevin Abbott, features McEntire (who is also an executive producer) as Bobbie, the new owner of Happy’s Place. Bobbie’s father, the previous owner of the tavern, died, and she inherited it after his death. However, the twist Happy place is that Bobbie has a long-lost half-sister, Isabella, who shows up at the bar when her father left the place for the two of them to co-own.

In addition to Bobbie and Isabella, the new co-owners of the tavern, the other characters in Happy place are those who work at Happy’s Place. From the accountant to the chef, the NBC sitcom seemingly has every job done at the bar. One of the bartenders Happy place should look familiar to those who watched Reba as she is played by one of the main cast members of the longest running TV show.

Happy’s Place stages an emotional Reba reunion

Reba McEntire and Melissa Peterman star in Happy’s Place

Melissa Peterman, who played Barbra Jean Hart in Rebareunites with her former co-star Reba McEntire 17 years later Reba ended in Happy place. Peterman stars as Gabby, one of the waitresses at Happy’s Place, in the main cast of the NBC sitcom. Gabby is a supporting character, as she is one of Bobbie’s employees, and McEntire’s character is (unsurprisingly) the face of the comedy series, similar to the two actresses’ dynamic on their old TV show. However, Happy place sets the stage for an emotional reunion between two of the most notable cast members of Reba​​​​​.

Like those who watched Reba will remember, Peterman’s Barbra Jean and McEntire’s Reba Hart had a special relationship on the 2000s comedy. The series begins with Reba discovering that her ex-husband, Brock Hart, had an affair with another woman, who subsequently became pregnant. Barbra Jean is the other woman (who Brock later marries), so it’s easy to see why the two characters have a unique dynamic. Now, 23 years after the sitcom Reba ended, McEntire and Peterman join forces again in Happy place on NBC.

Gabby from Happy’s Place by Melissa Peterman looks a lot like Barbra Jean

Gabby shares many characteristics with Reba’s Barbra Jean

While seeing Reba McEntire and Melissa Peterman sharing the screen again is exciting, from them Happy place the character dynamics are similar to Reba and Barbra Jean in Reba​​​​​​. Probably because Gabby and Barbra Jean look almost identical. Of course, Happy place It’s from McEntire Reba replacement sitcom, but that doesn’t mean the two shows have to share certain qualities. Instead, it should be the opposite. TV’s newest comedy series should do as much as it can to separate itself from Reba, as many will compare the two programs upon arrival.

In Happy placePeterman’s Gabby is a little airheaded, naive and desperate to be Bobbie’s best friend, similar to the actress’s character in Reba​​​​​​. Of course, their situations are very different. Barbra Jean is the wife of Reba’s ex-husband and Gabby is Bobbie’s employee, whom she seems to tolerate. Bobbie is much friendlier to Gabby in Happy place than Reba is in relation to Barbra Jean in Reba (which isn’t saying much). However, McEntire’s characters are distant from Peterman’s characters to varying degrees. As a result, it’s easy to compare Gabby to Barbra Jean, which is a major and disappointing problem for McEntire’s new comedy.

How Happy’s Place Can Fix Gabby

There’s still time to differentiate between Gabby and Barbra Jean

It’s still early at NBC Happy place season 1, which means change is possible. Gabby doesn’t need to be a completely different person than she is in the pilot, but adjustments need to be made to her character. To begin with, the writers could easily fix the dynamic between Bobbie and Gabby. Instead of making it seem like Bobbie is irritated with Gabby (while Gabby wants to be close to her boss), the sitcom could reframe their relationship so that the two are actually great friends who can more than tolerate each other.

Happy place it should also make Gabby less stupid and more self-aware. It would be wise for writers instill a little more intelligence and agency in Gabby to separate her from Barbra Jean, who, while adorable, wasn’t the smartest character in Reba. Ultimately, viewers only got a glimpse of Peterman’s Gabby in Reba McEntire’s new sitcom, which means there’s time for the writers and producers to resolve this character issue.