If you aren’t watching Happy!, you are missing out. The series is based on the graphic novel by Grant Morrison and Darick Robertson, but the SYFY series has gone way beyond the source material and improved upon it in almost every possible way.
We’ve covered Happy! a few times for FANDOM: when the pilot premiered at New York Comic Con and when we reviewed the first two episodes. Now, with only one episode left, it feels imperative that you check out this show.
The Definition of WTF
The premise of the show centers around Nick Sax (Christopher Meloni), a former cop who succumbed to all of his basest desires and is now a hitman. When he nearly dies during a job, he starts seeing a little flying blue unicorn called Happy (Patton Oswalt). Happy is trying to get Nick to help him find Hailey (Bryce Lorenzo), a little girl who was kidnapped by a terrifying Santa Claus (Joseph D. Reitman).
Where the show goes from there is nutso. This is a world where imaginary friends are real, and the show starts to dive into that universe in the latter half of the season. In fact, there are hints that there are other kinds of inter-reality beings in the episode “Destroyer of Worlds” and it’s much wackier than you could imagine.
Not to mention that every episode features some of the craziest s–t you’ll see on TV. Nick Sax is often fending off mob goons and dispatching them in the bloodiest ways possible. Seriously, this show makes Game of Thrones look like Paw Patrol when it comes to violence. But, this is a show that revels in over-the-top murder and mutilation. It’s like a Quentin Tarantino film on hyperdrive. So, basically, the best thing possible.
We also get demonically resurrected corpses, murderous elves, costumed orgies featuring a giant bug person, random music videos, Christmas hallucinations, and plenty of Christopher Meloni’s sweet, sweet tush. If those things don’t pique your interest, you might need to check your pulse and see if you’re still alive. There are even things that we can’t talk about in this forum because my editors will fire me for just mentioning them (we can talk about it on Twitter though!).
Charm and Characters
However, all of this lunacy doesn’t take away from the characters. This is a cast that is operating at the top of their game. The relationship between Nick and Happy is often giggle-inducing, but there is genuine sweetness there as well. That’s hammered home when the two get separated and reunited for a while, and it leads to the solidification of these two as an ass-kicking dynamic duo.
There’s also a ton of emotional weight thanks to the supporting cast. Nick’s former partner and ex-lover, Det. Meredith McCarthy (Lili Mirojnick), is one of the show’s secret weapons. Her shaky relationship with Nick lets us look into her own life and past, and we learn a lot about why she has gotten to a point where she is working for the mob. There’s also Hailey’s mother, Amanda (Medina Senghore), who grounds the show with a harrowing pursuit to find her daughter. Even though the show will hook you with its more extreme elements, it’ll keep you coming back because of these characters.
Okay, So Where Can I Watch It?
Happy! airs on SYFY Wednesdays at 10/9c. But, if you need to catch up on all this amazingness, you just have to head over to SYFY’s website (here) and sign in with your cable provider to watch. Or, you know, get someone else’s login however you can. Hey, we’re not gonna judge. Just so long as you glue your eyeballs to the screen and watch this necessary slice of madness. Because we need to get a second season of this magically maniacal show.
It is consistently energetic, surprising, hilarious, insane, violent, disturbing, heartfelt, cliché-defying, and amazing. Do yourself a favor and make this priority one on your watchlist. You won’t regret it.
