Happy’s Place paid tribute to the one and only Dolly Parton in its latest episode, “Skeletons in the Closet,” which explored the Halloween-coinciding holiday, Día de Muertos. Warning: Spoilers for Happy’s Place Season 3 Episode 2 ahead!
The episode saw Isabella (Belissa Escobedo) bring the tradition of honoring lost loved ones by building an ofrenda in the titular bar. While Bobbie (Reba McEntire) was open to learning about the holiday, she had mixed emotions as Isabella and her mother, Maritza (Justina Machado), honored Happy through the memorial.
As for centering the Halloween episode around Día de Muertos, McEntire tells TV Insider, “I think it’s a wonderful episode because not only did it teach Bobbie, it also taught Reba. And it’s a wonderful tradition from her culture, and I absolutely loved it.” The performer goes on to add, “It was very warm and big-hearted on the whole set for that week.”
That feeling was due in part to the major loss of her pal Dolly Parton, as McEntire confirms, “Dolly passed that week. We were thinking about her and also all the family and friends that have gone on, and so we were talking about doing [an ofrenda for] the Happy’s Place family.” McEntire reveals.
NBC
The tribute to Dolly was felt by all as the stars chime in on the special way the show remembered the music superstar. “The scenes at the ofrenda were amazing,” Rex Linn, who plays Emmett, muses.
“We filmed it when Dolly passed,” star Pablo Castelblanco reiterates. “So we also had the opportunity to celebrate her, and it was just a lovely thing we got to do.”
“If you look real close on that ofrenda… there is actually, tucked in, a picture of Dolly that we added in,” Tokala Black Elk, who plays Takoda, adds.
In addition to honoring Dolly, the episode also leaned into the prankster side of Halloween with Gabby (Melissa Peterman) as she pulled tricks on her fellow colleagues. But did someone else have the last laugh? See the full video interview above and let us know what you thought of Happy’s Place‘s Dolly Parton tribute in the comments section below.
Happy’s Place, Season 3, Fridays, 8/7c, NBC
