A Great Reason To Be Happy! SyFy Renews Happy! For A Second Season
Happy!, SyFy’s bizarre, over-the-top, crazy, and violent yet strangely endearing and heartwarming series has been renewed for a second season.
The show, starring Christopher Meloni as Nick Sax and Patton Oswalt as the voice of Happy, is based on the graphic novel by writer Grant Morrison and artist Darick Robertson. It’s the story of Sax, a disgraced cop/former hitman who finds out the daughter he never knew he had has been kidnapped by a fiendish Santa Claus and an equally fiendish children’s TV host. He receives this news from a little blue flying unicorn, who introduces himself as Happy, his daughter Hailey’s imaginary friend.
The uproarious quest to save Hailey introduces us to a mob run by the sinister Mr. Blue (Ritchie Coster), his reality TV star daughter, the aforementioned fiends, a bug orgy partying crew, murderous imaginary friends, an ex-wife, an ex-mistress, a Chinese hit squad, a walking dead guy and a whole passel of strong-willed children led by Nick’s daughter Hailey. It’s an audacious show, perhaps the most edgy series SyFy has produced since last summer’s Blood Drive. It is the network’s biggest launch since January 2016 across all key demographics.
I, for one, loved the series’ oddness and gleefully twisted madcap plot. Christopher Meloni is exceptional as Nick; his expressive eyebrows and clenched mouth are deserving of an award all on their own.
I love the show’s strong women – right or wrong, good or bad, they are savvy, self-controlled, quick-witted and determined. Lili Mirjnick is wonderful as Lt. Meredith McCarthy, Nick’s mistress and ex-partner who has to navigate her mob connection and IA in order to help save Hailey. There’s resourceful and determined Amanda (Medina Senghore), Hailey’s mom, capable of moving heaven and earth for her daughter; Isabella (Debi Mazar), the reality star/mob princess who’s also going to move heaven (literally) and earth for her own offspring; the scary and mostly crazy strega, Assunta (Antonia Rey), who likes to mix a little menstrual blood in her gravy; Meredith’s mom, Jessica (Laura Poe), who takes drastic measures to escape being a pawn in Mr. Blue’s schemes, and of course young Hailey (Bryce Lorenzo), the brave and smart little girl who becomes the rock the other kidnapped children rely on and who is able to outwit sadistic Santa, Mr. Blue and hitman Smoothie (Patrick Fischler) .
And, of course, there’s Happy himself, the lovable, adorable imaginary friend who goes from childhood innocent to badass tickle-torture artist during the course of his adventures with Nick. He is the light, the one bright spot in Nick’s bleak and twisted world. Indeed, the cinematography is mostly dark and gritty, reflecting the bars, alleyways, secret tunnels, abandoned warehouses and rooftops that are Nick’s natural habitat. Happy, with his bright blue color and shiny horn, is the one thing that stands out and brightens his world.
The series finale was Wednesday, February 1st, and wrapped up the major plot points while leaving the audience on pins and needle regarding Mr. Blue, the password, Sonny Shine and more.
Chris McCumber, President of entertainment networks at NBC Universal Cable Entertainment said in a statement, “Happy! struck a chord with our SyFy audience and disrupted the TV landscape with its unique storytelling and outrageous performances led by Christopher Meloni. If people thought this season was crazy – I can’t wait for fans to see what Grant Morrison, Brian Taylor and the entire cast and crew have in store for Sax and Happy!”
Are you a fan of Happy!? Are you “Happy” with this announcement? Share your favorite moments of Season 1, and what you’re looking forward to in Season 2 in the comments below!