a welcome return to comedy for sitcom star Reba McEntire. She portrays Bobbie, who inherits half of a Knoxville, Tennessee bar called Happy, founded by her father of the same name. She also gets to know her paternal half-sister, Isabella. Her Reba co-star, Melissa Peterman, is another standout as the consistently funny bartender Gabby. For Gabby, she's a woman with nonstop humor who insists on doing things her way and standing out from the crowd.

There's an intriguing storyline for Gabby regarding her desire to have a baby. This plot would've included a potential sperm donor portrayed by Steve Howey, another former cast member from Reba. According to Happy's Place has been renewed for season 2.

Gabby Wanting To Be A Mother Arc In Happy's Place Is Difficult To Believe

Gabby's Mom Storyline Will Be A Challenge To Incorporate Into The Show

Gabby is a hilarious character who tends to poke fun at her friends and coworkers, including Bobbie and Emmett, the cook at Happy's. However, there are also times when Gabby expresses her feelings of worry, including her intentions of being a good mother. This is shown in season 1, episode 12, "Baby Doll," where Gabby reveals her uncertainties regarding motherhood. In order to face her fear of being a good mother, Gabby gets an AI baby doll to help her practice caring for a baby, along with assistance from Bobbie and her expertise as a mom.

While Gabby's baby storyline is intriguing and unveils the character's emotional complexity, it may be a challenge moving forward because of Gabby's advanced age, making her past the time of childbearing and likely not having enough money for IVF. If Gabby were to follow through in having a baby, another additional challenge for her would be in balancing her work as a bartender and her responsibilities as a mom. However, the benefit of Gabby continuing her pursuit of being a parent would allow her character to be fully fleshed out, displaying her sentimental qualities and not just being a bartender.

Steve Howey Was Supposed To Be Gabby's Donor (But His Role Was Changed)

Howey Instead Played A Business Owner In The Show's Christmas Episode

Steve Howey had a major Reba reunion with his former co-stars, McEntire and Peterman, on Happy's Place. Howey's chemistry with Peterman is especially evident when he made his sole appearance thus far on Happy's in season 1, episode 7, "Ho-Ho-Howey." While Howey was supposed to play Gabby's sperm donor so she could potentially have a baby, he instead played Danny, a rich business owner. Gabby tries to persuade Danny to hold a Christmas party at Bobbie's tavern in order to raise funds for the staff at Happy's so they can afford health insurance for the year.

Howey's changed role from sperm donor to wealthy business owner was warranted for the sake of providing a funny storyline for the show's Christmas episode. According to Abbott, if the sperm donor storyline were to be included, the holiday episode wouldn't have been considered suitable for kids and younger audiences. Howey's role as Danny is also funny here because he is slightly fooled by Gabby, as she makes him believe that she is Bobbie so he can hold the party at the tavern. In return, Danny pretends to be Emmett to get Bobbie's attention.

Howey was also only available to star in Happy's for a brief period of time, causing the network to do a Christmas-themed episode rather than have him play Gabby's sperm donor. The Christmas episode was a better choice at the time in order to establish the chemistry and hilarity between Danny, Gabby, and Bobbie (with a reference to the actors' days on Reba). However, given that Happy's Place will return for season 2, Howey could reprise his role as Danny in order to further develop his friendship with Gabby, and to potentially help her become a mother.

What Are More Interesting Storylines For Gabby In Happy's Place Season 2

Season 2 Can Focus On Gabby's Backstory And Potential Future Interests

While Gabby's mother plotline could return in Happy's Place season 2 with Danny's help, there are other storylines for Gabby that may be explored in the show's sophomore year. For instance, Gabby's family history and backstory could be explored further, especially after Gabby and Bobbie learn that they are sisters in Happy's Place season 1, episode 10, "The MacAllister Girls." Gabby's journey to becoming a bartender at Happy's could also be shown with flashbacks that establish her interest in bartending, as well as what she went through in her young adult life.

Whether it's Gabby's goal to be a mom or her future aspirations, Gabby is a funny and multidimensional character who will continue to be one of the driving forces behind Happy's Place and its successful run thus far.

Gabby's other interests should be included in season 2 of Happy's Place. This includes her expertise at auctions, which was introduced in season 1, episode 16, "Whiskey Business," where Gabby saved Bobbie and Isabella from selling an old whiskey bottle found at Happy's. Gabby could have a future as an auctioneer that leads to big business for herself and Happy's. Whether it's Gabby's goal to be a mom or her future aspirations, Gabby is a funny and multidimensional character who will continue to be one of the driving forces behind Happy's Place and its successful run thus far.

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