Summary
Happy Face has, for the most part, a conclusive and satisfying ending, but it can’t quite resists a last-minute tease of more to come.
A cliffhanger ending really doesn’t suit Happy Face, and I spent most of Episode 8, “The Star”, believing that it wasn’t going to get one. There are resolutions everywhere. Melissa finds out who really killed Heather, learns to let go of her father’s legacy, and finds a more meaningful career trajectory. Even Hazel ends up better off, not that she deserves it. Keith’s potential death is teased, but ultimately it doesn’t matter whether he lives or dies, since Melissa and Shane are free of him.
And yet there’s an unnecessary final scene that leaves Ben with egg on his face, and suggests that perhaps Keith’s ongoing torment of his family might not be over. There’s a chance that this is just a fun note of ambiguity for the audience, but you know what TV is like these days, especially on streaming, and there could be an executive in the Paramount+ offices somewhere already brainstorming the next adventure of Melissa and Ivy. I enjoyed Happy Face all told, but I hope that isn’t the case.
Anyway, let’s get on with the ending.
Who Really Killed Heather?
As became obvious in the penultimate episode, Keith didn’t kill Heather. Instead, he used his surprisingly vast influence to pretend that he did, just to keep himself in the headlines and to manipulate Melissa. But if he didn’t do it, and we already proved Elijah didn’t do it, then who did?
It turns out that Heather was killed by Carl O’Neill, the owner of the bar that hosted the open mic night. It’s actually Carl’s son, Cody, who becomes the prime suspect after some more sleuthing by Melissa and Ivy – Heather was wearing his jacket when she performed – but Carl ultimately revealed himself in a long, boozy monologue that he didn’t know Melissa was recording. His reasons were mundane, really. He had a bit of a fling with Heather, and in a drunken, jealous rage when she rejected his efforts at continuing the relationship, he killed her.
Cody knew all this, which explains why he was behaving so erratically when he felt the suspicion was falling on him. But Carl never confessed, and on some level never quite came to terms with the idea that he was a nutter. He meets his end by taking his own life in front of Melissa, which isn’t great for her state of mind, but after everything else she has been through, it will probably barely register long-term. Even Calloway is full of praise for how brave she was.
Melissa Breaks Free
Annaleigh Ashford in Happy Face | Image via Apple TV+
With Heather’s case solved, Melissa looks to extend her winning streak by leaving her father out of her life completely, even when it seems like he’s on death’s door following a heart attack. She initially elects not to see him, but then she decides to communicate with him in a language he’ll understand – by gloating about foiling his plan while he’s on his deathbed. Which is less than he deserves, really.
So, Melissa tells Keith everything she has figured out and proved along the way. Keith’s apparent justification is very on-brand – he claims to have done everything he did just to help make Melissa become the star he always knew she was – but Melissa isn’t buying it. He’s a delusional narcissist who couldn’t leave his family alone. But now he’ll have no choice. Even if he survives, Melissa has cut off his connection to Gillian, to herself, and to Hazel. If he survives, he’ll remain in prison with no way to influence the outside world.
This is, obviously, a fate worse than death for Keith, and it’s a long-overdue victory for Melissa. I would have been happier if Happy Face ended here. But, predictably, it has one more surprise to follow. I’ll get to that in a minute.
Keith Isn’t Done Yet
In light of the coming matter with Keith and Ben, I’m somewhat suspicious of what should be a happy ending for Melissa. The finale of Happy Face reveals that she and Ivy will be hosting their own true-crime segment on the Dr. Gregg Show so that she can continue to work with people whose lives, like hers, have been touched by violent crime. I’d like to take it at face value, but it feels like a way to create a framework for subsequent seasons.
And then there’s the unresolved plot thread involving Ben trying to have Keith killed. As it turns out, this was unsuccessful. He woke up the next morning full of regret and attempted to call the assassination off, but the wheels were already in motion. It seemed like Keith’s heart attack had gotten him off the hook, though, and he elected not to tell Melissa about what happened. With her having cut Keith off, there was little reason to.
But at the very end of Happy Face, Keith calls Ben to let him know that he knows what Ben did. Word got back to him after all. What he’ll do with that information is anyone’s guess, but knowing Keith, it’s unlikely to be anything positive.
