Why Reba McEntire & Rex Linn Had Everyone Torn Up on Happy’s Place: “This Is Not OK!”

Make sure you’ve grabbed some tissues before watching Happy’s Place‘s latest.

Just as Bobbie (Reba McEntire) and Emmett (Rex Linn) seemed to be running off into the sunset together, troubling secrets finally came to light on Season 2 of Happy’s Place.

How to Watch

Watch Happy’s Place Fridays at 8/7c on NBC and next day on Peacock.

Fans have been waiting for Emmett to come clean ever since he revealed that Bobbie’s late father, Happy, had previously told him about his affair and secret daughter, Bobbie’s formerly estranged half-sister, Isabella (Belissa Escobedo). After swearing secrecy, Emmett struggled to break that promise, but also worried about starting a relationship with Bobbie while hiding it.

But as their chemistry became explosive and one thing led to another, Emmett failed to mention his secret to Bobbie until Season 2’s “Silence Was Golden,” when all of the secrecy came to a head. Bobbie was heartbroken over being left in the dark, ultimately deciding to end things with Emmett, telling him that they could only be good friends at the moment. She couldn’t handle more than that.

Needless to say, Happy’s Place‘s latest had viewers reaching for the tissues as the swoon-worthy romance between Bobbie and Emmett came to a grinding halt.

Bobbie and Emmett’s breakup scene made everyone in the Happy’s Place audience emotional

Bobbie (Reba McEntire) and Emmett (Rex Linn) appear on Happy’s Place Season 2 Episode 9.

Photo: Casey Durkin/NBC

Happy’s Place co-creator Kevin Abbott and director Pamela Fryman chatted with NBC Insider about the emotional episode, revealing that not only was the cast and crew troubled by the tragic development, but the studio audience was torn up over the scene, as well.

“Let’s talk about the audience, which is just the crew in the rehearsal,” Fryman said. “We are so in love with Reba and Rex and their love, as silly as that sounds. Every time we did [the break-up scene], and we kept doing it, it was just like, ‘Please, can we not do this? This is not OK!'”

Considering Linn and McEntire are happily engaged and planning a wedding on the horizon, it was particularly shattering for their Happy’s Place crew to watch the previously smitten Bobbie and Emmett call it quits, almost sacrilege. Fryman continued by saying that the tears kept coming out after rehearsals during the actual taping, when the live studio audience witnessed the tragic moment.

“You can imagine that when the audience came in, it was the same thing. Everybody is so invested,” Fryman said. “When people come and see the show, they are really familiar with it for the most part, and they are such huge fans of Reba and the show that it was almost unfair to do it to them. But it’s real, and it’s heartbreaking. You’re so invested, you want to see where it goes.”

Emmett and Bobbie have to “go through some stuff” on Happy’s Place

Bobbie (Reba McEntire) and Emmett (Rex Linn) appear in Happy’s Place Season 2 Episode 3.

Photo: Casey Durkin/NBC

While fans have been rooting for Bobbie and Emmett’s happily-ever-after since Season 1, the Happy’s Place writers wanted to craft a romantic story rooted in reality, with plenty of “bumps” in the road.

“We are Happy’s Place, but life isn’t always happy. We want to make certain that we put our people through some bumps and bruises,” Abbott told NBC Insider. “Because ultimately, the message of our show is one of hope. You’re going to go through some stuff, but you’re going to get through some stuff because you have the right people around you, the supportive, loving people around. Whether it be your own family or the family that you have come to consider your family.”

Abbott explained that Emmett’s choice to keep his knowledge of Isabella a secret was bound to “blow up” eventually, leading many to wonder where the couple will head from here.

“I personally love drama with my comedy. I like to get the laughs out of emotional difficulty, and I think that plays,” Abbott said. “I say that sometimes you laugh the hardest at a funeral because your emotions are so raw. We don’t want to put our audience through that every week, but sometimes, in order to show this is life, these are real people, they go through stuff, they’re going to go through heartache, too. But they’re going to be okay, ultimately, because that’s also our message. I find that rich. I always say I want to tell compelling stories, and we’ll make them funny.”

Happy’s Place Season 2

Ready for another round? Happy’s Place Season 2 has been serving up heart and humor, with new episodes airing Fridays at 8/7c on NBC and the next day on Peacock.

Starring Reba McEntire, Rex Linn, Belissa Escobedo, Melissa Peterman, Tokala Black Elk, and Pablo Castelblanco, Season 2 of Happy’s Place features even more nostalgic reunions and sitcom hilarity.

The romance between Bobbie and Emmett has been full of “fireworks,” as the two shared their first kiss and even defined their relationship. But, while love is in the air, Emmett is carrying a long-buried secret on Happy’s Place Season 2.

Find out what happens next between Bobbie and Emmett by watching Season 2 of Happy’s Place on Fridays at 8/7c on NBC and the next day on Peacock.

Reporting by Tara Bennett