Happy’s Place is tugging at Reba fans’ heartstrings

JoAnna Garcia Swisher’s Happy’s Place Episode Slid in Some Reba Nods: “If You Know…”

“It was like no time had passed,” Melissa Peterman said of reuniting with Reba co-star JoAnna Garcia Swisher on Happy’s Place.

Another nostalgic Reba reunion is headed to Happy’s Place, and the episode made sure to sprinkle in a few clever Easter eggs, just for the fans.

How to Watch

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

In an interview with NBC Insider, Melissa Peterman, who stars as Gabby the bartender on the NBC sitcom alongside Reba McEntire as tavern owner Bobbie, revealed that JoAnna Garcia Swisher’s upcoming guest spot on Happy’s Place is not only “very funny,” but also includes some knee-slapper moments for those who watched Reba back in the early 2000s.

“There’s a line with Joanna that is very funny and that if you know, you know,” Peterman teased. “The audience will laugh very hard because it’s a little homage to the first show.”

Peterman also happily confirmed that the moment was definitely a delight for the in-studio audience. “It landed,” she said. “That was gratifying to see.”

Melissa Peterman as Gabby, JoAnna Swisher Garcia as Kenzie, and Reba McEntire as Bobbie on Happy’s Place Season 2 Episode 12.

Photo: Casey Durkin/NBC

The stars, themselves, couldn’t get enough of the reunion. So much so that they had to be reminded to take a break from chatting. “It was like no time had passed,” Peterman told NBC Insider. “But also at the same time, we just couldn’t stop talking and gossiping and catching up to the point where they had to, you know, tell us to like go to lunch or we’re done, rehearsal’s over, you need to leave.”

JoAnna Garcia Swisher, Reba McEntire, and Melissa Peterman reunite on Happy’s Place

Melissa Peterman as Gabby, JoAnna Swisher Garcia as Kenzie, and Reba McEntire as Bobbie on Happy’s Place Season 2 Episode 12.

Photo: Casey Durkin/NBC

Swisher makes her long-awaited debut on the March 13 episode of Happy’s Place — Season 2, Episode 12 (“Social Discontent”) — as Kenzie, “a local Knoxville influencer” who’s working with the tavern on a social media campaign and “all of it is much to Bobbie’s chagrin.”

Swisher first met McEntire and Peterman over two decades ago on Reba, which ran from 2001 to 2007. Swisher played Cheyenne, the daughter of McEntire’s character Reba and eventual stepdaughter of Peterman’s Barbra Jean, the dental hygienist who has an affair with Cheyenne’s father, Brock Hart (Christopher Rich).

“We’ve been wanting to have Joanna on since Season 1 because she’s just so great,” Happy’s Place executive producer, co-creator, and showrunner Kevin Abbott, told NBC Insider ahead of Swisher’s debut, adding that they decided to finally bring her on once they came up with the perfect role for her. And, according to Peterman, “She really nailed it. She crushed it.”

Pamela Fryman, director and executive producer of Happy’s Place, told NBC Insider it was “an absolute delight” to work with Swisher and to watch the longtime pals reunite on set.

“When we do run-throughs, everybody’s worked together, so it truly is a reunion in the best sense of the word,” she said. “But they also have this great familiarity with each other, and all of a sudden you’ve got a guest star that you’re not starting at zero because they have wonderful relationships with each other. And they are obviously so excited to be with each other that you’re already having fun before you’ve even started.”

JoAnna Swisher Garcia as Kenzie and Reba McEntire as Bobbie on Happy’s Place Season 2 Episode 12.

Photo: Casey Durkin/NBC

Happy’s Place has already served up two hilarious and heartfelt Reba reunions with Rich and Steve Howey, and the whole cast stays in touch to this day. In fact, Peterman told NBC Insider, “There’s still that group text.”

“It was really fun to introduce my family to my new family,” Peterman said of her Reba co-stars meeting the Happy’s Place cast. “All three of them — Joanna, Chris, and Steve — when they left said, ‘This is really good. This feels like what we had.’ And that’s a really special thing to have.”

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. 

JoAnna Swisher Garcia as Kenzie on Happy’s Place Season 2 Episode 12.

Photo: Casey Durkin/NBC

How to watch JoAnna Garcia Swisher’s Happy’s Place episode on NBC

Swisher’s episode of Happy’s Place — Season 2, Episode 12 (“Social Discontent”) — airs on Friday, March 13 at 8/7c on NBC, and will be available to stream the next day on Peacock.