By: Atiya Irvin-Mitchell
We learn that Valerie living with Gabby (Melissa Peterman) has been a little rocky. Valerie (Jane Lynch) ordered at Gabby’s favorite coffee place in an innuendo-filled manner, and she took one of Gabby’s tops without permission and stained it. Valerie says she wouldn’t have had to take it if Gabby lived in a real house, instead of a cluttered apartment. Isabella (Belissa Escobedo) and Steve (Pablo Castelblanco) watch the exchange, and Isabella says that if she had known Valerie when she was still studying narcissism, she could’ve brought her in for extra credit.
Steve says it’s ironic that the first thing Isabella thinks of is how a narcissist could’ve helped her. Bobbie (Reba McEntire) comes in and asks Steve to pay the property tax on her father’s house, and Steve says that, as her accountant, she really needs to sell Happy’s house or burn it down for the insurance money. Isabella is surprised that the house hasn’t sold yet, considering they cleaned it out recently, but Bobbie says she wants to wait for the right offer. Putting his accountant hat on, Steve says any offer is the right offer. As Bobbie leaves, Isabella says that someone needs help with their feelings, and Steve says he’ll talk to a real therapist.
Isabella goes into Bobbie’s office, and there’s a fancy gift basket on Bobbie’s desk. Isabella quips that she didn’t think they knew any fancy people, but Bobbie explains that the basket is from a family that wants to buy the house. Bobbie is annoyed and says they shouldn’t assume that she can be bought with gourmet popcorn, but Isabella thinks it’s just a nice gesture. Isabella thinks she is more uneasy about the idea of someone else living in Happy’s house than about the popcorn.
But, really, Bobbie says that she thinks she’d be more comfortable with the idea of selling the house if she knew a loving family that would fill the house with happy memories would live there. Then, Gabby comes in and says she found a buyer for Happy’s house: her mom. Bobbie immediately doesn’t like the idea, but Gabby says that Valerie screwed her father in the divorce, so she has the money. Normally, Gabby says, that would bother her, but she needs Valerie out of her apartment ASAP. Isabella reminds Gabby that Valerie is living with her in part so they can work on their relationship. Gabby is aware, but says it’s kind of hard to work on their mother-daughter relationship when they’re bogged down by roommate issues.
Bobbie agrees to let her look at the house, but says she’s not making any promises. Gabby is still excited and shouts, “Freedom!” before running out of the office. When she’s gone, Isabella points out that Valerie isn’t exactly the kind of buyer that Bobbie had in mind. Bobbie is aware, but what was she supposed to do, considering how desperate Gabby was? Plus, Happy’s house is “quaint,” so she figures there’s no way Valerie will want to live there. So instead of saying no and being the bad guy, the plan is to just let Valerie be herself.
In the kitchen, Emmett (Rex Linn) asks Takoda (Takola Black Elf) to cover the kitchen because he has plans. Steve is there, and he is confused because apparently Emmett doesn’t have things. He guesses that the “thing” is a date with Monica and gets excited and nervous. He says it’s short notice and tells Emmet he doesn’t know if he can be ready in time. Emmett says that Steve can have a doggie bag, but he isn’t invited on the actual date. That’s not the part that Steve is talking about, though. Steve insists that Emmett needs a new wardrobe, and Steve doesn’t know if he can find him a suit on such short notice. But Emmett refuses the suit because he thinks that only men who make clothes believe that clothes make the man.
Bobbie shows Valerie the house, and the tour starts off a bit rocky. The house is near a community garden, so Valerie decides that this means the house is in a bad neighborhood. When she’s looking around the house, Valerie disapproves of everything, ranging from the decor to the acoustics. When Valerie is looking around, Gabby wonders why Bobbie is being so honest about the house’s flaws, and Bobbie says she just wants to be a responsible seller.
At the tavern, Steve comes in dressed like Emmett. Emmett thinks it’s weird, and Steve wonders why, since Emmett thinks that clothes don’t matter. Takoda jokes that if Emmett put Steve on his lap, they could be a ventriloquist act. Emmett says they’re stressing him out, and he’s already nervous enough, which is news to Steve. Reluctantly, Emmett admits that he doesn’t really know who he is outside of Happy’s Place. Steve apologizes and admits that clothes are armor that protects him when he’s out in the world because the world is terrifying. He was trying to give that to Emmett, but the most important thing is for Emmett to feel good about himself.
The house tour concludes, and Valerie doesn’t seem to like the house. Also, she reminds Gabby that no one asked her to the prom despite her pretty dress. Gabby assumes it’s a no on the house and says they’re going back to square one: Hell. But, Valerie says she’ll take the house. Yes, it’s awful, but she needs a project, and with her determination, she believes she can turn Happy’s house around. Bobbie mentions termites, rats, and neighbors to try to talk her out of it, but she’s committed. When Valerie starts talking about getting rid of the shed where Bobbie’s mother made her pottery, Bobbie says the sale is off. Bobbie leaves, and Valerie says that although she hates to criticize people, Bobbie is awful.
Isabella goes to talk with Bobbie and tells her she knows it’s probably hard to sell Happy’s house, but the truth is that it’s hard for Bobbie to sell her mother’s house. It bothers her that everyone is always forgetting about her mother, but she’s the one who made the house a home. When Isabella asks to hear more about Bobbie’s mother, Bobbie explains that Happy had a big personality, but her mother knew how to bring people together. Bobbie calls her the glue and Isabella realizes that Bobbie remembers Happy through the tavern, but the house is covered in memories of her mom.
Bobbie wants to paint the whole picture and admits that they had their share of fights. She admits she was a stubborn teenager, but her mom would never let anyone leave without talking their problems out. So, Isabella asks who she’d like to have the house. Bobbie answers, “the perfect family” but doesn’t totally believe it and says it was worth a shot.
Steve and Takoda are waiting up for Emmett and they’re nervous for him. When he returns we see that he ditched apron for a leather jacket and a button up shirt. They ask how it went and Emmett shares that he felt silly at first, but then he felt really good. On his end, he says it went well, but he doesn’t know if Monica will want to go out again. Then, Monica texts him and says she can’t wait to go out with the best dressed man in Tennessee.
Bobbie goes to talk to Gabby and Valerie and apologizes to Valerie. She says she’ll consider selling afterall, but Valerie cuts her off and says she can’t commit to not changing anything about the house. Bobbie says she understands, but, her main condition is that she and Gabby have to live their together. Gabby is surprised and wonders if it’s an idea for a reality tv show, but cautions that her mother won’t show up on film (vampire joke). Bobbie explains that her mother believed in family and this would be great way to work on their issues. Valerie acts surprised that she and Gabby have issues, but Gabby says she’ll tell her later. Bobbie suggests that they do need space, but they shouldn’t be able to avoid each other entirely. Valerie doesn’t want to be lectured, but Bobbie says that’s the deal. Gabby admits that it is a big place, with multiple bathrooms, so she very reluctantly agrees. Valerie agrees too, but not before reminding Gabby how painful her birth was. Then she promises to make the house a home to be proud of and Bobbie says she needs to go scream. Gabby asks her mother if they should hug, but Valerie says they did that last week.