Happy Face: Season 1 Episode 1 – Recap/ Review
With one phone call, a woman who has worked hard to re-establish herself as an individual finds herself dragged into being a serial killer’s daughter.
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Episode 1 “The Confession” Details
| Air Date | March 20, 2025 |
| Network | Paramount+ |
| Director | Michael Showalter |
| Writer | Jennifer Cacicio |
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Recap
A Normal Life: Melissa, Hazel, Max, Ben
When introduced to Melissa, all we know is that she is a makeup artist working for the Dr. Greg Show in the Northwest part of the United States, between Oregon and Washington. She has two kids, Max and Hazel, with Hazel just turning 15 or 16, and Ben is her fit husband, who is a branch manager. Altogether, they are a cute family with a nice home, simple life, and seemingly nothing to complain about.
Girl, Interrupted: Melissa, Ivy, Dr. Greg, Keith
As for work? Melissa seems to have a good thing going. Ivy, the true crime producer, may lean on her a bit to get unsure guests in line, but Melissa is good at easing people, as anyone who does hair or makeup could be.
But then the one thing which darkens her life rears its head. It calls her big boss, Dr. Greg, Ivy gets involved, and before Melissa knows it, she has to admit her father is a famous serial killer who killed just under 10 women.
Back Down The Rabbit Hole: Melissa, Ivy, Keith, June
Now, let it be known it has been 15 years since Melissa has seen her father, Keith, and she has ignored all his attempts to reach out. But, even with two other children, there is something special about Melissa. So, since he can’t let go, to entice her, he reveals there was a ninth victim, but he takes his time to reveal that and puts in a bunch of stipulations. Alongside this leading to him seeing his daughter, it also puts Melissa in a mad goose chase to find evidence he did something and as Melissa visits her mom to find evidence, her mom says a few haunting things.
Specifically, June pushes the idea that Keith might be locked up, but he has minions, fans, and people out there who harass her on his behalf and even send him reports on her. It isn’t clear why since the two were divorced before he got caught and he may have cheated on her extensively when he, Keith, was a truck driver.
Either way, she warns Melissa, and as Melissa slowly but surely gains proof her dad may have killed someone in Texas, she now finds herself in a race against the clock as someone else got charged for the murder, and they are soon to be executed.
Cast and Characters
Melissa (Annaleigh Ashford)
30 to 40-something-year-old Melissa has spent a notable part of her life distancing herself from her father’s crimes and legacy, to the point that only her family and husband know the connection. This has allowed her to reinvent herself as a makeup artist, a wife, a mother, and someone who, even with a relationship with the rest of her family, doesn’t have to be the Happy Face killer’s daughter.
Hazel (Khiyla Aynne)
Hazel is Melissa’s eldest, who was raised believing her grandpa was dead, and no one told her otherwise. But she soon finds out the truth.
Max (Benjamin Mackey)
Max is Melissa’s youngest child, and he likes to pick on his sister.
Ben (James Wolk)
Ben is Melissa’s husband. He is a branch manager and has been married to Melissa for at least 20 years. Being aware of who Keith is, he makes it a point to remind Melissa whenever she has the inclination to see her dad.
Ivy (Tamera Tomakili)
Ivy is the true crime producer for the Dr. Greg show. She is married to her work and tries to pitch only truly interesting stories, not the usual daytime TV fodder.
Dr. Greg (David Harewood)
Dr. Greg hosts a show that initially seems like a 90s daytime TV show, which gives people who have gone through things a platform.
Keith (Dennis Quaid)
Keith, also known as the Happy Face killer, has eight confessed to murders, nine as of recent times, and despite accusations of sexual assault, before murdering his female victims, Keith claims the sex was consensual, even how rough it was. But, outside of the murders, he was a family man, a truck driver, and before she knew of his other side, Melissa was utterly enamored by her dad.
June (Kathleen Duborg)
June is Keith’s ex-wife, whom he divorced approximately two years before his first victim.
Other Noteworthy Information
- Created by: Jennifer Cacicio
Review
Trajectory (82/100)
Highlights
The Unraveling Of A Lie [84/100]
Watching any person’s life fall apart is always a good way to start a story. However, what is especially interesting to see is the perfect life falling apart and the secret that could ruin everything not be within the protagonist’s control and not have it be something they did. Melissa, being the daughter of a serial killer, is an interesting premise. I wouldn’t say it is overdone and considering who they got to play such roles, it pushes you to take note of the complexities given.
For one, Melissa has that push and pull when it comes to Keith since there were good times, and he never laid a hand on her or his other kids. Now, what was his relationship with June like? Well, it is hinted at but not made explicit. But, refocusing on Melissa, it is recognizing that it is her father, and her wanting him in her life, which creates this reminder that, as terrible as Keith is in the eyes of the world, that is Melissa’s daddy. An example of this is when she got pregnant with Hazel; she made sure to travel to the prison Keith was in to deliver the news.
But, as Ben hints, the plus of having a father who loves you, even pushes the idea you remind him of his humanity, comes with a dark side. You have to reckon, especially when no longer a child, how the outside world sees your father and what that means regarding your interaction or speaking of them. Nine people died because of Keith, and it wasn’t like he killed them by accident, hitting a van with his truck, he personally murdered them and is accused of violating their bodies.
It only makes sense that, in Melissa’s coming of age and having to reckon with a dramatic realization of who her father is, she felt a sense of shame and decided to reinvent herself. Thus, for life, having this rock and a hard place issue of needing to move on and bury the past yet, with major life events happening, still having enough nostalgia to want to revisit Keith and want to live in a fantasy where he isn’t in a jumpsuit.
The Mom and Sibling Factor [81/100]
One of the shocking things for me was when June not only reported that Keith was keeping tabs on her but also that Melissa’s brother was visiting Keith. Now, it isn’t clear why or what they talk about, but it does bring a different angle that isn’t expected.
In my mind, most stories like “Happy Face” usually focus on an only child, and if there are other children, they have long disowned their criminal parent. However, the idea Melissa’s brother embraces him in some way? It raises an eyebrow and makes you wonder if it is manipulation or a genuine love that Melissa finds hard to accept.
Then, with June, there is a need to question Keith’s obsession with her. He had sex with and killed other women. What makes June special? Is it because she is the mother of his kids, does he see her as the one who got away? Or maybe, without knowing Keith’s background, because he made a family with June and is perhaps the closest he has ever been with a person, she holds a special place in his heart? Maybe, just as Melissa acted as a reset, proof he could be a good person, June, at one time, gave him the belief he could operate normally and have the American Dream, and part of him maybe longs for that?
Hence, he keeps track on her, to keep the dream alive, even if he destroyed that reality he once had.
How Evil Is this Man [85/100]
Keith is a character. You can see the shades of a serial killer in him being charming, manipulative, a dash of insecurity, but what makes any villain great is the bits of him which conflict with the profile we all imagine when we think of a bad person. When most think of a serial killer, there is still this expectation of someone who can come off as deranged like Charles Manson or Wayne Gacy, not Ted Bundy, who could pass as a heartthrob in his era. No one expects a family man to kill multiple women and do deprave things to their bodies – especially a man with a daughter, who he treated like the love of his life.
It’s all very twisted, including Keith pushing the idea that seeing and being around Melissa acted as a reset button for him, that if she could love him, there must be something good inside him. It all pushes this idea that there was a pedestal Melissa was put upon, and with her silence for so long, what that may have done to Keith and with her back, does she still have the same effect? Is he chasing that feeling, or if, even behind bars, he will wreak havoc once he realizes her love is no longer enough?
On The Fence
The Potential For Multiple Seasons [78/100]
One thing I feel is increasingly a problem in the streaming era is that they make shows with strong premises, but they often seem like they have mini-series vibes. What I mean by that is that most platforms seem to want multi-season, 4, 5, 6+ season shows, which could justify someone maintaining a subscription for more than a month to properly consume a series.
Yet, early on, at around season 2, featuring eight or so episodes a season, it often becomes clear they are dragging things out. I feel like “Happy Face” could end up like that if it isn’t careful.
For with what is initially presented, Keith not revealing he killed an additional woman, and Melissa’s daughter, Hazel, learning about her grandfather, how far can that go? How entertaining can they make, for multiple seasons, Melissa’s world falling apart? Yeah, maybe they can bring two seasons of intrigue, as Max and Hazel form their own relationship and understanding of Keith, and we meet Melissa’s siblings and see how much of Keith’s madness is genetic.
However, even with the talent involved, I find myself cautious to get excited for more often than not, shows like this peak early on and hit a noticeable decline.
