"Happy" on SyFy

[auntiehill]

I watched this last night and when it was over, turned to hubby and said, "OK, what the fuck was that?"

I'm not sure if I loved it for its complete absurdity or hated it for the ridiculous reveling in gore and cruelty.

Christopher Meloni is barely recognizable as the drunken, spiteful, seemly indestructible (much to his dismay) ex-cop-turned-hitman who is suddenly visited by a little girl's imaginary friend, Happy the Horse (voiced by Patton Oswalt).

I appreciate the absurd humor and really like that it's truly like NOTHING else on television BUT...the soul-less nature of the world in which it takes place, the casual nature of the violence (even in throw-away lines where a father threatens to throw his son's dog on the fire --the fifth pet to meet such a fate) and the glorification of the "blood and guts" imagery that fills the screen..... It makes "Preacher" look like The Brady Bunch.

So, do I love it or hate it? I still don't know. I'll watch at least one more episode before making up my mind.

What does everyone else think?

 

[Mr. Adventure]

I feel similar to you but I'd like to see another episode or two and see where it goes once he presumably takes up Happy's mission.

 

[Borgminister]

Hey that got past me--I'll check it out...!

 

[Velocity]

that sounds awful. I recorded it, but might just dump it after reading that. I've seen enough cruelty on tv.

 

[auntiehill]

OK, watched episode 2. Not too shabby. Still a pretty high violence/gore quotient, but not nearly as over-the-top as the first episode. Far less nastiness and more character development. The Jerry Springer hallucination was pretty amusing and the team-work between Nick and Happy at the poker game was fun to watch. Nick is slowly (very slowly) becoming a little more likable.

I think I can stick with this for a little while longer.

 

[Hugo Rune]

I'm very interested for when this reaches the UK.

Happy! is of of Grant Morrison's better, more accessible works in recent years. Plus Chris Meloni never gets the fun roles.

Hugo - and Unicorns!

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Chris Meloni never gets the fun roles.

I think I would have a difficult time seeing him in such an un-Elliot Stabler-like role.

 

[Hugo Rune]

Go watch him in Wet Hot American Summer plus the Netflix Prequel.

There's more to this dude than Intense Policeman/Lawyer #6

 

[Marc]

I think I would have a difficult time seeing him in such an un-Elliot Stabler-like role.

Guess you never saw him in OZ then (or Kathryn Erbe in the same series for that matter)

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

^ Correct. I never saw that show.

 

[auntiehill]

OK...that was pretty disturbing...but we are getting somewhere with WHY he is the way he is. He's becoming a person instead of some Tarantino-fever-dream.

Very interesting development that Psycho-Santa can see Happy, and actually interact with him.

 

[Guy Gardener]

He's trying to stop children turning into adults... Right?

 

[auntiehill]

Considering the nature of the show, I doubt that's the case.