Imaginary friends are known for being comforting, quirky, and a nice escape from, harsh realities. But the Syfy series Happy! takes that concept and flips it entirely on its head. Instead of an instantly lovable sidekick, we’re introduced to the titular character, Happy, who’s cute and cuddly, but also armed with a potty mouth. Voiced by Patton Oswalt, the neon-blue unicorn is the imaginary friend of washed-up hitman, Nick (Christopher Meloni). It’s safe to say there’s little to no innocence left in Nick’s life, and by extension, Happy’s as the pair brace themselves for an adventure involving a child-knapping Santa.
Happy! mixes out-of-this-box fantasy with intense, sometimes grotesque, violence. It’s a combination that makes the show both unsettling and engaging. Bringing some more of that yin-yang energy is Happy’s cheerful, childlike attitude and Nick’s dark, pessimistic energy. Overall, the pair create a synergy that’s addictive to watch.
‘Happy!’ Takes Childhood Tropes and Flips Them Into Dark Comedy
Who would have imagined that a blue, buck-toothed unicorn could warp all your childhood memories? That’s exactly what Happy! does. Altogether, the show take the most innocent elements of childhood and practically flings them into chaos, blood, and dark humor. So, rather than getting the comforting companion an imaginary friend should be, we get Happy. He’s got the enthusiasm part nailed down, otherwise, the flying unicorn is an interesting blend of  hilarious and unsettling. As much as he’s not the ideal imaginary creature, Meloni’s Nick isn’t his ideal human-person. Rather than teaching him how to cope with social situations or pass milestones, he has to help him fight mobsters and save a kidnapped kid. That’s not exactly the stuff of bedtime stories.
While it’s no fairytale, there’s a certain brilliance to Happy! and that lies in the thing same thing that makes it strange — how it turns these tropes on their head. Here you have a former boy in blue turned assassin teams up with an otherworldly creature on a mission that involves Santa Claus — just not the jolly kind. Taking these normally innocent elements and turning them into something darker is both absurd and comical. Through it all, the titular character tries to maintain an air of positivity and the contrast between his general naivety and Nick’s brutal world makes for some hilarious moments. At the end of it all, this subversion leaves viewers with a wild ride and nostalgic humor that is both laugh and cringe worthy.
How ‘Happy!’ Juggles Crime, Comedy and Fantasy
At first glance Happy! is hard to categorize because there are so many cooks in the kitchen, but somehow it works. Is it a crime thriller, a dark comedy or even a fantasy? Turns out it’s all three and that’s what makes it the show so good. As a whole, the show presents a storyline that draws outside the lines, so it’s no surprise that it equally does this in terms of its genres. On one hand there’s Nick Sax’s dark world filled with hitmen, dirty cops and underworld crime rings. The violence is serious and the stakes are real. But then, out of nowhere there’s Happy, who looks like he floated out from a Saturday morning cartoon. His bubbly animated presence clashes with the harsh brutal reality around him and it gives a fresh energy to the show.Â
It’s in those moments where cartoonish silliness collides with harsh reality that the dark humor really shines. One minute Nick is dodging billets or beating someone to a pulp, and the next, Happy is making some ridiculous remark to break up the tension. Somehow, the mix works. Happy! constantly shifts between drama and fantasy and in the process, it keeps viewers on their toes. But, that’s part of the allure, it’s nice when you’re never quite sure what to expect.Â
In one episode, Nick is being chased through the streets while Happy floats along trying to have a casual conversation. The combination of a high-stakes chase scene, and an unfazed colorful animated unicorn trying to chat just amplifies the show’s unique blend of genres. At the end of it all, Happy! defies expectations at every turn and that’s where it hits the nail on the end . It’s a perfectly entertaining show where genres meld, fairytales die and magic happens.
Witness the chaos yourself, and stream Happy! on Netflix.
