Happy Face (2025) s01e08 Episode Script

1
Previously on Happy Face
My name is Jackie Mullins.
I was Heather
Richmond's best friend.
Heather was funny
about her music.
I just finished
writing this one.
I hope you like it.
What's the "L" for anyway?
Her middle name was Lorelai.
She got that same symbol carved
into the back of her guitar,
you know, like, on the neck.
Like her own personal logo.
Your father never loved us.
He tried to kill us all.
My father didn't kill Heather.
- Elijah for sure didn't do it.
- I know.
Someone else did.
Got a message for Keith?
What if I wanted to punish him?
Lot of shit goes down inside.
In the showers. Out on the yard.
Happens every day.
Oh, God.
Wait, so what happened?
Okay, so,
the whole room went silent.
He farted.
- He farted?
- Yeah. And it was like
And everyone heard?
It was so embarrassing for him.
I feel bad.
Was it bad? Did
it blow you away?
Oh, my God. Just ran away.
Just ran away?
Oh, my God.
Whoa.
Fuck.
All you got to do
is talk about him.
Say whatever shit you want.
Just call the guy.
He's a reporter or
something like that.
Tell him a story
about Happy Face.
The asshole will put a few
hundred in your canteen.
What was that you said, Frankie?
You hard of hearing, old man?
No, I am not hard of hearing.
And I think that you better
keep my name out of your mouth
if you know what's good for you.
And if I don't?
Easy! Easy!
- I'm on it, I'm on it.
- Do you hear that, Frankie?
Take Jesperson in his cell!
Okay, okay, okay.
Did you hear that?
I've got a proposition for you.
Okay, so, the main
questions are,
how did Heather get
to Ziggy's Basement?
And how did she get
back to Jefferson?
If her car wasn't working,
then maybe she called a friend.
And there was that payphone
near the park back then.
And that friend has
something to hide.
That's version one.
Version two is
Heather got herself
to the bar somehow
and then met someone there.
And that someone is the
one that killed her.
Yes. Ziggy is sending us
a list of employees
he had from the '90s.
I can check their
criminal histories
and try to narrow it down.
And then there's version three,
which is Heather
hitchhiked to Ziggy's
and then that person
hung around and then
- Killed her after the show.
- Yeah.
- I hate version three.
- Yeah, me, too.
It is the most "needle in
a haystack." And, worse,
- it just
- Do we have Heather's yearbook?
I've sent you, like,
500 apology texts, dude.
Yeah, my mom took my
phone and my laptop, so
Why? 'Cause we
left you out there?
No. 'Cause she found out I
was talking to my grandfather
and I was selling his
drawings with you.
Ooh.
Pretty, uh pretty shitty
week for you then, huh?
I'm not talking to my
grandfather anymore,
so you can stop pretending
like you like me.
I was not pretending, okay?
I-I never cared
about any of that.
No, you only cared about Summer.
Okay. For, like, the tenth time,
I'm-I'm not I'm not with her.
Okay? I like you.
Is that why you left me all
alone in the middle of nowhere?
Okay, it was a stupid prank.
All right? It was. And
I thought you were
smart. And I just
I thought you could
make your way back home.
And you did. Right? So
Just wait. Wait.
I got you something.
I got you something.
You like snow leopards, right?
Can I put it on you?
There you go.
I'm sorry.
Okay? Like, I'm-I'm-I'm
really sorry.
Fine.
Okay.
I'm here.
What's the big top
secret emergency?
Thank you, thank you, thank
you, Jackie, for coming.
Um
We don't think that
my dad killed Heather.
And
that stays within these
four walls for now.
But it wasn't Elijah?
No. But we've been looking
into other suspects
that were at Ziggy's
Basement that night,
and Tyler, uh, found this.
Um
If you want to just
have a seat here
So, this is from the night
of Heather's performance.
We found her in the crowd
before she got onstage.
Okay Can you stop?
Onstage, she was wearing
her black jacket,
but this is a different coat.
It's a letterman jacket, right?
Yeah, blue and gold
were our school colors.
But-but she didn't have
- a letterman.
- Was she
close with anybody back then
who would have worn one?
I mean, it's Texas football.
Most of the guys we graduated
with still wear them.
Well, looks like
a "21" or a "27."
Uh
there's no 21.
Here.
Holy shit.
Cody.
Patsy's son.
Dude from Whiskey River?
Were he and Heather
in a relationship?
I mean, not really. He was more
like an annoying kid brother.
We-we let him hang around
'cause he always had
booze and a truck.
Have you ever known
him to be violent?
Yeah, actually, I heard things.
He got arrested some years back.
For domestic violence.
Want to go to the police?
No.
They haven't been
any help so far.
And we were the ones that
broadcast to the world
that-that this was Keith.
So how do how do
you think it'll look
if we just showed up
with yet another theory?
So how do we get to Cody?
Same as we always do.
Okay. Cody,
so, as we told you,
we're just trying to get
to know Heather better,
uh, hear from people
who really knew her.
Yeah, I'm happy to help.
Shoot.
Great, great.
Um, let's start simple.
Tell us who you are and
how you knew Heather.
Uh, I'm Cody O'Neill.
I own Whiskey River Saloon
here in Jefferson, Texas.
Back in the '90s, it
was my dad's place.
But I grew up here,
and, uh, I started
bar-backing in high school.
And Heather was a few
years older than me.
And, uh
she was
She was sweet as hell.
She kind of took me
under her wing over time.
Showed me how to make drinks
when the place was slow.
She was just
she was Heather.
Was it ever
romantic between you two?
No. I was just a
kid to her, you know?
Even after we graduated.
Three years that's a
that's a big gap at that age.
Did you resent that?
What? No.
No. Not at all.
Did you ever hear Heather sing?
Sure. Yeah.
Of course. She used to
she used to practice
right up there
on the stage after we closed,
when she thought
the place was empty.
I'd be downstairs a few times.
Did you ever hear Heather
at an open mic at
Ziggy's over in Dallas?
No, I've never been.
Mm.
What am I looking at here?
That is Heather.
A couple hours before she died.
Do you recognize that jacket?
You played football, right?
Isn't that your number? 27?
Heather was wearing your
jacket the night that she died.
So, this is your
chance to explain why.
What the fuck is this?
Get the fuck out of my bar.
- Turn this fucking thing off.
- Whoa, whoa! - Okay. Okay.
That's fine. I'm-I'm
sure the cops
will take it from here anyways.
Yeah, they already
know you, right?
'Cause you have a
history of hurting women.
So happy ♪
Happy ♪
Oh, so happy ♪
Happy ♪
Oh, oh-oh, oh ♪
So happy ♪
Happy ♪
Oh, oh-oh, oh ♪
So happy ♪
So happy. ♪
Can you tell me
exactly what happened?
I was here at Patsy's,
and Cody shows up,
screaming wild,
saying that the TV people are
accusing him of hurting Heather.
Carl's trying to
reason with him,
but he is just going crazy.
Jumps into his truck,
smashing into that
poor lady on his way.
Okay, what did
Cody say exactly?
No, no. You need to tell me
what you were
saying to him first.
I didn't want to tell
you until we were sure,
but we don't think that
my dad killed Heather.
It's a long story,
but, um, we think that he
fabricated the evidence.
S So it was Cody?
There's a video
of Heather wearing
Cody's letterman jacket
on the night that she died,
when she was at Ziggy's.
What? Sh
Callaway's up to speed.
Uh, cops were looking for Cody
for leaving the
scene of an accident,
but now he's wanted for
questioning about this.
I can't believe
this is happening.
- Denise.
- Did you know?!
All those years?
There's nothing to
know. It's not true.
Then why is he running?
He's scared. And you know
- he loved Heather. We all
- Oh, shut up!
Denise?
- Where are you going?
- Can't be here!
Hey.
Patsy, are you okay?
Hey, hey. Hey.
I just heard the scanner.
The cops are tailing Cody.
I-I-I think that we should
head that way and film it.
- Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, we should go.
- Yeah. Yeah.
Are you coming?
I'm No. I'm gonna
stay here with Patsy.
I'm gonna see if she knows
anything. You guys go.
Yo, Happy Face.
I want a rematch.
I think I'll just
stretch my legs.
I'd just kick your
ass again anyway.
Yo, Happy Face, you want in?
Two on two.
Shoot it.
Why can't they stop him?
Well, did they
say anything else?
Fine. F
Bye.
Carl doesn't know anything.
He's with the sheriff
answering questions.
Oh, Patsy, I'm so sorry
that you're having
to go through this.
I know it's a lot.
You're sorry?
You're the one who
started all this.
First it's your daddy,
now it's my son.
What was Cody yelling earlier?
I know that Denise said
he was going crazy.
What was he saying?
It might help.
Patsy
I know exactly how you feel.
No. No, you don't.
Your mind is on overdrive.
You're obsessing
over every detail, every memory,
thinking could this
actually be true?
Was there a sign?
Something you missed?
Something
you ignored?
And then you hate
yourself for
thinking any of that.
Of course it's not true.
You love this person.
You live for this person.
You're afraid you don't
exist without this person.
I don't know anything.
All I heard Cody say
was, "Kept the guitar."
Kept the guitar?
Kept the guitar
Kept Heather's guitar?
Is that what he meant?
I don't know. I don't
know. What does it matter?
Do you have any idea
where the guitar might be?
No. No!
All I know, my son
isn't capable of this.
Shoot!
- Let's go, baby.
- You're the man.
Come on.
There you go. Ah, oh.
Shit, shit, shit.
Shit, shit, shit, shit.
Yo, Happy Face. What's wrong?
You okay?
All right.
Everyone on the ground!
Fuck.
Ah! No, no.
Over here!
Hey.
He's in here.
Don't stand there. Sit.
Man's your godfather.
I'll be back.
Talk to him.
Hey, Smitty.
It's nice to see you.
It's Keith.
Hello?
Freeze right there! Stop!
Over here!
last time Dad and I
went fishing in Chilliwack,
- I caught a white
- What are you doing?
You said, "Talk to him."
He's dead, son.
I'll go get a nurse.
Fuck.
- There he is!
- Go around!
Stop right there!
Stop!
- Okay No, no, don't shoot!
- Hands up!
Get down on your knees!
Deputy.
Okay if I have a word?
You got anything you
want to say to me, Cody?
My father is a good man.
You're not supposed to be here.
Relax.
I'll make you a drink.
You should've seen me
back when I was
running this place.
I was a rounder, you know?
Just like my son.
Drinking, stepping
out on my wife
refusing to grow up.
Whiskey sour.
Go ahead. Try it.
It's Heather's favorite drink.
So you two were close?
She was such a good girl.
She was an amazing girl.
Talented, too.
You loved her, huh?
We loved each other.
For a time.
What happened?
I wish I could take it all back.
But
what's done is done, hmm?
Carl?
My dad raped and killed
eight women, and guess what?
I love him anyway.
Whatever you did,
you're not gonna find
any judgment here.
You can just tell
me what happened.
Walk alone ♪
Pretending no one
knows I'm here ♪
I followed her to the park
that night, from work.
We worked the day
shift together,
and I wanted to
see her that night.
She said no, reminded
me that we were through.
S-She said she had somewhere
to be that night anyway.
And of course, I wanted
to know where, with who
What were they saying?
I don't know.
I was too far away.
I just remember
she looked happy.
- Thank you.
- You're very welcome.
I needed that.
Did you know Elijah?
What'd you think of him?
I thought he was on my girl.
All right, cornbread.
Walk alone ♪
Pretending no one
knows, oh, why would ♪
Hey.
Jesus, Carl.
Sorry, I didn't, didn't
mean to scare you.
What are you doing here?
I needed to see you.
Well, I have somewhere to be.
You're gonna meet
him somewhere else?
No.
I'm going to Dallas.
I have an open mic.
In whose car?
I had to jump that
thing twice this week.
I'll be fine.
Let me drive you.
You know I don't like
anyone watching me.
I get too nervous.
I'll wait outside.
Okay, I won't come in.
What did you guys talk
about on the drive there?
I wish I could remember.
An American girl ♪
Slow dance, second
chance, Mama needs romance ♪
And a live-in maid ♪
Hey, roll down the
window, would you?
You know I hate the
smell of that shit.
Really isn't
all that hard ♪
Come on, r-roll it down.
She used to tie her hair
up in ribbons and bows ♪
Sign her letters
with X's and O's ♪
Got a picture of her mama
in heels and pearls ♪
It's cold.
An American ♪
Hold this.
An American girl ♪
And that's how she
got Cody's jacket.
He used my truck all the time.
You think he's all right?
The last I heard, the
cops were chasing him.
He tried to get me
to turn myself in.
Said he couldn't take the fall.
Of course I-I never wanted that.
I-I just
I needed a little more time.
Hey, Carl?
Why don't I check
my phone, and then,
we can get an update on Cody?
Don't you want to hear
the rest of the story?
Mm-hmm.
Uh, double whiskey, neat?
I'm Lorelai.
I just finished writing this
one. I hope you like it.
She walks around
pretending she don't ♪
Buddy.
Know who I am ♪
Her fear of me
is building up ♪
About to break the dam ♪
I know I said I didn't do it ♪
But the truth is that I did ♪
Had an angel on one shoulder ♪
Who took the devil's bid ♪
Sometimes I get angry ♪
Sometimes I get mad ♪
But sometimes I get crazy ♪
Thinking about the past ♪
I guess I knew
I had it in me ♪
But kept it hidden well ♪
The devil in the details ♪
A face behind the veil ♪
Thanks for waiting.
How'd it go?
It was amazing.
Heather made you angry, huh?
She was leaving me.
She was going to Nashville
and she wasn't coming back.
Of course I'll be back.
I have to visit my mom.
Your mom?
Where are we going?
I don't want to go to the river.
- One last time.
- No.
You're married.
I hate thinking about what
I've done to your wife.
I even wrote a song about it.
Oh, I know.
You watched me?
You get a song out of me,
I get one last song out of you.
- Look, I don't want to.
- Hey, hey.
- Stop.
- Come, come
Well, she wanted to at first.
Then she changed her mind
and she started screaming.
I
I-I put my hand on
her mouth and
and I don't
remember what happened.
I looked down.
Somehow, my hands
were on her neck.
I lost control.
And then all of a sudden,
she-she went straight
for the glove box, where
she knew I had a .38.
You had no choice, right?
She w-wiggled out from
underneath me somehow,
and she got a good kick
to my head with her boot.
That kick, I-I saw red.
Fuck!
Know one day in hell ♪
I'll make amends ♪
Hmm ♪
That
that drink
that I had in Ziggy's
was the last drink I had
till today.
Carl?
Hey.
What about the guitar?
I burned it one weekend
when Patsy was out of town.
And then
you kept this part
and had it made?
I needed reminding
about my biggest mistake
- on a regular basis.
- Hmm.
And if I came back in here
and I thought about
having a drink
this tap handle
was right there.
I could I
Oh, hey. Okay, Carl,
we're just talking, right?
Let's just talk, okay?
Okay?
Melissa?
Your phone.
We got the video off it.
Brave, what you did.
Take care of yourself, Melissa.
SHANE Uh, where the
hell have you been?
Dad had a heart attack.
What?
Is he okay?
Um, I don't, I don't know.
They rushed him to the hospital.
He's in surgery right now.
Fuck.
Okay, is it bad?
Yeah.
Hey, look, um
if there's anything that,
uh, you need to say to him,
I-I think you should
get here right now.
Um, I'm in Texas.
Uh, so, I need to
go home and then
maybe I'll drive down after.
Yeah, I-I'm just not sure
he's gonna make it that long.
Shane, I don't care.
Hey. Come here.
Are you okay?
Just happy I'm home.
I'm so happy you're home.
I can't believe you
went through all that.
Oh, baby.
I didn't get to tell you, but
I didn't want to
tell you, but
My dad had a heart attack.
What?
- Did-did he Is
- No.
No. He's not good, though.
Um
Shane said they rushed
him into surgery and
could be the end.
He thinks I should
visit, but I
Are they sure it
was a heart attack?
I guess so. What do you mean?
Nothing, I just
I have to tell you something.
Okay.
What?
- Hey, you're freaking me out.
- Um
I didn't get regional manager.
Oh.
Okay, I'm so sorry you
didn't get it, but
Hey. It's okay, we're fine.
- Yeah.
- We'll be fine.
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
- I'm gonna go kiss the kids.
- Okay.
Come on
You're home.
Hey.
Oh, I am.
Oh. Missed you.
Missed you so much.
You okay?
Hey. What's going on?
Does this have anything
to do with Josh?
He, um, sent a lot
of apology messages.
Yeah, because he's an asshole.
Oh.
I see.
You want to talk about it?
No, it
I was just stupid.
Okay, um
Josh is an asshole
but you are stupid?
Why are you blaming yourself?
'Cause I should've known.
Nope. No, no, no.
I'm not gonna let my daughter
fall into that narrative.
When a guy does something bad,
why is a girl so quick
to blame herself, hmm?
When we know that
something's going on,
it's our fault for
not stopping it.
And when we don't know
that something's going on,
it's our fault for being
too stupid to see it.
We can't win.
Yeah, that's true.
You know what else is true?
Josh is stupid.
Um, I have something
for you that might
think might cheer you up.
Dad and I are gonna
trust you, okay?
I have one for you, too.
Thank you.
Um
I want you to hear
it from me that
Keith had a heart attack
and he might not survive.
Oh.
Okay.
Are you gonna see him?
Nope.
Uh, part of me doesn't want
to give him the satisfaction.
What about the
other part of you?
I want him to know
that he didn't trick me
the way that he thinks he did.
Maybe you should tell him.
And you should tell Josh
that he's stupid.
Yeah, right.
Hey, Hazel, I'm serious.
I wish that I'd spoken
up when I was your age,
and demanded to be treated
the way that I
deserved to be treated.
You have the strength
to do it. I see that.
I see it in you, too.
When did you get to be so
grown up? My little girl?
- I'm starving.
- You're starving?
What do you want for breakfast?
He says that he
wants a hamburger.
For breakfast? No!
Can you scooch me in?
Trying to make sure you
get some protein in?
- I guess he's beefing up.
- I'm beefing up.
- Get the man a hamburger.
- Yeah, he's working out, didn't you know?
Fine for some ♪
'Cause you're not the one ♪
You're not the one ♪
There ♪
There ♪
There, there ♪
- There ♪
- Hey.
Thank you.
Here for Keith Jesperson.
Hey.
- Hey!
- Hey.
Oh, my God.
How is he?
Uh rough shape.
Oh, my goodness. I'm so glad
- that the two of you are here.
- Ma'am, ma'am.
You're not getting in.
You said I couldn't go in
without immediate family.
These are his children.
I am with them.
No, you're not.
Shane?
Yeah, I'm-I'm sorry, Gillian.
What? Why?
Because you fabricated evidence
in a murder investigation.
I didn't fabricate evidence.
I-I did what I needed to do
to get the world to believe him.
Gillian
You believed him?
Of course I did. I still do.
I don't care what the news says.
He didn't kill Heather Richmond.
This was all just
a game for him.
Including you.
No.
I don't think that's true.
It is true.
Sorry.
I need to know who the girl
in the evidence warehouse was.
The one that was fleecing Bob.
We can just leave-leave
her out of this.
No, I need to know, for me.
You owe me that much.
My niece is an aspiring actress.
Okay.
The best thing you can
do is go back to Florida
and never ever
speak to him again.
Take away his access
to the outside world.
That's what he deserves.
Come on. I'll walk you out.
- Come on.
- Okay.
Mm. Hey, Hazel. What's up?
Fuck you, Josh.
Fuck all of you.
Oh, Missy girl. Miss
Missy
How you doing?
I'm still here.
Mm. I can see that.
Maybe Texas will get
its shot after all, huh?
You can drop the act now, Dad.
I know what you
did. Everybody does.
Wha?
You didn't kill
Heather Richmond.
I know about the wrench,
I know about Bob and
the evidence warehouse,
I know about Joyce
carving the tree,
I know about Gillian
and her niece.
Well.
G-Good for you
I always knew you were
the smarter one, huh?
So, where's the camera?
Isn't this your gotcha moment?
No, we're done giving
you airtime, Dad.
Ah, well
It was fun while
it lasted, I guess.
So, who killed her, then?
Elijah?
It was a guy named Carl O'Neill.
He owned the Whiskey
River Saloon back then.
I went through
every death row case I
could for seven months,
looking for the perfect one
that I could take credit for.
Had to be the right state.
Right year.
And I found Elijah,
who swore he was innocent.
And the girl, she just happened
to work at the same bar
that I just happened
to go into back then.
It seemed like it was
a message from God.
Just saying, "Go
ahead, Keith. Do it."
But why?
Were you just trying
to fuck with me?
Were you trying to get
me to come see you?
Were you just trying
to get attention?
No, honey. No, no, no.
No.
I didn't do that
to you, all right?
I did it for you.
I did it to make you a star.
'Cause that's what you are.
You're, you're so special.
And you always have been.
And look, hey
Now the whole world
knows it, too.
If I'm so special, then
why did you try to kill me?
Mom told me about the fire.
I know it was you, so don't
don't even try to deny it.
Missy.
I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
So s sorry.
I just I just
I-I-I didn't know you yet.
I Missy.
Missy.
You know, when my, when
my heart gave out on me,
I was
I-I saw all kinds
of things. I saw
all kinds of things.
I saw my father, I saw Smitty,
I saw, I-I saw the
the women.
They're all together,
and they're all
they're just waiting for
me on the other side
to get their revenge.
They're all you have left.
We're all done with you now.
Missy
Mm.
Missy. Missy. M-Missy?
Missy. I have
something to tell you.
I have decided to
leave you forever ♪
I have decided to
start things from here ♪
Thunder and lightning won't
change what I'm feeling ♪
And the daffodils
look lovely today ♪
Eh-hey. ♪
You must have been terrified,
being trapped alone in
a room with a murderer,
not knowing if anyone was
gonna come and save you.
I was. But I knew
that I was recording,
so I just had to keep
him talking and
try to get him
to tell the truth.
You were very brave.
Thanks. I think, also
I'm used to it? You know,
I've spent a lot of my life
trapped with a murderer, so
That's, uh,
that's kind of well put.
So tell us what's next, Melissa.
Well, I'm gonna spend some
quality time with my family,
and then we are gonna
take a vacation somewhere.
Maybe Italy.
You have certainly earned that.
Thanks. And when we come home,
I won't be working
in makeup anymore.
I have decided that I
want to keep working
with people who
have been touched
by the trauma of crime.
And how exactly do you
plan on doing that?
Well
I've been offered a
very exciting new job.
And are you willing to
share with our audience
exactly what that is?
I'm, uh, I'm gonna continue
producing alongside
Ivy Campbell,
the most badass
producer on the planet.
Fantastic, girl.
And together, we're launching
a new true crime segment
on a fabulous show
called The, uh,
The Dr. Greg Show. Uh
You know, I've heard
about that show.
I hear it's pretty good.
Tell me more.
The segment is gonna be
a deeper dive into true crime.
We want to tell stories that
no other shows are telling.
Which you can do, Melissa.
Because people just
want to open up to you.
I-I-I can't tell you
the response we've had,
mail we've gotten.
People just want to meet
you, share their stories.
And-and I think that's true
because you've been so open
with your life, with your pain.
Which is why I think
you're gonna be the face
of this new segment, right?
That's right.
No more living in
the shadows, I guess.
The segment is called
"Impact with Melissa Reed."
And I'm sure you really
will be making an impact.
I have absolutely
no doubt about that.
Yeah, this is Ben.
KEITH I know what you did.
Or what you tried to do.
You couldn't even get that
right, could you, Benny boy?
Benjamin, Benjamin,
Benjamin. Hmm.
Did you really think
that it wouldn't
get back to me?
Did you really think
that I wouldn't find out?
Hmm?
Captioned by Media Access