As a band of criminals walk down a hospital hallway towards your room to surgically remove one of your body parts, a flying blue unicorn helps you prepare to fend them off.
This was just one of the insane scenarios that Nick Sax encountered in the first episode of the new SyFy original, Happy!.
Happy! follows ex-detective Nick Sax, played by Christopher Meloni, on his quest to rescue a little girl named Hailey from her deranged kidnapper. Along for the ride is Hailey’s imaginary friend, Happy, voiced by Patton Oswalt, a tiny unicorn with wings that only Hailey and Nick can see.
Nick Sax used to be the best in the department, but currently he’s an alcoholic scraping it by as a hitman. He’s become infamous amongst both the police and the underground as a skilled killer.
A knack for murder is great, but what kept me engrossed in his character was his mental problems. Nick is clearly depressed, a fact that his sarcastic jokes don’t hide very well. He’s convinced himself that he cannot die and acts idiotically as a result of his death wish.
Viewers should be able to relate to Nick in some fashion. Nick Sax is a man struggling through each day trying not to lose all hope in the world. Imagine that you’re trying to get through a rough day and just want it to end. Now imagine feeling that every day.
It sounds depressing, but the show is far from it. I watched this alone, but there were moments when I couldn’t get myself to stop laughing. The things Nick say are so timely and on point, and Christopher Meloni delivers them beautifully.
Not only were the jokes on point, but the action scenes were executed wonderfully. I was surprised by the quality of these fight scenes, especially after some of the movies that the SyFy channel has become infamous for.
Speaking of SyFy’s infamy, my biggest gripe with “Happy!” were the obvious uses of CGI. SyFy is known for terrible CGI, and unfortunately “Happy!” can’t be excluded from this group. Though thankfully, very rarely is CGI used in this show.
Another issue I had with the show is that I only felt a connection with Nick and Happy. I found the supporting characters unrelatable and shallow. What kept me hooked were Nick and Happy and their obvious contrasting personalities.
“ Happy!’s first season is only six episodes long, each episode lasting about 44 minutes. The show is intended for mature audiences (TV-MA) and contains strong language and bloody scenes.
If you have the time, spend the hour and watch the first episode. You won’t be disappointed, and you might even leave the show happy!