Happy’s Place Missed The Perfect Opportunity To Bring Back Reba’s 2001 Sitcom Daughter

Reba McEntire’s on-screen daughter from her namesake sitcom already had the perfect role in Happy’s Place, but NBC failed to seize the opportunity. Aside from being the Queen of Country Music, McEntire has also dabbled in acting, with arguably her most notable role to date being the titular character of her own sitcom, 2001’s Reba. As the Hart family matriarch, Reba raised her three kids, navigated her husband’s cheating and divorce, and even befriended her ex’s mistress while also establishing her own career. Reba was so well-beloved, that Happy’s Place just have to stage some on-screen reunions for its cast.

The Happy’s Place‘s cast already features two of Reba‘s most prominent actors, McEntire and Melissa Peterman. This time, however, the actors play a less complicated dynamic than Reba and Barbara Jean, as they play Bobbie — pub owner, and Gabby — her right-hand and good friend. Their re-team has only further fueled desires to see more of Reba’s cast return, which NBC obliged with in season 1. Both Steve Howey and Christopher Rich have appeared on the show as different characters. That said, there’s another Reba cast member who has yet to be involved in Happy’s Place — Cheyenne actor, JoAnna Garcia Swisher.

Happy’s Place Wants To Reunite Reba & Cheyenne Actor, JoAnna Garcia Swisher

McEntire’s Original Sitcom Daughter Needs To Come To Happy’s Place

Co-creator and showrunner Kevin Abbott (who was also the showrunner of Reba) has revealed that he is working on bringing Garcia Swisher in Happy’s Place season 2. The actor played Reba and Brock’s firstborn, who was revealed to be unexpectedly pregnant in the 2001 sitcom’s debut year. Cheyenne went on to marry Howey’s Van, and together, they navigated being new parents while also growing up themselves. The pair’s story was as important to Reba‘s narrative as its lead character’s personal journey. Because of this, it’s perfectly understandable that there’s interest in seeing Garcia Swisher reunite with McEntire on TV.

Since the ending of Reba, Garcia Swisher has remained active in the industry, appearing in shows like Once Upon a Time and Sweet Magnolias. She and her former co-stars have also reunited off-screen several times since the curtain dropped on the Texas-based family comedy. This has proven that they all maintain a good relationship even though they are no longer working together. This makes it easier to stage these Reba reunions in Happy’s Place.

Garcia Swisher Already Had The Perfect Role In Happy’s Place (But NBC Cast Someone Else)

McEntire & Garcia Swinger Could Have Played Mother & Daughter Again

As Happy’s Place works on bringing in Garcia Swinger in season 2, the show actually already had the perfect role for the actor. While the ongoing NBC sitcom breaks McEntire’s comedy trend by not playing a divorcee, Bobbie does have a daughter in the show — Gracie. Being in the military, she has only appeared in one episode of Happy’s Place thus far. The role would have been the perfect opportunity for Garcia Swinger to reunite with McEntire, as it would just be a recurring guest stint at best. However, NBC opted to go a different route for casting Gracie.

…if NBC wanted to take advantage of nostalgia and the enduring love for Reba, seeing Garcia Swinger and McEntire play mother and daughter again would have done the trick.

Instead of tapping Garcia Swinger, Happy’s Place cast Emma Kenney as Gracie. The Conners actor has a solid acting portfolio, and she does a great job in her one-time appearance in the comedy thus far. That said, if NBC wanted to take advantage of nostalgia and the enduring love for Reba, seeing Garcia Swinger and McEntire play mother and daughter again would have done the trick. Because the role isn’t full-time, the Cheyenne actor can come back periodically, allowing her to pursue other endeavors. Meanwhile, it’s guaranteed that she and McEntire

What Role Can Garcia Swisher Play In Happy’s Place Season 2?

There Are Still Some Interesting Character Options

It’s only a matter of time before Happy’s Place finds a way to feature Garcia Swinger. While it’s disappointing that the show is unable to recreate her and McEntire’s dynamic in Reba as mother and daughter, there are other ways for the show to incorporate the actor. Happy’s Place was able to find hilarious and interesting characters for Howey and Rich to play, so there’s no doubt that they can do the same for Garcia Swinger.

One of the more fun ones that she can portray is a friend-type for Bobbie. This changes their dynamic from Reba while also offering a narrative opportunity to tackle how her arrival impacts Gabby and Isabella. Otherwise, she could also find her way to Happy’s Place via a potential connection with other characters in the cast. Maybe she could be Emmett’s secret daughter. Considering his budding romance with Bobbie, Garcia Swinger could still end up being a daughter figure to McEntire’s character.