After the success of my first column on this topic, I started thinking about more interesting duo pairings. I saw a fun suggestion in the comments, but another unusual combination immediately came to mind. It's about the series Happy!. I can imagine that this series won't immediately ring a bell with everyone. In that respect, it could be a candidate for the column "Undeservedly Unwatched." I'd like to share some background information about this rather bizarre series.
Happy! is a unique blend of dark humor, action, and absurdity, and the dynamic between Nick Sax and Happy offers plenty to write about. In Happy!, Nick Sax plays a drunken and corrupt former cop turned hitman. He becomes entangled in a world of casual murder, soulless sex, and betrayal. After a job goes wrong, his drunken life is turned upside down by a small, persistently positive, imaginary winged unicorn named Happy.
Christopher Meloni plays Nick Sax brilliantly. Nick is a washed-up ex-cop. He's the epitome of self-destruction. Alcohol, drugs, violence—he embraces it all with a sarcastic grin. But beneath that rough exterior lies a man who once had ideals. His past as a police officer isn't just a footnote. It's the key to his moral compass, however rusty it may seem. His journey through the series is one of confronting his demons, both literally and figuratively. Throughout the series, he transforms from cop to antihero.
Then there's the voice of hope. It's the animated imaginary friend of a kidnapped girl named Happy. Happy is everything Nick isn't: optimistic, naive, and full of faith in the good. As the imaginary friend of Hailey, Nick's daughter, Happy is the bridge between Nick and his lost humanity. He acts as a conscience, a guide, and provides the necessary lightheartedness through humor. But Happy is more than just a cute mascot. He's a catalyst for change. His presence forces Nick to reassess what's truly important.
Together they form a duo as mad as they are moving. In a world dominated by cynicism and violence, it's surprising that an imaginary blue unicorn can be the hero of the story. What makes the duo so powerful is the contrast between the two main characters. Nick lives in a world of blood and bullets, Happy in a world of rainbows and fantasy. Yet they work together, clash, and grow. Their relationship is a bizarre but effective metaphor for the struggle between cynicism and hope, between giving up and fighting for what matters.
Happy! isn't a typical series, and Nick Sax isn't a typical hero. But the absurdity and contrast between him and Happy create something special. Their collaboration shows that even in the darkest corners of the human mind, a glimmer of hope can shine. Even if it's in the form of a blue unicorn with a dentist's smile.
