Summary
Merry Happy Whatever Season 1 is a genuine Christmas comedy that focuses on the traditions of Christmas but also holds a torch to progressive values.
This review of Netflix Series Merry Happy Whatever Season 1 contains no spoilers.
Merry Happy Whatever has the laughing track to back up its genuinely heartwarming comedy. The Netflix series follows Matt, who decides to join his partner Emmy for the Christmas holidays. What he doesn’t know is that the Quinn family are extremely dysfunctional and lead by a patriarch who is adamant of following traditions and controlling his children.
Merry Happy Whatever is a nightmare that has come true; imagine being completely in love with your partner, and the next obstacle is convincing your partner’s family that you are the right fit? Matt represents the potential “in-law” in all of us, shackled by the horrifying prospect of doing something embarrassing and losing out on a lifetime of commitment.
Each episode represents a Quinn tradition in the household. The highly religious father Don (Dennis Quaid) ensures they pay tribute to their traditions in memory of his deceased wife. Each family member presents a different quirk that you become accustomed to, and then there’s a secret “in-law” group that chooses to have private meetings to vent their worries about the Quinn family.
In the lead up to Christmas, Merry Happy Whatever will undoubtedly get you into the Christmas mood. It prides in the holiday season but at the same time introduces themes that question varying religions and being accepting of other people. Its progressive themes are paramount to the story as it reaches the midway point of the series, with the father of the family being the symbol of the repressive with his traditional values.
And Merry Happy Whatever Season 1 is only 8 episodes and bite-sized around the 25-minute mark, so it is worth your investment, especially if you are a big lover of the festivities.
You can read the recap of the first episode by clicking these words.
