Saturday Night Live alum Cheri Oteri has joined the workplace wackiness of Happy’s Place Season 2, delivering a hysterical debut as a health inspector named Monica.
In Season 2’s “Mouse in the House,” Reba McEntire‘s Bobbie scrambles to get her Knoxville tavern in pristine shape ahead of a high-stakes visit from the health inspector. After a mouse was let loose in the bar, Bobbie concocted a plan to flirt with the go-to health inspector — a man named Hank with a crush on Bobbie, who she felt might cut her some slack with the batting of some eyes. Emmett (Rex Linn) was miffed by this plan, but Bobbie claimed it wasn’t serious and was for the bar’s greater good.
However, Bobbie was dismayed to learn her typical health inspector was fired, replaced with a no-nonsense curmudgeon named Monica (Oteri). The inspector meant business after wasting no time with pleasantries and greeting Bobbie with a stern: “I’m Monica Ulrich, Department of Health. Badge number 168.” And Monica wasn’t going to let Bobbie and the crew off easily.
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NBC Insider connected with the SNL icon amid her arrival on Season 2 of the sitcom, and Oteri not only revealed she’ll be back, but she also had “so much fun” throwing a wrench in the happy harmony at Happy’s Place.
Cheri Oteri guest starred as a no-nonsense health inspector on Happy’s Place
As if the last-minute inspector switch-up and M.I.A. mouse weren’t driving Bobbie crazy enough, she became downright neurotic after Monica revealed herself to be an old friend of Emmett’s and transformed into a giggling schoolgirl around the tavern’s chef. As Monica flirted shamelessly with Emmett, it was clear she harbored a crush on her old friend.
“I just had so much fun being such a militant, serious, no fun, no frills health inspector. And then, when I see Big E, I light up like a Christmas tree,” Oteri recalled fondly while chatting with NBC Insider. “And not be a girl’s girl. It’s like she’s not very nice, but as soon as she sees her guy friend from years ago, she is a completely different person.”
While Bobbie was eager to tell Monica to back away from her boyfriend, Emmett cheekily pointed out that with the mouse still missing, the health inspector’s little crush was good for the bar.
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While chatting about Monica’s chucklesome history with “Big E” Emmett, Oteri told NBC Insider, “It was so much fun. I loved how they set it up… I come in, and the tables are completely turned. And he’s like, ‘Hey, how does it feel? You okay with this?’ And she’s not, but she’s got to; her restaurant comes first.”
Despite their efforts, the mouse eventually revealed itself just as Bobbie reached her wits’ end with Monica’s advances toward Emmett. The bar luckily still passed their health inspection, perhaps in part thanks to Monica’s flame for Emmett.
Monica is bringing twists and “surprising” turns to Happy’s Place Season 2
And this is not the last we’ve seen of Oteri’s hysterical health inspector; the Weekend Update icon revealed that she’s filmed three Season 2 episodes after producers called her back after her hysterical debut. That’s right — “Big E” and “Lil M” are set for a potential reunion.
“I came back, and they just started developing this storyline with my character. And I was thrilled. I was just thrilled to see what her background is, what her deal is,” Oteri told NBC Insider, adding that Monica’s Happy’s Place storyline “takes a very surprising turn.”
While chatting about what it was like working with sitcom icon McEntire, Oteri said she was “in awe” of the country icon’s on-set positivity. “You’re pretty much in awe. But that woman is smiling 24/7, and there’s such a warmth from her,” Oteri said. “You just realize who you’re standing in front of. How incredibly, ridiculously talented she is.”
Oteri continued, “I sound so corny, but I tell people [that set] is literally the happiest place. I mean, it’s that title, I walked into the warmest, most supportive group of people…” Oteri told NBC Insider. “[The Happy’s Place cast are] the nicest people in the world. It was such a pleasure.”
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Watch Happy’s Place on Fridays at 8/7c on NBC and the next day on Peacock.
Reporting by Stephanie Gomulka