Happy Face episode 4 Recap: Happy Face on Paramount+ is a scary true crime drama that looks into the disturbing life of the infamous Happy Face Killer, Keith Hunter Jesperson. Instead of praising his crimes, the show now focuses on the mental and emotional problems his family, especially his daughter Melissa Moore, are having. The show is based on Melissa’s memoir Shattered Silence and the Happy Face podcast. It follows Melissa as she faces her father’s dark past and tries to figure out who she is.
In Episode 4, “Controlled Burn,” Melissa (Annaleigh Ashford) tries to find her estranged brother Shane played by Philip Ettinger to find out the truth about what their father did in Texas in the 1990s, which adds to the family drama. Melissa and her coworker Ivy keep working on their investigation even though time is running out to stop Elijah (Damon Gupton) from being put to death, but personal problems could get in the way of their progress. As old hurts and secrets come to the surface, Melissa has to find a way to make peace with her brother while also dealing with the shadow her father cast over their lives.
SHANE MAKES A LATE ENTRANCE AS MELISSA AND IVY MEET SOMEONE UNEXPECTED
A wildland firefighter named Shane is seen putting out small fires in a remote forest area at the beginning of the episode. He says no to his coworkers’ invitations to go out after his shift is over, indicating that he has more important things to do. At the same time, Melissa and Ivy are waiting outside of his house for him to get there. Melissa and Shane haven’t talked in years and Ivy, Melissa’s coworker, isn’t sure if this get-together is a good idea. She calls her husband to check on their daughter Hazel (Khiyla Aynne), who has been acting distant, while they are waiting.
Josh (River Codack), a boy Hazel has been talking to, offers to drive her home from school while she walks through the parking lot. There’s a hint of romance between them as he gives her money from the sale of some art. Back in prison, an unexpected event happens when Officer Bassett walks into Keith’s cell in solitary confinement and quietly gives him a new cell phone. This shows that the guard and the killer are working together behind the scenes.
Shane’s door finally opens after a long wait, but it’s not him. It’s a woman named Gillian. Gillian walks in and says she is Keith’s girlfriend. She also says she has been living with Shane, which surprises Melissa and Ivy Campbell (Tamera Tomakili). Even though she is unsettling, she gives useful information, especially about Keith’s past confessions. Shane finally shows up. He is clearly annoyed to see his sister show up without warning, but he lets them stay for dinner. But when Melissa talks about the trips she and Keith took as kids across Texas, Shane gets angry and storms out.
MELISSA AND SHANE ARE OSTRACIZED FOR THEIR FATHER’S NOTORIETY
Hazel has her own problems at school the next morning. There were rumors that she got into Josh’s car, which made his girlfriend angry and embarrassed. Another blow is when Hazel gets a strange Happy Face balloon at the school office. It makes her think of how famous her grandfather was, which is very scary.
While this is going on, Melissa tries to make peace with Shane by bringing him gifts. They decide to go on a road trip together to sell Shane’s old family dresser that has been in his garage for years. Along the way, Shane says in a mean way that Melissa was lucky to be able to change her last name, while he will always be stuck with their father’s name.
When a possible buyer figures out that they are the Happy Face Killer’s kids, their plan to sell the dresser fails. Shane lashes out at Melissa, accusing her of telling everyone about their family’s dark secrets. He is filled with shame and anger.
While this is going on, Ivy tries to do another interview with Keith but he won’t help unless Melissa is there. He complains haughtily that he has to fight so hard to be held accountable for his crimes, which shows how narcissistic he is. As things get worse in every way, Melissa and Shane try to sell the dresser at a used furniture store but are turned down again.
A ROAD TRIP LEADS TO UNEXPECTED REVELATIONS
Melissa sees a familiar logo as they drive through town: West Slope, Oregon. She remembers all of a sudden that Brendan, her ex-boyfriend, lives there and refuses to go that way. When they find him, Melissa talks to him about an opinion piece she wrote about her abortion, which she thinks he had something to do with. But Brendan says he has nothing to do with it. The meeting is tense, and it brings up painful memories for Melissa.
At the same time, Melissa’s husband Ben gets a scary message on his phone: his son Max has been locked out of the house because a friend’s mother left him there because she doesn’t want her child to hang out with a “killer’s family.” Melissa’s public fight against her father’s legacy is still having an effect on her family and friends, making her feel even more alone.
Later, Ivy and Tyler do a deep interview with Gillian. She talks honestly about her interest in men who are in jail and why she is still devoted to Keith. Her ideas paint a disturbing picture of how serial killers can still have an effect on people even when they are in jail.
SHANE REVEALS A DARK MEMORY WHILE MELISSA CONFRONTS KEITH ONE LAST TIME
That evening, Melissa and Shane are drinking together in a bar for the first time in many years. When Melissa tells Brendan that she had an abortion, the conversation gets very personal. She had only told Brendan and her father about the secret.
This news makes Shane finally talk about their trip to Texas with Keith. It seems like he stopped at a church with a sign that said “Find God Here” before Keith killed three women. Shane feels so guilty that he didn’t do anything to stop their father. He thinks that by not doing anything, he was also involved.
For a symbolic moment of freedom, Melissa and Shane decide to burn the family dresser in the backyard. It’s a painful reminder of the past that they are letting go of.
When they get home, Ben comforts their son Max after he has a bad dream by telling him that Keith Jesperson’s crimes will never define their family.
There is a powerful moment at the end of the episode. Melissa goes to see Keith in jail for what she says will be their last conversation. She tells him about her abortion and that Brendan raped her. Keith was the only other person who knew about it. She defiantly tells her father that she identifies with his victims, not with him. As she turns to leave, Keith, desperate to maintain control, offers her something valuable—the murder weapon used in Heather’s death, a wrench hidden in Shane’s garage.
In the last scene, Melissa and her team go into the garage and get the wrench. They might finally find out the truth with this important piece of evidence.
A story in Happy Face episode 4 that shows how living in the shadow of a serial killer can be very traumatic is gripping and emotional. The complicated relationship between Melissa and Shane, Hazel’s problems with bullying, and Keith’s ongoing psychological abuse all add to the intensity of the story. The truth about Keith’s past crimes comes to the surface more and more as the series goes on, but at what cost?
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