Reba McEntire And Happy's Place Cast Unpack Emmett's Big Secret — And Tee Up JoAnna Garcia Swisher's Arrival

Bobbie and Emmett's long-simmering chemistry finally came into focus in the Season 2 premiere of NBC's "Happy's Place" — but so did the secret that could tear them apart before their romance even begins. 

As it turns out, Emmett has known about Isabella all along. For years, he kept that secret as a promise to Bobbie's late father Happy — and at the end of Friday's episode, Emmett confided in Steve.

Rex Linn, who plays Emmett, tells TVLine that the truth has been embedded in his performance since the pilot — "from the very second that [Isabella] walked in the door. It affected my choices as an actor sometimes, knowing that, but I couldn't give anything away.

"Knowing that I have a secret — and I may have another one — made it a lot more fun for me playing Emmett," the "Young Sheldon" vet says. "I'm glad he's got his secrets."

That revelation will inevitably hit Bobbie hard. "Think about it: How would you react to that in real life?" Reba McEntire ponders in the video above. "[You would feel] kind of betrayed. And what other secrets does he know that I don't? It's suspicious, and you feel a little betrayed and heartbroken. That's what I would feel in real life, and I think that's how Bobbie will feel, too."

Still, McEntire doesn't necessarily think her character will lash out the way she once might have. "It'd take a big old gal to say, 'I totally understand,' wouldn't it? But I hope she does," the country music superstar shares. Adds Belissa Escobedo: "I think Season 1 Bobbie definitely would've been like, 'Get out of here! But we've whittled her down a little [in Season 2]." 

"Life is precious," McEntire says. "And love, late in life, is very precious."

The eventual fallout won't stop with Bobbie and Emmett. Escobedo, who plays Bobbie's half-sister, suggests Isabella will also feel the sting of Emmett's omission.

"She's protective of Bobbie and her emotions," Escobedo says. "But she didn't have a father figure [growing up], and probably the closest she's ever going to come to is Emmett — and who likes to be lied to or disappointed by a family member? I think Isabella might be surprised by how much it affects her."

In the video interview embedded above, McEntire, Escobedo, Linn, and fellow cast members Melissa Peterman (Gabby), Pablo Castelblanco (Steve) and Tokala Black Elk (Takoda) weigh in on the possible ramifications of Emmett's secret, tee up another highly anticipated "Reba" reunion — this one with JoAnna Garcia Swisher (fka Cheyenne Montgomery) — and set the stage for the rest of Season 2, including Gabby's journey toward motherhood and the long-awaited introduction of her own mom.

Watch the Q&A in full above, grade the season opener below, then leave all your "Happy's Place" thoughts in a comment below.