Warning: Spoilers ahead for Happy Gilmore 2

The long-awaited sequel to Adam Sandler’s cult classic sports comedy Happy Gilmore 2 begins with a shocking death that might leave some viewers confused, but it actually makes total sense within the universe of Happy Gilmore. Set 30 years after the events of the original movie, Happy Gilmore 2 sees Happy return to golf to support his children after his life falls apart.

Riding high at the tail end of an all-time great golf career, an errant drive from Happy in 2014 hits his wife Virginia (Julie Bowen, reprising her role from the first movie) in the head and kills her. Devastated, Happy attempts to numb the pain with alcohol, and his life falls apart over the next decade. Virginia’s death sets a dark tone for what was supposed to be a goofy comedy, but it actually makes sense.

Director Kyle Newachek and Julie Bowen herself provided some perspective on why Happy Gilmore 2 would start with the tragic death of one of the original movie’s most fondly-remembered characters. Speaking with People, Newachek explained the death’s parallel from the original movie:

“It’s like the first one… His father died from a puck to the face,” he recalls of the 1996 original film. “It’s still within the DNA of the universe, so… It just made total sense, but I never ever would’ve guessed it.”

Bowen weighed in as well about the shocking nature of her character’s death.

“When I found out that I was killed on page 12, I started laughing,” the actress told PEOPLE. “I was on vacation with my family, and I had no wifi. I could barely read this thing. I only had my phone, and I was like, ‘Am I seeing this right’? Trying to blow it up.”

“And I was like, ‘Oh, yeah, I’m ᴅᴇᴀᴅ. And he kills me’,” she said with a laugh, referring to Sandler’s character. “Then I just started laughing. I just started laughing and laughing and Adam was trying to get through to me. I was on island with no wifi and barely any cell, and we finally connected.”

“I go, ‘I don’t care. It’s great. Happy can’t be happy’,” she joked.

Since Happy Gilmore, Julie Bowen has had a successful career, highlighted by her role as Claire Dunphy in the ultra-popular Emmy Award-winning comedy series Modern Family. While it definitely makes sense within the context of the universe, it still seemed unusual to kill off a popular character played by a well-known actress.

Why Virginia’s Death Matters For Happy Gilmore 2

It’s A Dark But Necessary Way To Justify The Sequel

While Virginia technically dies in the first few minutes of the movie, she’s still present throughout as Happy’s spiritual center. In one hilarious scene, the older Virginia mocks the former version of herself from Happy’s original “Happy Place”, and provides perspective for Happy in the present day. She’s still at the core of his conscience, and his love for her and their children is what drives Happy.

In a deeper sense, Bowen’s comment about Happy not being able to be Happy sets the context for the entire movie. Despite his name being Happy, the character is defined by grief, anger, and rejection in the original movie, all of which spurs him to his eventual success and true happiness.

In the sequel, Virginia’s death acts as a reset ʙuттon, bringing Happy back to the bottom so he can build back up. Getting back into golf and having a purpose is what it took to get him sober and become the father he wants to be for his children, and while Virginia pushed him forward in the first movie, she continues to do so in the sequel, albeit in a different way.

Our Take On Virginia’s Death In Happy Gilmore 2

As Much As I Love Julie Bowen, Killing Off Virginia Was A Good Decision

I’ll be the first to admit that I was floored by the decision to kill off Virginia in the first few minutes. As a fan of Julie Bowen’s Claire Dunphy (and Julie Bowen in general), I was excited to see her revisit the character that most remember as her first major role. It took a minute for me to realize why, but killing her character off was a necessary evil to give the movie some semblance of heart.

Happy Gilmore 2 is loaded with gratuitous cameos and plenty of slapstick humor, but it has more emotional depth to it than most were expecting. That’s entirely due to the struggle of Happy to reclaim his status as an elite golfer–not for his grandmother’s house this time, but so he could be a good father and better man.

Without Virginia’s death setting Happy back and giving him a reason to crawl back to golf, the movie would have lacked any semblance of stakes or depth. It would have been entertaining on a gimmick level, but Virginia’s death is the catalyst for Happy Gilmore 2 being a better overall movie than it had any right being.

Source: People