Netflix's 'Merry Happy Whatever' Is Dedicated to This Woman — but Why?

After the Thanksgiving food coma set in, many avid Netflix users tuned in to Merry Happy Whatever, an original series on the streaming site about a tight knit family who reunites during the holiday season. The comedy centers around the Quinn family, whose patriarch, Dennis Quaid, is ultra-protective over his daughter, Emmy Quinn (Bridgit Mendler). 

When Emmy brings home her boyfriend, Matt (Brett Morin), to meet her family, he has his work cut out for him. He tries to fit in, but he soon finds that he's being grouped with the other spouses of the Quinn siblings, who refer to themselves as the Out-Laws.

While fans were busy binge-watching the eight episode series, they noticed that, during the last episode, there is a dedication page to Alice McCarthy. Who is Alice McCarthy, and why was Merry Happy Whatever dedicated to her?

Because the show is an upbeat family comedy, the somber dedication page following the season finale had fans wondering if someone in the cast or crew had passed away. The subject of the show's dedication is Alice McCarthy, who upon further investigation, was actually the mother-in-law of Merry Happy Whatever creator, executive producer, and writer Tucker Cawley.

Tucker has also written for Everybody Loves Raymond and A Million Little Things. Back in July, he tweeted that the show had wrapped filming, and that it had been based on his own experiences trying to impress his wife, Aileen McCarthy Cawley's family. 

According to Alice McCarthy's obituary, she passed away on Sept. 13. She was a mother of five, including daughter Aileen, and she had 12 grandkids. Based on Tucker's sentiments that the show was based on the McCarthy family, it's no surprise why he decided to dedicate the show after his late mother-in-law.

Netflix's latest Christmas show is getting a lot of buzz online, particularly for Ashley Tisdale's portrayal of Kayla Quinn. Kayla (SPOILER) reveals that she is a lesbian toward the end of the season, and she comes out to her husband and family on the show.

But, the series did receive mixed reviews from critics, and the holiday focus of the show makes it somewhat difficult for the show to continue. 

While Netflix has yet to renew or cancel the series, the cast is more than willing to continue the show to a second season, if given the chance. 

"I hope so. Gosh I hope so," star Dennis Quaid said to Bustle about a potential second season. 

He also had some ideas about keeping the show's plot fresh: a Groundhog Day season and one centered around Super Bowl Sunday. 

Creator Tucker Cawley has hinted that, if the series were to continue, it would be an anthology and likely pick up with another holiday season, or perhaps with a different cast altogether.

Merry Happy Whatever is available to stream on Netflix now.