Reba McEntire and her Happy’s Place co-stars will honor the late Dolly Parton in the sitcom’s upcoming Oct. 30 episode, titled “Skeletons in the Closet.”
The episode, which takes place during Halloween and Día de los Muertos, will pay tribute to the late country music icon, who passed away earlier this year.
In an interview with PEOPLE, McEntire and co-star Belissa Escobedo explained how the episode’s storyline led to the decision to honor Parton.
“The timing of the episode was so kismet and we actually got to put family members who have passed, I got to put my pet up there on the ofrenda that we built, and we actually put Dolly up there because she had passed that week while we were filming,” Escobedo told the publication.
Parton passed away on August 25 at the age of 80.
According to NBC, the Halloween episode centers on Isabella (Escobedo) leading the Knoxville tavern in a Día de los Muertos celebration. The traditional Mexican holiday honors loved ones who have passed away by placing photos and meaningful items on an ofrenda. In the episode, the half-sisters will also pay tribute to their father.
McEntire said learning more about the tradition from Escobedo made the experience especially meaningful.
“I learned so much about Belissa’s culture … and it really touched my heart, because I had seen Coco before and I learned a little bit about it, but we got more into it and why,” McEntire explained to PEOPLE.
The episode will close with a framed photo of Parton and McEntire accompanied by the heartfelt message, “We will always love you.”
McEntire also shared details about the tribute during an appearance on Extra, explaining that the decision came naturally as the cast and crew were filming the episode.
“The week we were filming that episode, Dolly passed. So everybody was all on board to dedicate that episode to Dolly. And the ofrenda, where all the pictures were of the family members who had passed, we put Dolly up there, too,” McEntire explained to Extra.
Last week, McEntire also paid tribute to her longtime friend during CMA Presents: I Will Always Love You: A Celebration of Dolly Parton, performing “He’s Alive” in honor of the late singer.