Night Court: Just Tuesday
January 25, 2023 9:40 AM - Season 1, Episode 3 - Subscribe
After making a mistake in the courtroom, Abby decides to adopt an all-business approach to get things back on track, which catches everyone off guard.
We heard some more backstory on what Harry and Dan were doing between the original series and this revival, with Dan meeting his wife Sarah when she was in recovery for alcoholism and Abby saddened that she was an alcoholic who missed out on time with her father. For me, this filling in of blanks is helping hold my interest.
Larroquette is still stealing the show, especially with his courtroom antics. Classic Dan Fielding showing up, and a main character being found in contempt and sent to holding is a traditional Night Court plot. Harry, Dan, and Christine all had it happen to them in the old days.
Speaking of the old days, nice joke I saw coming a mile away was when Dan said that the microphone at the bench had only been there since his first day in court... in 1984.
All in all, the show is growing on me, but I'm still showing up to watch because of Dan and Abby. If you're like me and you don't want to subscribe to Peacock for this, you can buy the show digitally at Amazon per episode or by the season.
This week's character development: Dan didn't have a single inappropriate remark to make about the erotic cupcakes.
We heard some more backstory on what Harry and Dan were doing between the original series and this revival, with Dan meeting his wife Sarah when she was in recovery for alcoholism and Abby saddened that she was an alcoholic who missed out on time with her father. For me, this filling in of blanks is helping hold my interest.
Larroquette is still stealing the show, especially with his courtroom antics. Classic Dan Fielding showing up, and a main character being found in contempt and sent to holding is a traditional Night Court plot. Harry, Dan, and Christine all had it happen to them in the old days.
Speaking of the old days, nice joke I saw coming a mile away was when Dan said that the microphone at the bench had only been there since his first day in court... in 1984.
All in all, the show is growing on me, but I'm still showing up to watch because of Dan and Abby. If you're like me and you don't want to subscribe to Peacock for this, you can buy the show digitally at Amazon per episode or by the season.
This week's character development: Dan didn't have a single inappropriate remark to make about the erotic cupcakes.
Decent. Along with e02, it sets the stage and sets expectations.
The alcohol abuse thing is an interesting thread.
Dan was often bristling at being a public prosecutor (and moreso now as a public defender), and Olivia picks up that thread. I wonder how soon that open confrontation will happen.
I'm following whether Olivia will ever wear flats (as a function of her character arc).
Was talking with my (younger) sister about how we loved the original show as kids - her first comment was that "It was funny."
We were 6/9yo - 9/12yo or so when we were watching it together.
I dunno whether it's contemporary show/ reboot/ being older but all the punch lines now seem to be telegraphed from a mile away. I haven't quite been surprised by one yet.
posted by porpoise at 9:17 PM on January 25, 2023 [1 favorite]
The alcohol abuse thing is an interesting thread.
Dan was often bristling at being a public prosecutor (and moreso now as a public defender), and Olivia picks up that thread. I wonder how soon that open confrontation will happen.
I'm following whether Olivia will ever wear flats (as a function of her character arc).
Was talking with my (younger) sister about how we loved the original show as kids - her first comment was that "It was funny."
We were 6/9yo - 9/12yo or so when we were watching it together.
I dunno whether it's contemporary show/ reboot/ being older but all the punch lines now seem to be telegraphed from a mile away. I haven't quite been surprised by one yet.
posted by porpoise at 9:17 PM on January 25, 2023 [1 favorite]
How did the clerk find the preacher related to the undercover cop who was using an alias? Unless the alias was someone he knew as a kid. I am overthinking something that has a laugh track.
posted by Marticus at 11:36 PM on January 25, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by Marticus at 11:36 PM on January 25, 2023 [2 favorites]
I appreciated that Gurgs's flirting was just Gurgs flirting. Zero fat jokes. That's the kindness and letting-the-characters-be-the-characters that I remember from the original, and it'll keep me watching.
The pixellated bits (heh) got a laugh from me too.
posted by humbug at 4:58 AM on January 26, 2023 [4 favorites]
The pixellated bits (heh) got a laugh from me too.
posted by humbug at 4:58 AM on January 26, 2023 [4 favorites]
Also I tried to watch the following sitcom American Auto and bailed after about five minutes. I'm supposed to laugh about covering up potentially-fatal defects in car manufacture? Or making one person the media scapegoat while the others cravenly hide behind her?
Yeah, no, no thanks, there's enough deeply shitty people dumping on other people in real life(TM) that I don't need to watch it on television.
Night Court isn't like that; it's about trying not to be shitty in a rather crapsack world. I vastly prefer that.
posted by humbug at 5:20 AM on January 26, 2023 [2 favorites]
Yeah, no, no thanks, there's enough deeply shitty people dumping on other people in real life(TM) that I don't need to watch it on television.
Night Court isn't like that; it's about trying not to be shitty in a rather crapsack world. I vastly prefer that.
posted by humbug at 5:20 AM on January 26, 2023 [2 favorites]
True, but the pixelated images still made it hilarious.
I enjoy this show in a "good enough to pay some attention to" sort of way, but my gods, the bark of laughter I issued forth when that pixellation came out of the box.
posted by Etrigan at 6:00 AM on January 26, 2023 [2 favorites]
I enjoy this show in a "good enough to pay some attention to" sort of way, but my gods, the bark of laughter I issued forth when that pixellation came out of the box.
posted by Etrigan at 6:00 AM on January 26, 2023 [2 favorites]
The show has maintained a certain level of consistency and I like that.
Most of my points have been said already. I was a bit disappointed with Dan not instantly recognizing the cupcakes as being from an place he knows. "Oh, I see Donatello is working tonight."
As a former attorney who did on occasion get to pass around security at some venues, this subplot hit hard. Heh.
posted by Atreides at 11:53 AM on January 26, 2023 [6 favorites]
Most of my points have been said already. I was a bit disappointed with Dan not instantly recognizing the cupcakes as being from an place he knows. "Oh, I see Donatello is working tonight."
As a former attorney who did on occasion get to pass around security at some venues, this subplot hit hard. Heh.
posted by Atreides at 11:53 AM on January 26, 2023 [6 favorites]
It may be nostalgia but I love this show. This always happens to me. My watch history is full of shows I like that got critically panned, so I'm reluctant to see what people are saying about this one.
posted by JHarris at 12:28 AM on January 28, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by JHarris at 12:28 AM on January 28, 2023 [3 favorites]
If it helps, it’s the highest rated network sitcom debut since 2018. Someone is watching it.
posted by Servo5678 at 8:52 AM on January 28, 2023 [6 favorites]
posted by Servo5678 at 8:52 AM on January 28, 2023 [6 favorites]
I just binged the first three episodes of this last night.
Lemme start by saying that I liked it - the humor's spot-on, it's a very obviously loving tribute to the original, and Larroquette and Rauch have great chemistry (as demonstrated in this episode's dramatic reveal and the way that the two of them handled it).
But it's... weird. I grew up in the 70s and 80s, and i don't remember sitcoms, even the original NC, being quite this stilted, with those obvious pauses for laugh-track insertion. Is that just me being old and seeing beats that i missed as a kid?
posted by hanov3r at 11:46 AM on February 15, 2023 [2 favorites]
Lemme start by saying that I liked it - the humor's spot-on, it's a very obviously loving tribute to the original, and Larroquette and Rauch have great chemistry (as demonstrated in this episode's dramatic reveal and the way that the two of them handled it).
But it's... weird. I grew up in the 70s and 80s, and i don't remember sitcoms, even the original NC, being quite this stilted, with those obvious pauses for laugh-track insertion. Is that just me being old and seeing beats that i missed as a kid?
posted by hanov3r at 11:46 AM on February 15, 2023 [2 favorites]
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I know that Harry Anderson struggled with alcohol; I wonder if this is being incorporated into the storylines.
Nice to have more meaty writing this time, especially between Gurgs, the cops, and Olivia. Some food for thought about how lawyers want privileges, mixed with silly flirting and comedy.
Also good seeing Abby's character explored more. In addition to all the heavy stuff, I actually LOL'd when she first came in and said It's Treat Tuesday!
posted by Melismata at 10:45 AM on January 25, 2023 [3 favorites]