I was under the mistaken impression that "Uncoupled" was a feature film, but the new Netflix series is only the length of two feature films, with eight half-hour episodes. Created by Darren Star and Jeffrey Richman, we are back in a very "Sex in the City" version of New York, this time looking at the breakup of Michael (Neil Patrick Harris) and Colin (Tuc Watkins), a gay couple who have been together for seventeen years. Michael is initially mystified by the split, and spends the early episodes trying frantically to repair the relationship before facing the unappetizing reality of being single and in his forties.
"Uncoupled" wants very much to present the state of modern romance from an LGBT point of view, celebrating the community and the new opportunities afforded by technology and cultural improvements. At the same time, it wants to show off how good Neil Patrick Harris and other members of the cast looks shirtless, and indulge in a familiar, fantasy version of New York. This is definitely a rom-com universe, where nearly everyone is handsome and rich, or at least witty and refined. Michael is a real estate agent, who with his business partner Suzanne (Tisha Campbell), spends several episodes touring ungodly expensive New York real estate, and trying to stay in the good graces of a demanding client played by Marcia Gay Harden. Michael's friend group includes playboy weatherman Billy (Emeson Brooks) and gallery owner Stanley (Brooks Ashmanskas), both also perpetually single and gay. Suzanne is both the only straight and the only woman in their circle, and Tisha Campbell is more than able to hold her own.
This is actually the first piece of media I've seen Neil Patrick Harris in in some time, because I skipped out on "How I Met Your Mother" and most of the "Harold and Kumar" movies. He's extremely charming here, and good at playing someone who is simultaneously very lovable and full of obvious, exasperating faults. Though we spend a lot of time watching Michael struggle to get back into the dating scene, with some success, I appreciate that "Uncoupled" really is about Michael and Colin's relationship all the way through. Even when Colin disappears for several episodes, getting on with his own post-breakup life, his presence looms large. Also, I like that the breakup isn't anybody's fault, and Colin is never really in the wrong. He's positioned as an antagonist a few times, naturally, but usually because of miscommunications and Michael projecting his own insecurities. It's very satisfying to watch Michael move through all the different stages of a breakup, and see how it impacts subsequent relationships.
I am very impressed with how well written the show is. The show functions like a sitcom, constantly coming up with little dilemmas and new faces that only last an episode or two. Its ongoing storylines, however, all tend to move quickly and never stagnate. Marcia Gay Harden's difficult client keeps coming back into Michael's life for different reasons, and by the end of the season she's been repositioned as a more casual acquaintance, still on her own journey of self-discovery. Colin and Michael mostly avoid each other, but when they do intersect, it doesn't feel manufactured. When Michael's mother (Stephanie Faracy) has an accident, of course Colin drops by to see her because he's developed his own relationship with her over the course of his and Michael's relationship.
As the series goes on, "Uncoupled" slowly morphs into an ensemble series. If the show gets additional seasons, I hope that it leans into this. Michael's friend group becomes his most important emotional support, and the personalities are a good mix of fun types. A lot of good character actors show up for smaller roles, including Andre de Shields as Michael's elderly neighbor. The last episode, involving a big wedding, shamelessly sets up a bunch of different cliffhangers and loose plot threads for everyone - including Colin, who is not out of the picture yet. It's easy to point to "Uncoupled" as a gay "Sex and the City" wannabe, but I don't see how anyone could object to a gay "Sex and the City" wannabe that offers this much easy, watchable fun.
Oh, and content warnings for sexual content, though it's fairly tame for 2022. There's a whole episode devoted to talking about dick pics, but only fleeting glimpses of actual nudity.
---
No comments:
Post a Comment