Situational comedies lean heavily on the absurd at times. Night Court Season 1 Episode 4 is an example where it’s best not to ask too many questions about the who, what, and why of any particular context.
On the one hand, the humor of having Dan’s first romantic exploit as a widower turn out to be a psychopath’s revenge plot deflects a lot of potential emotional angst.
On the other, I don’t think we know enough about Olivia and Gurgs to readily accept them as work wives.
One of the hallmark traits of District Attorney Dan Fielding in the 80s was his skirt-chasing, womanizing ways.
He was ridiculous and lascivious and altogether reprehensible. He was also incredibly entertaining, doing much of the comedic heavy-lifting as Larroquette’s four Emmy wins can attest to.
So, of course, Dan Fielding Version 2023 has been criticized by some for his more serious and thoughtful (if curmudgeonly) persona.
Seriously, folks, it’s been thirty years. If he hadn’t matured in that time, we’d all be up in arms over that highly unlikely lack of character development.
I hate to spoil all your fun, but my dating dates are behind me. Course there was a time I would’ve killed for this kind of attention. And almost did. Not a human, a chicken. A voodoo doctor back in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, told me that an animal sacrifice would make me irresistible to the fairer sex. Anyway, let’s get back to these weirdos.
There is sweeping romanticism in the thought of Dan Fielding giving up his rapscallion ways for the love of a good woman. Or maybe the love of the right woman.
If there’s one thing I regret about the revival is that we’ll never see how Dan and Sarah’s relationship began and evolved.
Dan: Do you like rain sticks?
Julianne: How about we move to a different room with a different stick?
However, if someone was going to tempt back into intimate relations, Wendie Malick was born to play that role.
As Julianne, she’s elegant, endearing, funny, and forthright. And a total psychopath. In short, she’s the perfect match for Fielding.
I was going to steal your identity and leave you a shell of a man, but you can’t burn a house down twice. Believe me, I’ve tried.
Julianne
But what Dan realizes is that he isn’t looking for another great love or even a good lay.
He’s been alone awhile, it seems. (I don’t think they’ve given a precise timeline for Sarah’s passing.) And while we would never rule out future romantic endeavors, it’s not a priority at the moment.
Where he’s at now, he needs someone to confide in, reflect with, and maybe give him a good kick in the pants.
Harry often provided that support and guidance in the past, and it’s improbable that D.A. Dan would’ve ever considered trusting in the judgment and analysis of a pint-sized blonde.
But times change, and people grow, and Public Defender Dan Fielding is wise enough to know when he’s lost the battle and concedes Abby’s a part of his life now, as annoying as that may be to all his old-school sensibilities.
Abby: Which one of these pet fish looks like the most fun? This one has kind eyes and seems like a good listener, but this one’s name is Zazzle.
Dan: Unless you’re a seal, getting a fish is a desperate cry for help.
While the plots here don’t feature Abby, we’re still filling in her backstory from the incidental information she overshares.
I expect we’ll see the upstate fiancé eventually. In the meantime, we’re left to wonder how she fills her time between court sessions.
We know there’s probably a fish involved now since Manhattan homes probably aren’t zoned for cows.
But other than that, we haven’t met any non-court friends or heard about her hobbies.
I’ll assume she doesn’t shark pool halls or practice magic like her dad did. Do her musical tastes run to Mel Torme, or did she rebel in her teens and become a Manilow fan?
To be fair, the original series rarely saw the core cast in their lives outside the courthouse.
By having Neil and Abby stalk Dan on his date at De Bello’s, we’re already in untrodden territory.
Also, I don’t think we ever saw either Dan’s or the respective public defender’s offices.
So Olivia’s makeshift desk in the washroom might be a traditional rite of passage for the position.
It’s fine. I’m just going to work in the morgue. The vibe is lousy but at least there are plenty of drawers.
Olivia
Gurgs’s involvement in the office space search indicates Olivia’s relocation is a recent development.
Either that or they’ve only started noticing each other because Abby’s courtroom philosophy has forced them to look hard at each other as teammates.
As new characters with more than requisite quirkiness, we haven’t had any real opportunities to see them as multi-faceted characters.
Olivia’s presented as the classic ladder-climbing narcissist lawyer. We’ve never seen any sign that she ever leaves the building. Her job and any trappings of prominent status that come with it consume her.
As we learn on Night Court Season 1 Episode 3, she measures her worth in the perks she can access. She only sees herself as special if others treat her as such.
Abby: Am I crazy or has someone been getting a lot of lady attention lately?
Gurgs: Connie from Probate won’t stop talking about the dashing new defense attorney with thick hair and a tush worth a push. Connie’s a big ol’ freak!
Here, we learn she’s never seen Die Hard, doesn’t understand how anyone could leave a presentation unfinished, and finds questions about other people unnecessary.
Gurgs may be the world’s happiest existentialist. She lives her life without a thought for consequence or impression.
And she has a thing for Die Hard and Crockpots.
We’ve learned a lot of details about Gurgs since the show premiered — her taste in men, her dream of being a spy, her belief in witchcraft — but have yet to see how it all fits together.
The bailiff role on Night Court has been historically iconic. I don’t envy Lacretta with the task of carving out something unique. In my wilder musings, I imagine Richard Moll or Marsha Warfield (or BOTH!) returning to give Gurgs a pep talk. Wouldn’t that be a hoot?
The original series often had recurring defendants appear over the seasons in the courtroom.
While I don’t expect Malick to recur, perhaps we’ll see Horny Helen again?
I was going to steal your identity and leave you a shell of a man, but you can’t burn a house down twice. Believe me, I’ve tried.
Julianne
Who would you throw the book to have back at the bench?
When you watch Night Court online, check out how Dan eats an entire meal before Julianne ever arrives.
No wonder he wasn’t enthused about minestrone.
What are your thoughts, Fanatics? We’re three weeks in. Are you all in with conviction or ready to call a mistrial?
Hit our comments with your praise and pshaws!
Diana Keng is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter.