S01.E03: Just Tuesday

[Bort]

After Abby makes a mistake in the courtroom, she decides to adopt an all-business approach to get things back on track, but her new style catches everyone off-guard.

Airdate: January 24, 2023

[AnimeMania]

Garrett Bales as Nate Crabbe


They are showing the episodes out of order, this was originally planned as episode 5.

[Annber03]

Aw, Abby...Her whole thing about wanting to honor the faith her dad had in her. That was poignant.

Dan had some great lines this episode. I loved his bit about having Spotify ("Sometimes it shuffles to things I don't recognize!") and his reaction when describing what the D&D guy was in for. "Not a euphemism, but it'd be less embarrassing if it were..." 

Also laughed at the whole thing with him and Neil's box of treats at the end, and everyone overhearing Neil when he mentioned the one guy was an undercover cop. 

[Starchild]

Larroquette is so much better than everyone else he seems like he's in another show.

[callie lee 29]

This was excellent. Funny, sweet, ridiculous...all the things of Night Court.

[Chaos Theory]

Episode 3 was already 10 times better then the first 2 which bodes incredibly well for the series.  I love how the show is already adding depth to both Abby and Dan and showing how connected they are to each other even through their memories of Harry Stone.  

Gurgs and the Prosecutor (whose name I still don't know) have improved as well.  I loved them both in this.     Dan did have some great lines in this "I leaned Nerd for this" was funny.  

Gurgs also had a good one

Dan "We should through a party."

Gurgs  "With what treats Dan?  With what treats?"

 

 

Edited January 25, 2023 by Chaos Theory

[ams1001]

I know it's a silly sitcom, but ugh. A priest is inappropriate, not because a court is not a therapy session (although...that, too), but because a court is not a church.

I find it hard to take Melissa Rauch seriously when she's being all stern. I only know her from Big Bang Theory, and even when her character was being serious it was played for laughs. It's just not convincing.

The pixilated cupcakes at the end were pretty funny.

3 minutes ago, Annber03 said:

Aw, Abby...Her whole thing about wanting to honor the faith her dad had in her. That was poignant.

I realized at the end of that scene that I had totally missed most of what she said...I apparently have the attention span of a puppy on Red Bull. Might have to rewatch...

[Rorysmom]

Night court was one of my absolute favorites. So glad that this show got a reboot. 

John L. is still amazing.

[ketose]

This episode kind of took a turn into The John Larroquette Show, but I'm here for it. I can definitely see that there were about two more episodes before this since more times seems to have passed and they kind of put Abby's motivation right out there. 

[Chaos Theory]

9 minutes ago, ketose said:

This episode kind of took a turn into The John Larroquette Show, but I'm here for it. I can definitely see that there were about two more episodes before this since more times seems to have passed and they kind of put Abby's motivation right out there. 

Well if you want to be honest the last few seasons of the original Night Court was The John Larroquette Show.    He is the big star of the reboot so it’s not surprising that the show is focusing on Dan and Abby as the A story.    I am however enjoying the rest of the cast and even on the third episode everything is coming together nicely.   

[ketose]

24 minutes ago, Chaos Theory said:

Well if you want to be honest the last few seasons of the original Night Court was The John Larroquette Show.    He is the big star of the reboot so it’s not surprising that the show is focusing on Dan and Abby as the A story.    I am however enjoying the rest of the cast and even on the third episode everything is coming together nicely.   

I kind of meant the 1993 show where John Larroquette played a recovering alcoholic bus station manager. This time, Abby is the recovering alcoholic.

[Irlandesa]

This show remains uneven but still has worthwhile moments that I am invested in it.  I don't think it'll pay off fully until a second season (which is when comedies gel, IMO). But I repeat myself....

The first part was the rough part of the episode.  There were still a few lines, like Dan winning the bet. But it really worked in the back half when he realized what was driving Abby. 

Gurgs was better this week and provided some laughs as did the pixelated naughty cupcakes.

I am curious as to why no undercover cop wrangler didn't give the court a head's up that he was a cop that needed a conviction.  Or at least tell the lawyer. 

[ams1001]

10 minutes ago, Irlandesa said:

I am curious as to why no undercover cop wrangler didn't give the court a head's up that he was a cop that needed a conviction.  Or at least tell the lawyer. 

It certainly would have been the quicker route.

[Cloud9Shopper]

I was working on a project tonight so didn’t get to watch too much but I definitely laughed a few times again, specifically at the guy who got charged for being drunk and disorderly while playing Dungeons and Dragons.

Sorry for not a lot of great insight. Hope next week I can add more! :) I’m enjoying it a lot. 

[chediavolo]

Everyone on this show is terrible except John Larrocquette. 

[greekmom]

My favourite line: "But I learned Nerd for this."

That and the betting.

So we learned not only is Abby a recovering alcoholic but so was Dan's wife Sarah.

Didn't Harry have an addiction issue? Or was he just a gambling hussler? 

[Claire85]

Well, I welled up during Dan and Abby’s talk, missing both Harry Stone and Harry Anderson. This show was always great at putting drama in with the comedy. (One of my favorite episodes from the original run was “Dan’s Operation” from season 4, which also brought the waterworks.)

Edited January 25, 2023 by Claire85
Punctuation

[ch1]

32 minutes ago, Claire85 said:

Well, I welled up during Dan and Abby’s talk, missing both Harry Stone and Harry Anderson. This show was always great at putting drama in with the comedy. (One of my favorite episodes from the original run was “Dan’s Operation” from season 4, which also brought the waterworks.)

Lost count of the number of times I watched those episodes.  The best relationship in the original run was Harry and Dan.

I think some of Melissa Rauch’s acting choices are not working for me but she was great in the scene with Dan.  

[libgirl2]

1 hour ago, greekmom said:

My favourite line: "But I learned Nerd for this."

That and the betting.

So we learned not only is Abby a recovering alcoholic but so was Dan's wife Sarah.

Didn't Harry have an addiction issue? Or was he just a gambling hussler? 

I want to say he had a gambling addiction. 

[meira.hand]

Wouldn't it be amazing if they brought back Brent Spiner (and Annie O'Donnell) as guest stars to play the hilarious Wheeler couple.  They were so good they brought them back 7! times over the years.

[Claire85]

2 hours ago, ch1 said:

Lost count of the number of times I watched those episodes.  The best relationship in the original run was Harry and Dan.

I’m working my way through the original run now, and I was surprised how much those scenes affected me. John Laroquette and Harry Anderson were amazing in those hospital scenes. 

[HyeChaps]

If Harry and Dan were so close, how could Dan and Abby not be acquainted with each other

[ch1]

23 minutes ago, HyeChaps said:

If Harry and Dan were so close, how could Dan and Abby not be acquainted with each other

Dan said in the first episode that they lost touch.  It’s probably a case that once Dan left they didn’t keep in contact and we know in the original series that Dan left to follow Christine in the last episode which presumably is before Abby ever existed (looking forward to finding out how old Abby is supposed to be).

 

[Irlandesa]

And Harry ended up moving upstate.   There are just some people you're close to while working together and don't talk much once you don't have that one common activity that brings you together on a daily basis. 

Edited January 25, 2023 by Irlandesa

[Chaos Theory]

1 hour ago, HyeChaps said:

If Harry and Dan were so close, how could Dan and Abby not be acquainted with each other

 

48 minutes ago, ch1 said:

Dan said in the first episode that they lost touch.  It’s probably a case that once Dan left they didn’t keep in contact and we know in the original series that Dan left to follow Christine in the last episode which presumably is before Abby ever existed (looking forward to finding out how old Abby is supposed to be).

 

It happens in RL sometimes that when two people who are close go off in different directions and don’t see each other every day (or night) they do lose touch.   Life goes on.   It seems like both Harry and Dan found women who weren’t Christine and Harry had a family and that in itself takes up a good portion of your life.   We can infer a lot but the fact is people don’t always keep in touch with even their best friend when their lives aren’t connected the same way they were before.  

[merylinkid]

Awwww.   Touching.   Yeah Night Court was best when it mixed comedy in with the heavy stuff.  

But I gotta say, the relationship between Dan and the Bailiff is reminding me of Dan and Roz.   They razzed each other but they had each other's back.   When Roz had her diabetic episode, it was Dan who confronted her and her help.   At great pain to himself.  I can see that happening here.

The DA is growing on me.  I like how because she is pretty she gets perks and expects thems.   Then is completely lost when they go away.   Man they took away lawyers breezing through security a few years ago, and it TICKED ME OFF.   Because you have to wait behind the people who wait until they get up to the line to start getting their stuff together, don't understand that EVERYTHING out of your pockets means EVERYTHING, etc.   And then they congregate on the other side of the metal detector waiting for their entire party so no one else can get their stuff off the belt.   The times I've had to tell people to grab your stuff and step along is staggering.   And the looks like I get like "Huh, what?"  

Neil tries so hard.  "I'll take the big guard."   Dan "Do the paperwork, I'll pay the fine."   

[StaceyNotStacie]

I’m enjoying this. It feels like the cast is starting to find their chemistry and I like the interactions between the individual characters. 
 

I liked getting a bit more background on Abby and Dan’s characters. I wonder if there’s a child or stepchild or some other family member for Dan since it appears his wife is no longer alive. 

[JeanJean]

I think it improved quite a bit from last week.

I know this is an unpopular opinion, but the DA overacts way too much for me. I keep wanting her to rein it in. On the other hand, Gurgs plays big but I like her. 

 

Edited January 26, 2023 by JeanJean

[Yeah No]

I don't think it improved that much.  I agree with the poster above that John Laroquette is the standout of the show.  Melissa's somehow not playing this right.  She's just not funny.  Meanwhile she was hysterical as Bernadette in Big Bang Theory.  I admit it's hard for me to like her in this role.

I just want to point out something that doesn't feel realistic to me.  So far all the people brought up to the bench have been white men save for that one white woman in the pilot.  Even in that jail scene in this episode everyone was white.  That is not representative of NYC at all, which is about 60% non-white.  Meanwhile they have cast persons of color in law enforcement and other roles.  Like that one very good looking cop in this episode.  🥰  I realize it's early in the series yet but I see a pattern forming.

[januaryman]

The show needs work but I like it and the cast. The defendant looked like he would be funny but he didn't have any lines. The old show had all those old-fashioned (now-deceased) character actors playing the defendants, a lot of whom were carried over from Barney Miller. They could use some of those types.

[juno]

Tried hard to like it but I gave up mid-episode. It does have some possibilities so I am rooting for it.

The supporting cast has not been given much, so I did not connect with them. The ADA continues to be the weak link. If you are a mean character be a mean character that is funny. She is mean and not funny. So it just becomes an unpleasant watch.

There is something strange about Rauch and I don't usually notice this but her acting is really off. Maybe it is her speaking tone or delivery but she is just not that good. I can't put my finger on it but it just feels off.

Larroquette is great and is carrying the show but he is not enough.

[ch1]

I think the main problem with Rauch is that she is talking to the audience instead of her costars.  She has this weird thing where she talks while facing the audience which just takes me out.  The actress who plays the ADA has done it too.  The most natural Rauch has come across is in the scene in Abby’s office with Dan.

[Taeolas]

I'm liking the series so far. It still needs to gel and develop the supporting cast more. But John slipped back into Dan's role like a glove and that's really helping to lift the show's early days.

I do wonder if/when Abby will ever realize that they probably saved that Undercover Cop in the end. He may have had 10 months working on the identity, but if a night court clerk could connect him to the priest so easily, then he was doomed if he had ended up in jail trying to link up with the mafia boss or whoever his target was. 

[libgirl2]

I think the issue some people are having with Melissa Rauch is that we are very used to her as Bernadette. It might take time to see her in a different role. 

[HyeChaps]

I can't imagine anyone driving to that courthouse on Centre Street in downtown Manhattan.

[peachmangosteen]

6 hours ago, juno said:

There is something strange about Rauch and I don't usually notice this but her acting is really off. Maybe it is her speaking tone or delivery but she is just not that good. I can't put my finger on it but it just feels off.

I am enjoying the show but I do agree with this. I think she is the weak link. I didn’t watch TBBT when she was in it so it has nothing to do with that but I can’t quite put my finger on why she just isn’t working for me.

[Yeah No]

6 hours ago, libgirl2 said:

I think the issue some people are having with Melissa Rauch is that we are very used to her as Bernadette. It might take time to see her in a different role. 

I'm going to say I don't think that's it.  I think Melissa was perfectly suited for the role of Bernadette but she's not as suited for this.  I watched Kaley Cuocco in "The Flight Attendant" and had no trouble giving up my image of her as Penny right out of the gate.  I think the surprise for me is finding out that Kaley possibly has more range as an actor than Melissa does.  Or maybe she just wanted to do a role that wasn't as suited to her strengths as Kaley.  I'm also watching Mayim Bialik in "Call me Kat" and while I've had issues with how she plays the role I have had no trouble letting go of her as Amy.  

[Bort]

Honestly, I think it’s more that this show is not well written and the supporting cast is not fleshed out at all. Melissa was part of an ensemble on The Big Bang Theory, a well written show with well developed characters. We just don’t have that here, it’s Melissa and John carrying a show that’s relying on nostalgia and very little else.

[Irlandesa]

I didn't think The Big Bang Theory was a good show in its first season either.  That's pre-Bernadette but it took a while for it to hit its stride. Bernadette also started as a guest star that eventually grew to be a regular so both Melissa and the writers had less pressure to make her work immediately in an integral way.

Here, she's the lead and I think they have her as a bit too perfect.  It's why the second half of this episode worked best for me. It gave context to her earnestness.  She doesn't even have the quirky magic factor of her father which helped bring comedy to the show as he was mocked for it/annoyed people with it.  I think she's also still trying to find her comedic rhythm as something closer to her actual person.

 

Edited January 28, 2023 by Irlandesa

[Claire85]

Having watched the first 3 episodes over again, I think the decision to move this episode from #5 to #3 was a good one. Abby was a little too perfect, now I see her vulnerability and I’m more invested in her success, since she has regrets over missing time with her father. I also liked Dan realizing what her issue was based on his relationship with his wife. He grew enough to realize that Sarah’s service to others was more about herself than the other people. 

[peachmangosteen]

7 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

I didn't think The Big Bang Theory was a good show in its first season either. 

I didn't think it was ever a good show lol.

[libgirl2]

10 hours ago, Yeah No said:

I'm going to say I don't think that's it.  I think Melissa was perfectly suited for the role of Bernadette but she's not as suited for this.  I watched Kaley Cuocco in "The Flight Attendant" and had no trouble giving up my image of her as Penny right out of the gate.  I think the surprise for me is finding out that Kaley possibly has more range as an actor than Melissa does.  Or maybe she just wanted to do a role that wasn't as suited to her strengths as Kaley.  I'm also watching Mayim Bialik in "Call me Kat" and while I've had issues with how she plays the role I have had no trouble letting go of her as Amy.  

I haven't seen the Flight Attendant but I have seen Call me Kat. And yes, she is fine in that role. She is a very seasoned actress too. I guess I still see Bernadette only because I never knew the actress from anything else. 

[Yeah No]

On 1/28/2023 at 12:37 AM, kariyaki said:

Honestly, I think it’s more that this show is not well written and the supporting cast is not fleshed out at all. Melissa was part of an ensemble on The Big Bang Theory, a well written show with well developed characters. We just don’t have that here, it’s Melissa and John carrying a show that’s relying on nostalgia and very little else.

I basically agree with you, that's very true but I still think that if Melissa could be a different kind of quirky it might work better for this show.  I don't think the scripts are making it easy for her to be that way, though, and we know she can play quirky and funny just fine if given the opportunity.  Actually if they could make her a little more like Bernadette minus the cutesy voice it would be funnier.  She seems a little too "normal" (and yes, "perfect") and not wacky enough.  I can't describe it any better than that.  But even though she's just working with the scripts she gets, I still think she could bring more of that wackiness to the role. 

15 hours ago, libgirl2 said:

I haven't seen the Flight Attendant but I have seen Call me Kat. And yes, she is fine in that role. She is a very seasoned actress too. I guess I still see Bernadette only because I never knew the actress from anything else. 

I never saw Kaley in anything other than BBT but boy did I forget all about Penny when I saw her in that!  She's a better actress than she gets credit for being.

23 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

I didn't think The Big Bang Theory was a good show in its first season either.  That's pre-Bernadette but it took a while for it to hit its stride. Bernadette also started as a guest star that eventually grew to be a regular so both Melissa and the writers had less pressure to make her work immediately in an integral way.

Oh, I actually thought BBT was a great show right from the start.  And I related to it a lot on a personal level too.

[AD35]

On 1/24/2023 at 8:44 PM, ams1001 said:

The pixilated cupcakes at the end were pretty funny.

What are the chances that they came from the same bakery that made Dan's birthday cake (courtesy of Bull and Harry) from the original show?

[benteen]

8 minutes ago, AD35 said:

What are the chances that they came from the same bakery that made Dan's birthday cake (courtesy of Bull and Harry) from the original show?

I thought they missed a perfect opportunity for a joke there. Former hound dog Dan Fielding sees the cupcakes and says "Hey, Roger is still baking!" and eats the cupcake promptly. 

Like last week, rough. Larroquette still kills it, even when the material lets him down. His last scene with Abby was excellent and  Rauch's best scene so far. The writing is doing no favors for the rest of the cast. I think the prosecutor has potential bit plays the role WAY too broadly. She could be a fun courtroom foil for Dan, which we briefly saw in the pilot. Gurgs character is broad to but I think the actress makes it work and her character works for the show.

[CrazyDog]

As a huge lover of the original show, I was really hesitant about the reboot. But after watching all three episodes, I think this has potential.

John Larroquette is amazing as always. I can't believe he's 75 and still acting in a regular lead role (from someone who can't wait to retire in about 25 years), but I'm grateful he is. The scene where he realized Abby was in recovery, like his wife, was fantastic. No one can bring sarcasm, wit, and depth to the role like he can.

I'm liking the rest of the cast (and with a 20 minute show, it's going to take a few episodes to really flesh out the characters), except for the DA. She's a bit much, but lacks the charm that JA brought to that role. 

My only wish is that three episodes+ in, Abby needs to be more subtle. She doesn't need to keep explaining her philosophy over and over, just show it through her actions. So I hope they dial that back, and the show will be a lot more natural.

I'll give it a chance. I love the tributes to Harry throughout.

Edited January 29, 2023 by CrazyDog

[AncientNewbie]

It's certainly shallower than the original, at least at this point...I enjoyed Dan and Abby bonding and hope there's some meat for the actors out of such interactions. For as much as I love the original, I have to remember that there were some misses among the eps and that this will need to find it's feet. And I'm not for endless callbacks to the original, but John Astin in 92...let's get him on the show while we can. 

One minor quibble, and Night Court is usually better than most at this stuff...but court staff in New York would have Court ID and/or Secure Passes to bypass security screenings. They wouldn't be generally waiting in line, at least in any court where I've worked. 

[Taeolas]

With the attitude she showed in that episode, I could easily see Olivia having gotten out of the habit of having her ID card/security pass on her and relying on familiarity to be waved through the screenings. 

So now that the guards were under scrutiny from IA, that familiarity had to be tightened up. But it would have been good for someone else to have mentioned the ID/Pass card method in passing while she was ranting about having to wait in line. (A missed joke opportunity as well).

[Rorysmom]

On 1/29/2023 at 2:53 PM, CrazyDog said:

John Larroquette is amazing as always. I can't believe he's 75 and still acting in a regular lead role (from someone who can't wait to retire in about 25 years), but I'm grateful he is.

WHAT??? 75??? 

I mean... if I sit back and count, it does add up. Once we hit the "adult" years, what is time, you know?

[Nashville]

Not trying to be overly irascible - but if you want fleshed-out characters, you have to give them time to bulk up.

When Melissa Rauch stepped onto the BBT set and uttered Bernadette‘s first words of dialogue, she did so backstopped by a cast with 2+ years of character development.  Expecting the same level of character support from a cast of unknowns with fewer than a half-dozen episodes under their belt is… unrealistic, to put it mildly.