S01.E05: The Apartment

[Bort]

Quote

In desperate need of a new apartment, Abby turns to Gurgs and her unconventional real estate skills. Dan helps Olivia prepare for the biggest case of her career and a shot at redemption.

Airdate: February 7, 2023

[AnimeMania]

Originally Episode 3.

Maria Pallas as Lesley
Kenneth Mosley as Devin
Brian Scolaro as Arnold
Duncan Calladine as Troy Simms

[Chaos Theory]

I am still 50/50 on the show.   Its biggest weakness is that it is not focused on the actual courtroom.  There are maybe one or two (very) short scenes in the actual courtroom and there is so much fun the show could actually have like the “Day In a Life” episodes.  Those were some of the funniest.  If the new series did just one of those early on it could find its groove.   

Buuuuuut….I did like Abby getting angry and tearing up her office and her stuff with Gurgs was fun.  I am guess the show is leading up to something between Abby and Rand.   I also liked Dan helping out Oliva.  

 

The show is finding itself.  It has its moments.  I am getting a few chuckles.  I just want to see more courting in my night Court.

[Packerbrewerbadger]

Dan Fielding is great, but rest of cast not so much. I find Olivia very annoying and while I enjoyed Melissa as a secondary character on BBT, I don’t think she’s strong enough to be a lead or maybe the writing for her is too over the top.  

[ch1]

1 hour ago, Packerbrewerbadger said:

Dan Fielding is great, but rest of cast not so much. I find Olivia very annoying and while I enjoyed Melissa as a secondary character on BBT, I don’t think she’s strong enough to be a lead or maybe the writing for her is too over the top.  

I don’t think Rauch is a strong enough lead either.  Her delivery is awkward.  At this point I think she is the weakest part of the cast.

 

 

 

[Yeah No]

4 hours ago, ch1 said:

I don’t think Rauch is a strong enough lead either.  Her delivery is awkward.  At this point I think she is the weakest part of the cast.

I agree but I just can't figure it out because she was so strong as Bernadette in BBT that I was expecting much more from her here.

Sometimes this show feels to me like a young person's idea of how to imitate a retro sitcom when the only things they know about anything retro were from watching reruns on TV.  There was some true to life stuff in everything funny on retro. sitcoms - things that people watching could relate to in some way because they had experienced something or someone similar themselves.  I felt like that guy in the "death window" looked like someone's idea of a retro looking geek.  Only it really isn't like anything realistic either years ago or today so it doesn't feel funny at all to me.   A lot of the characters so far have hit me that way.  And that apartment looked like no NYC apartment I've ever seen, and I'm a native NY-er from way back!  The most realistic things so far are some of the courthouse sets like the hallways and stuff.   And the idea of finding an apartment based on people dying or being evicted is a very NYC thing, but it just got drowned out by all the other missteps.  

Edited February 8, 2023 by Yeah No

[Ms Lark]

This ep was better than the past ones, but I'm still not sold. I was surprised they gave it a second season, but WTF. Not much else on on Tuesday, what the heck is going on with the new season? This and American Auto, which isn't very strong either.

[nora1992]

I liked it.  The episode made me laugh.  Dan is the best, but he’s had 40 years to get his character down.  The others are coming along.

[Chaos Theory]

This is like that show 911 on Fox if all the scenes were when the firefighters were having meals together or at Athena’s house,   Yes sometimes they are fun scenes but not really what people come to see.  

[greekmom]

7 hours ago, Ms Lark said:

This ep was better than the past ones, but I'm still not sold. I was surprised they gave it a second season, but WTF. Not much else on on Tuesday, what the heck is going on with the new season? This and American Auto, which isn't very strong either.

Call me Kat season 1 was terrible and they got a season 2.

I'm waiting for the Wheelers cameo. But i agree they need more courtroom time.

I honestly think that Abby will get dumped via text before her bf/fiance will show up.

[ch1]

With how little they are in the courtroom I will be surprised by a Wheeler appearance.  

 

[ajsnaves]

This was an OK episode for me.  I did like the apartment search part.  It reminds me of something Dan did at least once in the original.  I feel like it ended up with Buddy getting Dan’s apartment by chance. But, why would the guy not want Abbey as a tenant?  I mean, she is gainfully employed earning a steady income in at least the 6 figures.  But from what Gurgs said, landlords in NY dont like layers and judges.  I want more explanation. 

I agree more court would be nice. But the more I think about it, were we really in court that much more in the original?  It seems to me there were usually only one or two cases shown an episode, with the occasional “Day n the life” episodes.  I do think we spent more time on individual cases though.  Or maybe those are just the episodes that stick in my mind.  I also think these early episodes are spending more time to establish the characters more.  I assume they are done filming this season, so hopefully they will listen to us and make adjustments next year.  Which is what all the best sitcoms have done.

[ams1001]

13 minutes ago, ajsnaves said:

But from what Gurgs said, landlords in NY dont like layers and judges.  I want more explanation. 

Pretty sure they're saying that landlords will screw over their tenants, so they don't like renting to people who know the law and the legal system.

[Irlandesa]

9 hours ago, Ms Lark said:

This ep was better than the past ones, but I'm still not sold. I was surprised they gave it a second season, but WTF.

Its ratings for the first 3 weeks were pretty high.  That's why it got a 2nd season. Nothing surprising about that decision. 

[chessiegal]

The trailers NBC has been running for the show say something to the effect of it being NBC's biggest new hit.

[ShelleySue]

1 hour ago, ams1001 said:

1 hour ago, ajsnaves said:

But from what Gurgs said, landlords in NY dont like layers and judges.  I want more explanation. 

Pretty sure they're saying that landlords will screw over their tenants, so they don't like renting to people who know the law and the legal system.

Yup. I'm an attorney. When I was in law school and looking for a (non-law) job just to pay the bills I was advised to not tell any prospective employers that I was a law student. Employers would be scared that I was looking for a way to sue them for a minor violation of any law just to make a quick buck. They would also worry that I would start telling my fellow employees what their rights were and cause trouble. To be honest, the part about telling fellow employees about their rights was probably true.

 

1 hour ago, ajsnaves said:

I agree more court would be nice. But the more I think about it, were we really in court that much more in the original?  It seems to me there were usually only one or two cases shown an episode, with the occasional “Day n the life” episodes.  I do think we spent more time on individual cases though.  Or maybe those are just the episodes that stick in my mind.  I also think these early episodes are spending more time to establish the characters more.  I assume they are done filming this season, so hopefully they will listen to us and make adjustments next year.  Which is what all the best sitcoms have done.

It was a long time ago, so my memory might be foggy. I do seem to remember more courtroom scenes and amusing defendants. There were returning defendants and regulars who sat in the courtroom too, weren't there?

[Claire85]

Yes, Dan had a lackey named Phil, then his brother Will. Carla B was a prostitute who turned up every so often in the first few seasons, and had a crush on Harry. I’m sure there’s more I can’t remember. I think it will take some time to establish the main characters before we see the court’s “frequent flyers.” 

[Ms Lark]

1 hour ago, Irlandesa said:

Its ratings for the first 3 weeks were pretty high.  That's why it got a 2nd season. Nothing surprising about that decision. 

Hmm. I'd give it more than 3 episodes before I renewed! People turned in the first week to check it out and compare to NC:Original. Second and third? Give it a chance? As soon as other new shows start airing, people will be gone. Early renewals are chancy (and foolish) at best. See how it rides out for at least 1/2 a season or so before prematurely renewing!

ETA: https://tvline.com/2023/02/08/tv-ratings-biden-second-state-of-the-union-address/
Speaking of ratings: NBC | Leading into the SOTU, Night Court (4.3 million viewers/0.5 demo rating) dipped for a fourth straight episode since its well-watched debut, while American Auto (2.3 mil/0.3) held steady.

Edited February 8, 2023 by Ms Lark

[Bort]

23 minutes ago, Ms Lark said:

Hmm. I'd give it more than 3 episodes before I renewed! People turned in the first week to check it out and compare to NC:Original. Second and third? Give it a chance? As soon as other new shows start airing, people will be gone. Early renewals are chancy (and foolish) at best. See how it rides out for at least 1/2 a season or so before prematurely renewing!

It’s probably because it’s cheap to produce. Larroquette and Rauch are probably the biggest expenses. The other actors are unknowns probably working for whatever the actor equivalent of minimum wage is, plus they don’t have a lot of different sets.

[Irlandesa]

7 hours ago, Ms Lark said:

ETA: https://tvline.com/2023/02/08/tv-ratings-biden-second-state-of-the-union-address/
Speaking of ratings: NBC | Leading into the SOTU, Night Court (4.3 million viewers/0.5 demo rating) dipped for a fourth straight episode since its well-watched debut, while American Auto (2.3 mil/0.3) held steady.

It dipped in total viewers but it held steady with last week in the demo and it's about equal to what other shows considered solid comedy hits get.  Plus, NBC has knowledge of how many watch via other outlets that aren't always made public. I wouldn't have been surprised had they renewed after the first episode.

But another factor is a potential writers strike.  Early renewals can mean an early start for the writers room. 

 

[Yeah No]

On 2/8/2023 at 4:13 PM, kariyaki said:

It’s probably because it’s cheap to produce. Larroquette and Rauch are probably the biggest expenses. The other actors are unknowns probably working for whatever the actor equivalent of minimum wage is, plus they don’t have a lot of different sets.

These days budgets seem to be driving renewals and cancellations even more than ratings.  There's probably some kind of spreadsheet formula they use, no doubt to find the "sweet spot" between low budget and ratings that are "forgivable".  The lower the budget the more moderate-mediocre ratings are forgivable.  That's probably also why a lot of new shows are crap.  Who cares if it's crap if it's cheap to produce and has "forgivable" mediocre ratings"?

[RobertDeSneero]

With Abby's repressed rage and the reveal that she is a recovering alcoholic, it feel like the character is meant to be one whose sunny exterior is meant to hide an inner darkness.  A natural character arc would be to test her resolve by having her fall off the wagon after a difficult event (a break-up?).

[hiisa]

I don't think the original spent more time in the court room but more time in the judges chambers. It seemed like we spent a ton of time in Harry's office with all of his magicians tricks, Marilyn picture and weird stuff. 

[ch1]

The original may not have always spent time in the courtroom but in the early seasons the defendants played a bigger part.  Examples of that is the first episode where the whole plot line was learning about Harry by how he tried his first case.  Or the prostitute Carla who made a few appearances that drove story involving Harry.  Yakof who was another defendant who made multiple appearances, the Wheelers - there are other examples where the plot was driven by what was happening in the courtroom but in this version that is not happening at all.

[AncientNewbie]

The Apartment may have been the weakest of the episodes for me. The ADA just isn't doing it for me and the weird little clerk lacks any character. That said, it still feels like Night Court even when it's off, with Dan having some good stuff and the gag of Abby tossing her desk reminding me of the old show. 

Not to mention the other legal show I watch really was hugely unbelievable this week, so it really makes some of the silly more acceptable. 

[Gharlane]

On 2/7/2023 at 1:08 AM, kariyaki said:

"The Apartment". Gurgs helps Abby find a new apartment while Olivia tries to hide from a lawyer that almost hired away from night court.

I wasn't impressed by this episode. It seems pretty obvious that Abby's fiance is going to dump her in the near future and the Olivia story annoyed me. It also occurred to me that if Abby and Gurgs didn't want the potential landlord to know she's a judge, why did they have him come to where she works?

 

On 2/8/2023 at 3:41 AM, Yeah No said:

And that apartment looked like no NYC apartment I've ever seen, and I'm a native NY-er from way back! 

I thought they were in a suburb of NYC. If memory serves, the landscape outside the window looked suburban or rural.

 

On 2/8/2023 at 1:39 PM, ams1001 said:

Pretty sure they're saying that landlords will screw over their tenants, so they don't like renting to people who know the law and the legal system.

But wouldn't potential landlords be leering of being sued if they refused a potential renter based on profession? 

[chitowngirl]

4 minutes ago, Gharlane said:

But wouldn't potential landlords be leering of being sued if they refused a potential renter based on profession? 

I don’t think Profession is a protected class like race, gender, etc. are….

[merylinkid]

5 hours ago, Gharlane said:

if Abby and Gurgs didn't want the potential landlord to know she's a judge, why did they have him come to where she works?

They didn't.   He was there for permitting or something and walked right by her chambers.   Which yeah great security, chambers on a public hallway.   All the courthouses I have been in chambers are behind the courtrooms behind locked doors so judges don't have to go through the public hallways and the public can't just wander in to chambers.

 

True story -- the family law magistrates in my main courthouse used to be in a big open suite.   The main door could be locked but once you were in the suite, everything was open.   They renovated the courthouse and put the magistrates behind a locked door that you had to be buzzed in.   The JOKES that ensued that it was because of me were numerous (they were jokes, I was always respectful of the magistrates and treated staff well, I need made demands or was difficult).   

[Gharlane]

17 hours ago, chitowngirl said:

I don’t think Profession is a protected class like race, gender, etc. are….

Good point! 

12 hours ago, merylinkid said:

They didn't.   He was there for permitting or something and walked right by her chambers.   Which yeah great security, chambers on a public hallway.   All the courthouses I have been in chambers are behind the courtrooms behind locked doors so judges don't have to go through the public hallways and the public can't just wander into chambers.

I'd have to watch again, but I recall Gurgs lead him to her to sign the renting contract when he arrived. I remember thinking at the time "way to blow your cover story!" at the time.

Edited March 29, 2023 by Gharlane