Night Court Series Premiere Review: Of Sunny Stones and Springy Snakes
Diana Keng
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The past is a tricky thing to unlock effectively, and Night Court Season 1 Episode 1 swings that door wide open, transporting us back to the familiar setting of the Manhattan Municipal Courthouse with gleeful abandon.
Sure, the judge is new to the job, and the clerk, bailiff, and prosecutor are new to us, but the authenticity of recreating the set home to Judge Harry Stone and his compatriots for nine laugh-tracked seasons is impressive and appreciated by those of us who grew up watching that courtroom.
And while the premiere only gives us a taste of the personalities at play, with John Larroquette anchoring the team with Dan Fielding's infamously misanthropic charm and wit, there is a lot to look forward to.
Above all else, it's incredibly reassuring that the revival stays true to the true sitcom roots of the series. It's a specific genre that doesn't get the credit it deserves for providing accessible and enjoyable entertainment.
And that's not to say it doesn't deal with real-life issues. After all, the night court sees the most mundane cases. Neil's pile of public urination files is a testament to that.
But it's in the mundanity that the brilliance happens.
Whether it's watching Abby con the con artist or Olivia seeing herself in Dan's record as a prosecutor, Night Court's always been about seeing through to the heart of people.
Esmeralda The Magnificent: You took this job to minimize expectations, and you’re in a hurry to leave, but have no place to go.
Neil: Okay, she might be magic.
Of course, the specter of Harry Stone hovers over every scene in the courthouse. And not just him.
During the original series run, two of the not-Richard Moll bailiffs, Selma and Florence, passed away in real life, aged 65 and 63, respectively. Harry Anderson died suddenly in 2018, and Markie Post, who played long-time public defender Christine Sullivan, succumbed to cancer in 2021.
John Larroquette's return not only secures the new series to its predecessor, it promises insights into the intervening thirty years and how those decades have changed Dan. Also, it's pretty awesome to see how he's stayed the same.
Melissa Rauch establishes Abby Stone as a determinedly upbeat yet competent judge, a legitimate heir to her father's judicial legacy.
Abby's a good stand-in for the audience as she meets and develops relationships with the other courtroom personalities.
We have some quirky characters filling out the space. Almost too quirky if I'm going to be nit-picky.
It's also hard not to draw comparisons to those who came before.
Lacretta as Gurgs could be seen as a combination of Bull's good-naturedness and Roz's no-nonsense approach to the job.
The uniqueness she brings to the role is the bubbliness that overflows into harmless moments of panic. Her energy is a good foil to Abby's calm positivity.
Meanwhile, India de Beaufort's Olivia strives to stand out as the ambitious, self-assured, and driven prosecutor.
Olivia: If you think Truck Stop Santa is going to be our new public defender, you’re delusional.
Abby: I think he’d be perfect.
Olivia: Self-centered narcissists aren’t public defenders. We’re prosecutors.
Following in Dan Fielding's footsteps is -- literally -- a tall order, and at times Olivia's behavior choices border on melodramatic stock, but there's a lot to learn about her still. I look forward to digging deep into the insecurities that prop up her front.
The most challenging character to draw a clear bead on so far is the court clerk, Neil.
He's as good at his job as Mac and Lana ever were, but we are led to assume that he has the potential to be more. There has just never been a reason to try to be better.
Clearly, Abby's influence will catalyze a lot of change for all the characters, but I suspect Neil may be the blank slate that we'll see blossom into something exciting.
My job isn’t exactly fulfilling, so I gotta find ways to keep my brain from eating itself.
Neil
All things said and done, I have my Abby Stone hat on and choose to believe that this is a cast that'll grow more cohesive as the season progresses.
Furthermore, like Abby, I believe there's more under the surface for all of them and anticipate some backstories.
I already have several questions lined up, hoping they'll be answered.
How did Dan meet his wife? Who was she? How did she die? How long ago did she pass?
Who is Abby's mom? Is she still around? Does Abby have siblings? Do they do magic? What music do they like?
Will Abby's fiancé move to New York soon? How does he feel about Abby's choice to take on the night court assignment?
Where did Paul go after he quit? Will he return to fight Dan for the job?
Gambling on nostalgia can be risky for shows, especially when the show ran a long time in an era when audiences developed true devotion to characters and relationships.
Overall, this revival captures the whimsy of the original, allowing for the passage of time and changes that occur with that.
Dan asserts that his presence as the public defender is only temporary, but Abby's optimistic that she'll change his mind.
It may be a case of an irresistible force and an immovable object, but Dan Fielding's proven he's capable of shifting in the past, so I think we know who will win that battle.
Keep in mind you can watch Night Court online and take a closer look at this transition back into the flow of Manhattan Criminal Court, Part Two.
What's your takeaway on this, Fanatics?
Will you rise again for this new Judge Stone?
Can they recapture the magic of the original series? Maybe forge something new at the same time?
Hit our comments with your initial thoughts and feedback!
Diana Keng was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. She is a lifelong fan of smart sci-fi and fantasy media, an upstanding citizen of the United Federation of Planets, and a supporter of AFC Richmond 'til she dies. Her guilty pleasures include female-led procedurals, old-school sitcoms, and Bluey. She teaches, knits, and dreams big. Follow her on X.
