Review of the TV series "Uncoupled" - Neil Patrick Harris's Heartbreak
Darren Star is nostalgic for Sex and the City.
Michael (Neil Patrick Harris) and Colin (Tuck Watkins) have been together for 17 years. The former's dreams of growing old with his partner in Manhattan are dashed by Colin's desire to end the long-term relationship. The drama is heightened by the fact that Michael learns of the breakup before a surprise party he threw for his boyfriend to celebrate his 50th birthday. The broken and dumbfounded hero tries to understand the reason for the breakup, and afterwards does his best to build a new life - in the company of best friends, alcohol and fleeting dates.
All you need to know about the show before watching it is that it was co-created by Darren Star, who gave the world "Sex and the City." "Without a Couple" does resemble the adventures of Carrie Bradshaw and girlfriends, but rather than the original project, it is the recent sequel to "And Just So." The middle-aged men are just like the characters we know, immersed in convulsions of identity crisis and trying to solve the great mystery of "is there life after forty?" It won't be hard to relate the characters: selfish and broken after the loss of a loved one, Michael is a male version of Carrie. Grindr expert and master flirt Billy (Emerson Brooks) is Samantha, who hasn't left for any London. And the constant romantic Stanley (Brooks Eschmenskas) would certainly find common ground with Charlotte. Only Miranda seems to be missing, but in fact you can discern her in the protagonist's surroundings, too: the lawyer was clearly a source of inspiration for Susanna (Tisha Campbell), an ambitious career woman and Michael's colleague. Whether it's her inability to construct new archetypes or her lingering longing for her main brainchild is an unanswered question, but the fact that Star professes to love New York better than most and illustrates Sunday dinners with friends is an unquestionable fact.
The main artery of Sex and the City, friendship plays an essential role here, but is relegated to the back burner. Much more important is the transitional moment from the "happily ever after" to the "I'm fine on my own" attitude, between which there is a series of attempts to fill the void with unsent angry text messages, one-night stands, long-forgotten dances in a stuffy club, and minute-by-minute self-pity. People of all genders, orientations, and perhaps even ages can identify with Michael. After all, a relationship can expire at 15, 25, or 40 - there is no good time for heartbreak.
Despite all the pluses--Neil Patrick Harris, New York, and reflections on loneliness--"No Couple" seems a lifeless and surprisingly flat statement about a bygone youth. A year ago, Darren Starr succeeded in showcasing the vibrant lives of not-young women in a revival of an iconic show that no one, perhaps, truly believed in. But, contrary to similar components, it failed to repeat the miracle, and the formulaic plotline for the second season can hardly make viewers look forward to a sequel.
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