Neil Patrick Harris is an icon. From his titular role in Doogie Howser, M.D. to the legendary Barney Stinson in How I Met Your Mother, Harris has delivered great performance after great performance throughout his 30+ year career. Whether it's on television, on film, or on stage, the actor has shown that he can be a joy to watch in every medium. But his character in Netflix's Uncoupled is the closest we have seen to Harris' own real-life personality. Yes, that's including the Harold and Kumar movies where he plays himself.
The series, created and written by Darren Star (Sex and the City) and Jeffrey Richman (Modern Family), is an emotional and humorous exploration of heartbreak. NPH stars as Michael Lawson, a New York City real estate agent whose partner of over a decade (played by Tuc Watkins) abruptly leaves him without an explanation. What follows is a series of romantic misadventures as Michael tries to get back into the dating game as a newly-single gay man in his forties. And the series presents this story in a way that feels really universal. After all, who hasn't had a bad breakup that left us vomiting in a jacuzzi?
I do have one big issue with the show, so let's get that out of the way first. Neil Patrick Harris does not sing or dance in this series, which feels like such a huge missed opportunity. Does that in any way take away from the story? No, but after How I Met Your Mother's Emmy-nominated "Nothing Suits Me Like a Suit" and A Series of Unfortunate Events' increasingly ridiculous song-and-dance sequences featuring Harris' Count Olaf, it's just something I really look for in any series that stars the Tony Award-winning actor.
Moving on, Uncoupled's cinematography and music are both spot-on. The score by composer Gabriel Mann is certainly going to be part of my regular listening music once the soundtrack is released. And it is a Darren Star show, so you can't help but notice the glam, the glitz, and the great fashion choices.
The actual plot is also rather well-woven, showing Michael's journey through the five stages of grief following his breakup. First comes denial, as he keeps grabbing on to any chance that what has happened to him isn't for real. Then the anger, as he lashes out at his friends. The bargaining part sort of comes and goes throughout, and it's towards the end of the first season that depression really sets in. Finally, after a rollercoaster of pain and humiliation, comes acceptance. Along the way, there are young men who don't use condoms, a gallery exhibition of hardcore gay erotic art, a demanding, snobby, and recently-divorced client, a guru who changes lives by snapping his fingers, and a doctor who finds an innovative (if weird) use for anal paralytics.
It's pretty obvious when you watch the show that Uncoupled hits close to home for Harris and that's evident in the way he plays Michael. With many of his characters, there's a certain showmanship that comes into Harris' performance. But as fun as that can be to watch, this is one role where he's clearly drawing from a more raw, personal place, and it works.
One thing that's very clear right from the start is that this isn't your garden-variety gay rom-com. It's not Love, Simon, or Heartstopper (though there is a ski-resort episode that gives off some Fire Island vibes). The show that Uncoupled shares the most similarity to has to be Netflix's other character-driven comedy-drama about heartbreak after a long-term relationship. That's right, I'm talking about Grace and Frankie. The circumstances of both shows are vastly different, of course, and Uncoupled isn't just the gay version of Grace and Frankie, but there is a shared theme of betrayal, self-examination, and finding new love after the love of your life is gone. And that brings me to my other sort-of issue with the show. Uncoupled needs a strong opposite number for Michael, a Frankie to his Grace.
While the show's supporting characters, especially Tisha Campbell's Suzanne, Emerson Brooks' Stinson-esque Billy Burns, and Brooks Ashmanskas' Stanley James, are quite lovable and endearing, Uncoupled has a tendency to become a showcase for Harris. I'm actually quite okay with that, but it is the difference between a good show you'll watch once and a good show you'll keep rewatching for years to come. The closest thing to such a character that the series presents is Suzanne, who is Michael's partner at work and basically his best friend. She has her own story, revolving around her son and her non-existent love life. However, as delightful as Campbell is in the role, Uncoupled's first season doesn't quite give Suzanne enough room to really come into her own as a character. And in the absence of such a character, the majority of the show's comedy revolves around Michael's terrible dating life.
To be fair, there are quite a lot of laughs to be had there, as Michael struggles to balance obsessing over his ex with moving on with someone else, only to end up flat on his face (at one point, literally). He actually falls off a mountain in his quest for new love, a stunt that Harris reportedly did himself. Even when Michael seems to have found the perfect person, some things just don't fit (you'll get that one after you watch the show) and it's not long before he finds himself tired of trying. The combination of the show's physical comedy and witty dialogue with painfully relatable emotional drama makes Uncoupled a perfect weekend binge. But like I said, I'm not sure you'd want to come back to it after that first viewing. With any luck, an Uncoupled Season 2 (which the finale totally sets up) could help the show really hit its stride.
Rating: B+
All eight episodes of Uncoupled will be released on Netflix on Friday, July 29.