Uncoupled is a romantic comedy series released on Netflix on 29 July 2022. The series is from Emmy Award-winning co-creators Darren Star and Jeffrey Richman. Produced by MTV Entertainment Studios, Darren Star Productions, Jeffrey Richman Productions, and Jax Media. The series has 8 episodes with a runtime of about 30 minutes each.
The cast includes Neil Patrick Harris as Michael Lawson, Tisha Campbell as Suzanne Prentiss, Brooks Ashmanskas as Stanley James, Emerson Brooks as Billy Burns, Marcia Gay Harden as Claire Lewis and Tuc Watkins as Colin McKenna, Michael’s ex-boyfriend.
Netflix’s synopsis of the series reads:
Stunned when his longtime boyfriend moves out, a New York City real estate broker faces the prospect of starting over — and dating again — in his 40s.
-Uncoupled Review Does Not Contain Any Spoilers-
Plot: Sudden Breakup After Long-Term Relationship
Michael Lawson seems to have it all figured out. He’s a successful New York City real estate agent with a great career, a supportive family, close friends, and a loving relationship with his partner of 17 years, Colin. But when Colin unexpectedly moves out on the eve of his 50th birthday, Michael is completely blindsided.
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What was supposed to be a surprise birthday party for Colin turns out to be a big surprise for Michael instead. Overnight, he has to confront two nightmares – losing the man he thought was his soulmate, and suddenly finding himself a single gay man in his mid-forties in New York City, when he has been in a committed relationship for almost 2 decades.
How To Get Over A Breakup?
Michael Lawson as a character is the kind of person that you would like to hang around with, as long as they are in a pretty good mood, otherwise, you would maintain your distance. At first, you feel bad for the guy especially when he has been planning this surprise party for his partner and gets dumped at the same place.
But the relationship isn’t officially over until you see him blabber on in the couple counsellor’s office, trying to win brownie points by showing that he is a flexible person, open for a conversation. That’s when I sympathise with Colin and think how frustrating it might have been to be with someone so full of themselves.
But still, Colin did the worst thing by packing away his bags without any closure, leaving Michael hanging to figure out what went wrong. And breakups are never easy whether it’s from your partner or friend/object etc. It takes time for wounds to heal and like everyone else, Michael goes through the stages of grief – denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance, to heal his heart.
At first, he is in denial and looking for any reason to put a pin on. More importantly, if that reason paints the other person in a bad light, like cheating. Then sets in the anger, that even he can do whatever he wants now and gets on dating apps like Grindr or look for potential matches everywhere.
But dating in the current scenario is an addictive disaster for anyone. Michael also discovers how much dating has changed in the years since he was last single, after a series of weird hookups and even attends a meditative guru’s seminar with Suzanne to change his outlook on life.
Which does get changed, it’s the happy period after getting a good haircut or changing something about yourself and believing you are a completely new person. Things start to go his way and he even meets the perfect soulmate but that’s when the sneaky depression takes over you and you would rather gloat in your sorrows than try to change your life.
Lastly, after going through a rollercoaster of emotions and regretful actions, you start to accept your life for what it is. Likewise, Michael also reaches this point until another twist might just throw him off his stage cycle. In other words, it’s definitely a gay version of Sex and the City, considering they have the same creator Darren Star.
Final Thoughts: Stream It or Skip It?
Uncoupled on Netflix is a mediocre show which takes you on a tour of New York city’s luxurious apartments, parties, lunches and dates, filled with some dry humour and sex jokes. Oh! and a gay wedding as well, because a series isn’t complete without one. It is an entertaining watch but not meant to be binge-watched all at once. That way the lead character won’t feel so insufferable to you.
I expected the series and especially Neil Patrick Harris’s character to be a naive, nice guy, a bit silly but humourous nonetheless. What we get is a whiny man who just can’t let the past go and criticises others’ personal choices regarding intimacy. He says he is meant for long-term relationships and casual things are not his cup of tea.
But gets on the hook-up wagon not to explore or move on, but to feed his ego and satisfy the insecurity of not being desirable anymore. The secondary characters’ stories aren’t shown that much but would have been a better layering than seeing them just picking Michael up from his despair. He should rather take a close look at Claire & realise that she is his mirror character.
Uncoupled is streaming on Netflix.
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