Uncoupled (2022) review: Run-of-the-mill rom-com with a few nice moments

Uncoupled (2022) is a romantic comedy series about a man who has to re-renter the New York gay dating scene after his long-term relationship ends all of a sudden. The series is streaming on Netflix.

Story

Michael Lawson and Colin have been in a relationship for 17 long years but on Colin’s 50th birthday, he decides to leave Michael without much of an explanation.

Michael is forced to check out the New York dating scene and realizes that he’s so out of touch. Dating apps, intimate pictures, and random hookups are all things that Michael has a tough time learning about.

To help him along this journey are his closest friends, Stanley and Billy, as well as his realtor partner, Suzanne. Each of them gives him the appropriate advice so that he can move on in life.

But Michael has a tough time letting go and every time it looks like he’s showing some growth, something connected to Colin keeps popping up that sends him down a spiral.

Michael also has to balance his work as a realtor with his love-life, after snagging a high-profile and high-maintenance client in Claire, a recent divorcee who develops a friendship with Michael that helps them both heal.

Performances

The cast performs the roles given to them perfectly, even if those roles aren’t exactly well written. Many of the characters of Uncoupled are stereotypical roles that one usually finds in a rom-com.

Neil Patrick Harris plays the lead role of Michael and his performance is nothing out of the ordinary. He basically plays himself and while the normalcy makes the character relatable, it also makes it unspectacular.

Tisha Campbell plays Suzanne, one of the many characters hamstrung by the tropes that are fun to watch in moderation but cannot be considered good quality.

Brooks Ashmanskas and Emerson Brooks play Stanley and Billy respectively. Their roles are also confined to the boxes with little room for expression, although they play them with distinction.

There’s a spectrum of characters in this series and the actors cast in those roles do well but unfortunately do not bring anything new to stand out.

Positives

There are definitely one or two moments of self-improvement and real emotion that will resonate with the audience. These moments are few and far between, however.

Some of the sets are wonderfully made and the essence of New York is captured well throughout the series.

Negatives

The direction that Neil Patrick Harris’s character is heading is always unclear. Either he’s close to moving on, or he’s moping about the past. This uncertainty just makes the core story very tedious.

Many of the jokes and references in Uncoupled are lazy and predictable. The writers have not covered themselves in glory with this script.

The editing is spotty as well. There are many moments where an awkward cut is clearly noticeable or the camera shifts focus before a character is done with their line.

Verdict

Uncoupled is an average series that cannot be considered quality content. It is trope-heavy and the stereotypes are filled to the brim with very little originality in the story.

The only saving grace is the run time, meaning even if you give it a watch you’re not stuck with it for a particularly long time.

Rating: 2/5


Also Read: Uncoupled (2022) ending explained: Does Michael get over Colin?

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