With Darren Star and Jeffry Richman's snappy writing, Uncoupled is a biting romantic comedy series that makes the love lives of a core group of gay friends in Manhattan's Upper East Side seem like an endless itinerary of chic club outings, brunches, and dinner parties in sunny lofts, and given Star's involvement with Sex and the City and Richman's involvement with Frasier, a spiritual successor to their witty and fabulous templates.
It focuses mostly on Michael (Neil Patrick Harris), whose recent breakup from his partner Colin (Tuc Watkins) of 17 years has sent him leaning heavily on his best friends Billy (Emerson Brooks), Stanley (Brooks Ashmanskas), and real estate Suzanne (Tisha Campbell). Uncoupled is as its zenith when the zingers are flying over cocktails or posh divorcee Claire Lewis (Marcia Gay Harden) is commanding a room, but its best quotes also reveal poignant truths about each of its memorable characters.
"One's Ears Are Not Garbage Cans."
Claire Lewis To Michael, Season 1, Episode 1
Claire Lewis, Michael's most prestigious — and opinionated— client is used to getting her way, but when her life falls apart after a messy divorce, she finds that adapting to change becomes not just necessary, but vital for her future happiness. Watching her vacillate between being a domineering socialite and a flexible friend is a key component in their relationship, and while the cast of Uncoupled is versatile, having an Academy Award-winning actress like Marcia Gay Harden in this sort of imperious role really adds gravitas.
The stress of Michael's own world falling apart around him contributes to an outburst in the lobby of her building, inspiring this classic quote from Claire. Navigating singledom together, they both learn that after they've hit rock bottom, the only place to go is up, and that even at their messiest the people closest to them will still love them.
"You've Got To Play Hard To Get If You Want To Get Him Hard Again."
Billy To Michael, Season 1, Episode 2
Trying to get over his longtime boyfriend Colin proves incredibly difficult for Michael, who considers himself a comfortable homebody and doesn't like the idea of dating again after such a long hiatus. His friend Billy, a suave local weatherman, is the devil on his shoulder giving him all sorts of bad advice on how to win Colin back.
Billy operates from an incredibly self-centered point of view, aspiring only to "look pretty and read the s***" on the green screen behind him and parley his status as a minor celebrity into hooking up with men half his age. If Michael took every piece of Billy's advice like the quote above, he would not only never get Colin back, he would have the same superficial love life that Billy has.
""People Only Use '50' And 'So Young' In The Same Sentence At A Funeral."
Colin To Michael, Season 1, Episode 1
Michael's steadfast boyfriend Colin embraces his 50th birthday with a mixture of trepidation and disgust, eager to make a change for himself in the face of the inevitability the milestone represents. Michael treats it as an opportunity to shower Colin with affection and throw a huge party, oblivious to how Colin feels about it.
If Michael had stopped to think about what Colin wanted rather than what he wanted, he might have noticed that Colin needed understanding on some level. Unfortunately, it was too late for their relationship, and Colin moved out in order to gain some perspective. This sets Michael on one of the best LGBTQ+ character arcs of 2022 as he grapples with the part he's played in everything he's known for the past two decades changing overnight.
"He Didn't Leave Me For Anyone. He Just Wanted To Leave Me. Which Somehow Feels Worse."
Michael To Billy And Stanley, Season 1, Episode 3
Michael spends the first week post-breakup confused and hurt, ultimately stalking Colin's socials for any clue that would explain throwing their relationship away after almost twenty years together. He thinks he's left him for a younger man, but soon it becomes clear that Colin didn't leave him for anyone else - he just left. This is a worse scenario to Michael because it doesn't give him any closure.
Though Uncoupled is a show with a strong LGBTQ+ lead, Michael's story isn't the entire focus; everyone is "uncoupled" in some way from the very first episode. The throughline of his arc allows for fans to glimpse the unhappiness in his friends and coworkers' lives, and how like him, they're all just searching for someone to help them feel like they're "enough."
"Why Are They On Grindr When They're Right Next To Us?"
Michael To Stanley, Season 1, Episode 3
After nearly two decades removed from the dating scene, Michael has a hard time reintegrating himself without feeling adrift. Though his single friends have all been using dating apps for some time, he's a novice when it comes to hooking up casually with virtual strangers. While out at a club with Billy and Stanley, he encounters the phenomenon of people cruising for a date online rather than striking up a conversation with the person right in front of them.
Like a lot of romantic comedies about online dating, Uncoupled has its fair share of tropes, some hilarious and some uncomfortable. After coming out of the comfort of his old relationship with Colin, Michael finds the single world alien and disconcerting. Still, he knows that if he can't adapt and learn to go with progress, he'll be considered a relic of a prior era.
"This Might Be The Push I Need To Get Off My Ass And Up Somebody Else's."
Michael To Stanley, Season 1, Episode 4
Fortunately for Michael, he has a wonderful system who encourages him to find love again. As he embraces online dating, he also finds that norms have changed, and he'll need to some send spicy photos to entice any takers. While at first wary of the idea, with Stanley cheering him on, he decides to take a few.
These pictures accidentally end up appearing in a photo reel he shows a potential client of future apartment listings, giving Michael instant embarrassment and shame. In the end, it turns out that the client is also gay, and the pictures entice him to take things further with Michael. In the end, Michael learns that he had to do something outside his comfort zone in order to get a positive result, and that embracing the unexpected with help him find new opportunities for love.
"Quick Turn Around! Which Is Something You'll Hear A Lot On Grindr."
Stanley To Michael, Season 1, Episode 4
If Billy is the devil on Michael's shoulder, Stanley is assuredly the angel. Shrewd and fastidious, Stanley is there to temper any of Billy's advice with something less capricious. In many ways, he's protective of Michael's heart because he's been hurt before too, and is a little more bitter than the rest of their friend group when it comes to love.
When Michael gets good traction after making a Grindr profile, Stanley lets loose one of these clever quips in praise of his success. Quotes like this with double meanings show just how pithy the script for Uncoupled is. Stanley's sarcasm, when combined with the commentary from the rest of the group, results in scenes fans may have to watch again to hear everything.
"400 Dollar SJP's Down The Drain!"
Suzanne to Michael, Season 1, Episode 2
Suzanne Prentiss is Michael's partner in real-estate and a single-mother, as hungry as he is to sell apartments and find a good guy in New York City. She has to max out her Amex card in order to have the wardrobe an agent who shows million dollar listings can afford, but the streets of Manhattan aren't kind to her ensembles.
Her defiant claim against a heating grate that snapped off the heel of her pump is a subtle nod to Sarah Jessica Parker, the former star of Sex and the City who also has a very successful luxury shoe line. Like Parker's character Carrie Bradshaw, Suzanne lives beyond her means and has a real thing for shoes.
"Or Maybe He's A Good Person Who Did A Very Bad Thing."
Stanley To Michael, Season 1, Episode 3
When Michael first learns that Stanley has been secretly friends with Colin during their breakup, he feels betrayed. His emotions get the better of him, and in a sudden paroxysm, he gives one of his best friends the cold shoulder. Stanley sees Michael's behavior for what it is, the immature lashing out of a wounded person, and convinces Michael that while it may feel good to see Colin as a monster, he's more than likely " a good person who did a very bad thing."
For all the humor in Uncoupled, not all of its quotes involve sardonic barbs. Every once in a while, a line will be honest and poignant, such as the one Stanley gives to Michael. Stanley, more than any other character in the series, understands nuance. There are always two sides to every story, and everything comes down to perspective; everyone is the hero of their own story and the villain in someone else's.
"I Can't Will Myself Into A Relationship Because I Miss Being In One."
Michael To Luke, Season 1, Episode 6
Michael's love life has its ups and downs through season 1, but he does come close to establishing some real connections with a few men. One of them is Luke, who while pretty perfect on paper, tries to force intimacy too fast. Michael has to realize that no matter how great Luke is, he's a rebound, and leading him on before he's ready wouldn't be fair.
One of the most mature decisions Michael makes is breaking things off with Luke for the right reasons, even if it's the wrong timing. Ideally, a relationship with Luke could happen a year down the line, but Michael isn't recovered enough emotionally to make space for him. Luke is angry in the moment, but in time will come to understand it was for the best.