Warning: The following contains SPOILERS for Night Court season 1, episode 4, “Dan Vs. Dating.” NBC’s Night Court revival addressed a major issue from the original series, with Dan Fielding confronting his past life as a wanton womanizer. One of the biggest questions regarding the new series was how they could possibly bring John Larroquette back as the promiscuous prosecutor from the original Night Court in the #MeToo era. The Night Court revival episode “Dan Vs. Dating” tackles this question head-on, showcasing how Dan Fielding is a changed man, with an ironic twist.
Dan Fielding was the breakout character of the original Night Court, earning John Larroquette four consecutive Emmy Awards before he asked that his name no longer be submitted for consideration. These awards were well-earned, as Larroquette faced a unique challenge in portraying Dan as a lovable jerk, with a heart of gold hidden underneath his sleazy exterior. While Dan was suggested as being willing to do anything for sex, he was above reproach in all his dealings in the courtroom and risked his life repeatedly to help total strangers. Despite this, Dan was still best remembered for his tomcatting, necessitating that the character be redeemed in the Night Court revival.
Dan Fielding Is A Widower In Mourning
The new Night Court series established that Dan Fielding was a widower, with Dan making reference to a wife named Sarah in the pilot episode. Episode 3, “Just Tuesday,” expanded on this, with Dan confirming that Sarah was dead, as he discussed Sarah’s substance abuse issues with Night Court‘s Abby Stone, who was also revealed to be a recovering alcoholic. This confirmed that Dan Fielding had finally settled into a loving relationship after years of philandering, but said nothing of his current dating status.
The Night Court revival episode “Dan vs. Dating” centered around this question, with Dan reluctantly trying to get back into dating after closing himself off to the possibility of finding love again after Sarah’s death. The episode establishes that Dan is viewed as a “silver fox” by many of the women who work at the courthouse and finds Dan having to fend off the advances of one overly amorous defendant. Dan is quick to note the irony, stating that “there was a time I would have killed for this kind of attention, and almost did,” but he is also established as looking for true companionship rather than casual sex.
The New Night Court Gives Dan A Happy (& Ironic) Ending
The Night Court revival redeems Dan Fielding by showing how he grew as a person and found true love after a life devoted to hedonism and debauchery. Beyond the irony of the elder Dan now being the target of the same unwanted affection he used to shower upon women, this also offers some dramatic irony given Dan’s motivations in the original series. Dan once lamented, in the Night Court two-parter “Dan’s Operation,” that not one of his lovers had ever said “I love you.” to him. It is touching then, that Dan finally found the love he sought with Sarah, and that they enjoyed several decades together.
New episodes of Night Court air Tuesdays on NBC
