Warning: SPOILERS for Uncoupled.
Uncoupled season 1 ends on a cliffhanger that leaves viewers itching for a season 2. Created by Darren Star (Sex and the City) and Jeffrey Richman (Modern Family), the romantic comedy series has received positive reviews from critics and audiences alike. While Netflix has yet to renew Uncoupled for season 2, the ending of season 1 certainly shows a need for the series to return for more episodes.
Uncoupled stars Neil Patrick Harris as Michael Lawson, a gay real estate agent in New York who gets abruptly dumped by his partner of 17 years. The series follows Michael’s journey to come to terms with being newly single in his forties while navigating a broken heart, a touch-and-go real estate deal with an eccentric divorcee (Marcia Gay Harden), and the life problems of his eclectic and well-cast friend group. In Uncoupled season 1, Michael experiences his first casual hook-up, his first blind date, and his first real connection with someone other than his now-ex, Colin (Tuc Watkins).
Harris’s portrayal of Michael is the show’s driving force. Uncoupled asks how someone can mend a broken heart after so much time, energy, and life has been spent on a relationship that implodes, and the actor’s care for the sincerity and genuineness of his character makes that question linger for viewers. Between that and Uncoupled‘s cliffhanger ending, which throws a wrench into the work that Michael has done to grow throughout the first season, Netflix subscribers are surely in anticipation for there to be a season 2.
What Happens In Uncoupled’s Ending?
While Colin was mostly absent from Uncoupled, he returns in the finale to attend the wedding of his and Michael’s mutual friends, the Jonathans. Throughout the season 1 finale, Tuc Watkins (Hank in Netflix’s The Boys in the Band) portrays Colin as initially harboring some doubt about the breakup. But after he and Michael have a couple of positive, restorative interactions, Michael seems finally out of the woods with his own heartbreak. He is by no means better but finally reaches a place where he can imagine a life in which he and Colin might become friends someday.
That’s all called into question when Michael returns to his apartment and finds Colin, who says he thinks he’s made a terrible mistake. Uncoupled doesn’t make it clear that Colin is talking about leaving Michael — he could be talking about allowing Michael to buy out Colin’s half of the apartment instead — but the implication is that Michael has done all of this healing only for Colin to realize his choice to leave was rash and perhaps wrong. The first season of Uncoupled ends without viewers seeing Michael’s response to Colin.
Will Michael Take Colin Back?
Among the top TV shows on Netflix, Uncoupled earns that spot with its cliffhanger ending that leaves viewers wanting more. But having the couple get back together would be a mistake. Michael spends so much effort and time in Uncoupled trying to get over Colin’s sudden departure, and the season finale shows his remarkable growth in that area. If Uncoupled season 2 has Michael take Colin back, it runs the risk of devaluing the journey of season 1. Though Michael loves Colin, and the two have such a long shared history, it would be unfortunate to not address the real issues that came up between them after Colin left.
So, Who Is Kai’s Father?
Michael’s best friend and coworker Suzanne (Tisha Cambell, from the ’90s sitcom Martin) finds out in Uncoupled episode 7 that her son, Kai, has found his father. Suzanne doesn’t know who he is, given Kai was born after an adventurous summer spent traveling around Europe. Campbell brilliantly shows the conflicting emotions of Suzanne wanting to be there for her son and worrying that he has kept finding his father from her a secret. While Kai ultimately decides to not meet his father, Suzanne’s final moments in the Uncoupled finale show her reacting to seeing her son’s father and being shocked. While he hasn’t been introduced yet, he’s likely to play some role should Uncoupled be renewed for a second season.
Will Billy Try With Wyatt Again?
Michael’s weatherman friend, Billy (Emerson Brooks), likes his men a tad young. The character is sex-positive, promiscuous, and generally happy to play the field, occupying a role reminiscent of Samantha in Darren Star’s Sex and the City. Uncoupled‘s season 1 finale suggests he may be coming around to the idea of monogamy — or at least of being a bit wiser about how he goes about playing the field. In Wyatt, Billy found a charming, nice, and interesting guy and he seems to regret throwing it away by getting a cute waiter’s number. His desire to make a change is shown when he deletes the waiter’s number, though. Whether he’ll try to get another chance with Wyatt remains to be seen.
How Serious Is Stanley’s Breast Cancer?
Uncoupled follows other recent entertainments by introducing a cancer scare (from Stranger Things to Thor: Love and Thunder, storylines about cancer are a recurring trope in 2022). The show recognizes cancer is no laughing matter, however, and treats the disease accordingly. Wyatt tells Stanley (Brooks Ashmanskas) that the survival rate of breast cancer in men is nearly 90 percent, and given that it’s been caught so early, his chances of survival are even better. While his cancer is a serious problem and needs to be treated, Stanley is likely to make it through all right. And his friends will likely be there to support him every step of the way.
The Real Meaning Of Uncoupled’s Ending
The first season of the Neil Patrick Harris-led series ends with all of its main characters thrown for a loop, setting up the necessity for Uncoupled season 2. Michael thought he was done with Colin, but Colin might not actually be done with Michael. Suzanne is shocked to see who the father of her son is, Stanley is dealing with a life-threatening illness, and Billy is coming to terms with the consequences of his choices. The ending of Uncoupled season 1 is all about life not being what one thinks it is. Like the rest of the series, it’s about changes, both welcome and unwelcome. With so many places to go and still so much to explore, viewers hopefully won’t have to wait long for Uncoupled season 2.
