Stanley and Billy push him to get back on Grindr and meet new people. They feel this is the best way for him to get along with his life. He doesn’t want his next “sexual encounter” with an anonymous person and let it be. Anyway, a late-night “pick me up” message from Claire will keep him busy the next night. Michael wonders if the lonely life will get him but Stanley comforts him. People have started noticing Michael’s condition. Diane from the building tries to console him but Michael readily understands her “concern”. Michael thinks about the Grindr app and in the morning confirms his plans to Stanley to look out for a prospective partner. But he is not initiated with the new norms of dating. These modern sensibilities baffle him but the game is the game. Suzanne and Michael discuss the opening for Claire’s house’s listing. Although the commission would be huge on a sale, they will have to spend to attract buyers to the house. The former gets a call and informs Michael that Paolo Forella, an Italian furniture importer, is interested in staying in New York. He picked out their agency to set up viewings for him. Suzanne is excited to meet the handsome divorcee, while Michael still can’t understand why he picked them. Michael is just about to get his lonely, miserable night in the apartment when he gets an emergency text from Claire. She is in disarray, having disheveled her living room with a hammer. The reason is her husband visiting their daughter at her college with his younger girlfriend. Michael stays on to keep company. He suggests that Claire go out more with her friends. His have become the support system that has seen him through the bad phase. Claire lets Michael know she appreciates his genuine efforts to connect with her and be emotionally present. The next morning, Suzanne and Michael await Paolo’s arrival. The former is decked up and the latter accidentally shows a picture of his private parts when sliding through houses for Paolo. Suzanne calls for a car to take them to a place Paolo selects from the gallery. Surprisingly, the two men are already in contact with each other on Grindr under different aliases. Suzanne blabbers on innocently sitting in the middle, trying to woo Paolo. The Italian hunk asks to be dropped at his hotel and Michael soon. follows. Although he is reluctant to engage sexually with Paolo, Michael is convinced when he takes his shirt off. Michael is proud of his worst venture out into the world of being single and a free bird. He lets his friends know. Billy is out of town but can not meet up. Stanley is just finishing up with a viewing and calls him to the gallery. The clients are acquaintances of Michael. They mention in conversation about Colin’s dinner party the last week to which Stanley also went. Michael is extremely upset with him for “betraying” him, despite Stanley’s attempts to explain to him that he went only to find out what happened. “His side of the story”, as movies have taught us. Michael is not ready to listen to him and leaves angrily.
The Episode Review
This was probably the most recognizable episode from the creators’ previous works. From all angles, it seemed like old wine in a new bottle. The Claire-Michael dynamic is picking up and will surely be an important emotional thread in this season. Uncoupled proudly parades around a certain boldness in the way it has represented a gay single man exploring the dating world after a long relationship. These types of incidents are not easy to locate in the television world. It has a sort of elusive quality to it that makes the experience of watching the show more enjoyable. The standard in the show’s universe is set high but comes with unrealistic terms. The casual dating/sex between Michael and the strangers is also a ruse to really allow him to confront the fact that he is longer a prisoner/spectator of his previous life. With all the encounters, he must realize he takes a step further to move on from the memory of Colin in his life. The reimagining will be tough but must be done if he wants to make sure his life does not stagnate. This episode is another building block and an uncharacteristic anomaly in the way Uncoupled will eventually behave.
