Starting over in your 40s: Neil Patrick Harris confronts single gay life at a certain age in Uncoupled

(courtesy First Showing (c) Netflix)

SNAPSHOT
Michael Lawson (Neil Patrick Harris) seems to have it all figured out. He’s a successful New York City real estate agent with a great career, a supportive family, close friends, and a loving relationship with his partner of 17 years, Colin (Tuc Watkins). But when Colin unexpectedly moves out on the eve of his 50th birthday, Michael is completely blindsided. Overnight, he has to confront two nightmares: losing the man he thought was his soulmate, and suddenly finding himself a single gay man in his mid-forties in New York City. Uncoupled is a Netflix series created by Emmy Award-winning TV producers Darren Star and Jeffrey Richman. Produced by MTV Entertainment Studios, Darren Star Productions, Jeffrey Richman Productions, and Jax Media. It’s executive produced by Lilly Burns, Neil Patrick Harris, Tony Hernandez, Jeffrey Richman, and Darren Star. Featuring episodes directed by American filmmaker Andrew Fleming (director of Threesome, The Craft, Dick, The In-Laws, Nancy Drew, Hamlet 2, Barefoot, Younger, Emily in Paris). (synopsis courtesy First Showing)

Being single can be quite delightful.

You can do what you want, when you want, how you want, where you want; all that independence can be fine and dandy, but then so can being in a couple where is where Michael Lawson is at the start of Uncoupled, sure that he has everything he needs and wants in life, especially when it comes to his soulmate boyfriend of 17 years, Colin, who he’s sure will be around for the duration.

Until he’s not, and then, shocked at the turn of events in a life that looked so glowingly rock solid, Michael has to confront that most heinous of situations – being single after 40.

It isn’t pretty, there’s lots of baggage going around and as a gay man who dated in his 40s before he thankfully found his forever guy, I can attest that gay men can be cruel, dismissive and as shallow as a puddle in summer night.

They can also be wonderful but let’s be fair, that’s not as comedically rich so I’m expecting Uncoupled to make humourous hay while the single gay sun shines and be amusingly horrifying into the bargain.

Uncoupled premieres on 29 July on Netflix.

Related Post