Night Court – A Night Court Before Christmas

By: Sammi Turano

The season premiere opens with the gang opening gifts. Abby (Melissa Rauch) gets a plaque of Ruth Bader Ginsberg’s pearls, Olivia (India de Beaufort) gets criminal records from a law school mean girl, Flobert (Gary Anthony Williams) gets Dave and Buster gift cards and Dan (John Larroquette) gets…..nothing because his gift has not arrived….all from Gurgs (Lacretta).

Dan, who has been snarky the entire time, gives them all scratch off lottery tickets. Abby wonders why he isn’t happier, so Dan tells them his own rendition of The Night Before Christmas, night court style. As he leaves, Abby says he does like Christmas.

In court, Abby presides over cases, including a woman named Tess (Jackie Geary) who was disturbing the peace. Dan continues to banter with Abby, while Olivia defends Tess, who went after Santa due to being on a break instead of seeing her daughter. She gets fined, despite arguing that it is Christmas.

Gurgs talks to Tess’s daughter Virginia (Alice Halsey), saying she is waiting for the gift she got Dan…a video message from Kareem Abdul Jabbar. Meanwhile, Olivia is haunted by a woman who claims she is the Ghost of Christmas Past (Maria Bamford).

Abby tries to talk to Virginia, who calls her an elf. She says she gave her letter to Santa in the cafeteria, but when Abby gets there, she sees a ton of Santas. Gurgs says there are body doubles and whisks Virginia away so Abby can get find the real Santa.

The Ghost continues to bother Olivia, who has no interest in talking to her. She tries to leave, but she keeps following her.

Kareem shows up to see Gurgs and talk to Dan because he was so moved by her request. Gurgs worries since Dan hates people and would have preferred the video message.

Dan himself is getting his shoes shined by elves. Abby tries to convince him to help her find the real Santa, but he is unmoved….until she produces a ticket with double plums….and a potential big prize. It takes some convincing, but he is finally willing to help.

Abby and Dan talk to the Santas, focusing on the keychain Virginia had with an elf. They find one, who sings about wanting more beer to the tune of “We Wish You A Merry Christmas.” He gives them the list, but it is the wrong one.

Kareem and Gurgs work on finding Dan. Flobert meets him and asks about playing basketball before leaving. Olivia is still being chased by the Ghost, only to have Kareem talk to them about Christmas magic.

Dan begins scratching lottery cards while Abby returns, dressed as an elf. A doctor (Dwayne Colbert) shows to inquire about a psych evaluation. Dan tells him to take Abby away.

Dan and Abby continue to bicker about Christmas…..only to realize Virigina thought Dan was Santa and put a letter in his sack. As she gets it, Virginia returns and is happy to see the two of them. Dan decides to play along and they put on a performance for Virginia. She is thrilled to meet both Santa and Kareem, while Tess is happy her ex’s girlfriend got hurt.

The doctor is still looking for his patient, who turns out to be the ghost. Olivia pretends be in the Christmas spirit, while Kareem decides not to meet Dan now that he heard of his selfish ways…and the fact that Abby stole the elf’s costume. He is even more upset when he realizes that Gorg only wanted him for her perfect gift streak.

Gurgs tells Dan she got him nothing since she knows it is fitting….so her streak is intact.

The episode ends with Kareem getting in trouble with the ghost for lurking on a fire escape.