Night Court – The Apartment

By: Sammi Turano

The episode opens with Abby (Melissa Rauch) talking to Olivia (India de Beaufort) and Neil (Kapil Talwalkar) about her apartment and her fiance visiting. Dan (John Larroquette) chimes in from the next table and says she needs a new place because her current one leaves her smelly. This leads to him asking Gurgs (Lacretta) to help her find said place. Gurgs is delighted and finds ways to help….despite Abby not wanting her to tell anyone she is a judge.

Later on Dan, Neil and Olivia are in the hall, talking about a disastrous situation Olivia had with a lawyer. She is afraid to face her for a case, but everyone thinks that this is a hilarious situation.

During court the gang is working on an eviction case. Gurgs thinks this is the perfect way to get Abby an apartment, but she thinks otherwise. Dan and Olivia try to help, but end up making things worse, especially Olivia, who faces the lawyer from her past. Abby tries to talk to them about it, but gets nowhere.

Olivia faces the lawyer and continues to be awkward. She only makes things worse by insulting Abby and the way she smells due to her apartment. Dan actually thinks the lawyer likes Olivia and thinks she has the chance at a job. He offers to help her prepare for the job, but she thinks he has an ulterior motive. He denies this, but requests a bagel with lox every week.

Gurgs and Abby talk about the eviction cases-getting-her-an -apartment trick not working, so Gurgs tries to use the death certificate office to try and help. Abby still doesn’t like this and decides to keep her apartment. Gurgs offers to have her come over for breakfast and a real shower before her fiance comes over. Abby isn’t sure at first but agrees since Equinox is now guarding their showers.

The next day Abby goes over to Gurgs’s house for her shower. She has her own towel, but needs to borrow one since it was on the subway. However, it is a ruse to get Abby into a nicer apartment. Abby is upset at first, but decides ton go with it. She uses a cover story saying she is in the dental business, but it turns out the landlord actually needs dental advice. She tries to make up answers to keep her cover story going.

Meanwhile, Dan tries to coach Olivia for her meeting, but they end up fighting. He admits he had his own disastrous dinner meeting, which included him stabbing the oldest partner with an oyster knife.  She tries going into court, but is still nervous, so Dan pulls her out, gives her another pep talk and sends her back in ready to fight. She ends up giving a good argument and winning the case…..but takes way too long to do so. Dan compliments her, but tells her to get his bagel from Zabar’s early.

Gurgs tells Abby she got the apartment. She is excited to have her fiance see it, but he ends up canceling their weekend. She tries to remain positive, but Dan helps her see that she doesn’t have to always be positive, forcing her to break down and scream over what is making her anger.

The landlord comes in and takes away the apartment once he finds out she is a judge. She sends everyone out of the room so she can break down and then leaves with a smile on her face.

Later on Abby, Gurgs and Dan eat dinner together and talk things out. Abby decides to bribe the marriage license people with muffins, despite Gurgs offering help from the death certificate office…..as the episode comes to a close.