Night Court season 3 premieres November 19 on NBC and drops new episodes weekly on Tuesdays. Its return has been highly anticipated following the massive cliffhanger at the end of the season 2 finale. “The Best Dan” sees Abby (Melissa Rauch) and Jake (Ryan Hansen) attempt to keep their relationship casual, despite having serious feelings for one another. It becomes evident at Roz’s (Marsha Warfield) wedding that they both want to embrace what’s between them, regardless of the risk.
However, the real plot twist occurs when Jake opens up about his absent father, and Abby discovers a possible connection between his mom and Dan. A rather indicative shot shows Jake and Dan parallel one another, immediately making Abby wonder if her boyfriend’s father has been in front of them all along. The credits roll seconds after Flobert gasps alongside the judge and says what she’s thinking aloud for the audience.
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Night Court Guest Star Ryan Hansen Breaks Down Onscreen Romance With Melissa Rauch’s Abby Stone
Screen Rant interviews Ryan Hansen about filming episode 9’s sensitivity training scene and the future of Jake and Abby’s relationship in Night Court.
ScreenRant participates in a round table with stars Melissa Rauch and Lacretta about what fans can expect in Night Court season 3. And, yes, this reporter did ask about that shocking ending, but the answer remains under wraps.
Rauch And Lacretta Discuss Wendie Malick’s New Role As Prosecutor In Night Court Season 3
“It’s going to be different and a little bit of the same.”
ScreenRant: We know that, sadly, India de Beaufort is not returning for Night Court season 3. Is there anything that you can share about how the show might address Olivia’s absence?
Melissa Rauch: We find out in the season premiere what Olivia is up to, and we’re off to the races with Wendie [Malick] in that episode as she comes in as the new prosecutor.
ScreenRant: Olivia and Gurgs had a fun dynamic, so what will Gurgs’ relationship with Wendie’s character look like in comparison?
Lacretta: It’s going to be different and a little bit of the same. I am also excited to see how she grows with the rest of the cast. I always like different pairings of, “Now, can I spend some time with Gary? Can I spend some time with Wendie? Can I spend some time with Nyambi?” I always want to spend time with Melissa. And I went to spend time with John and see if Gurgs is able to chip away at his stoic exterior.
Rauch Promises More Big Bang Theory Reunions In Night Court Season 3
“They are my brothers and sisters, and I love them all so much.”
CinemaBlend: Lacretta, one of my favorite jokes from last season was Gurgs and Christopher Meloni starring in Bailiff: The Musical.
Lacretta: And I retweeted and reposted hoping that he would see it and maybe reach out and say something, but he’s a busy guy. His team is a busy team. But Christopher, if you would like to, Mr. Meloni, if you would like to come and be a guest star on Night Court, I think that would be really cool. And considering that I did an episode of SVU years and years and years ago, that would just be a full-circle moment for me.
CinemaBlend: Would you be interested in singing on Night Court, period? With or without Christopher Meloni?
Lacretta: Yeah, it’s with or without. My voice is Night Court’s.
ScreenRant: Melissa, you had an onscreen reunion with Kunal Nayyar last season. Are there any other The Big Bang Theory cast members that you’d like to see come on board?
Melissa Rauch: There will be some
Big Bang faces
this season. We can’t say officially yet, but I promise you more Big Bang faces to come. They are my brothers and sisters, and I love them all so much. So anyone and everyone is welcome, but I’m excited to get some more mini Big Bang reunions happening.
ScreenRant: What was it like to play such a different dynamic with Kunal than before?
Melissa Rauch: Oh my gosh. It was so much fun. We hadn’t seen each other. We talk all the time, but we actually hadn’t physically been on a set together since Big Bang, so we just kept on looking at each other the whole time. “I can’t believe you’re here! I can’t believe you’re real!” I couldn’t stop hugging him. I was just so, so thrilled to be with him.
And it was funny because, obviously, we had to kiss in that episode, which we had done before—I think it was season 3 or season 4 on [The Big Bang Theory]. One of the early episodes, but we had to have this very intimate moment of kissing each other. And my husband, who’s also an executive producer, was on set, and he’s close friends with Kunal, also. It was so funny to have him be like, “You should go harder on that kiss! Get into it!” [Laughs] He was directing just how passionately Kunal and I should be kissing.
Rauch And Lacretta Are Open To Different Romantic Relationships For Their Night Court Characters
“I think there’s such a chemistry with all of this wonderful cast, and I could absolutely see if we wanted to explore that at some point.”
ScreenRant: Lacretta, I was so excited that we finally got to meet the Duke in season 2. It was a long time coming. Will we continue to see that relationship play out?
Lacretta: I’m open to whatever those possibilities are. It’s really sweet to see the progression of Gurgs and her reigning in her love life. I’m not privy to a lot of things, and it’s good because I’m a blabber mouth. I get excited. I just want to tell people. I will just see what happens as the episodes unfold. So I can’t say yes or no, but whatever magic that they want to create with us, I’m totally open to [it].
CinemaBlend: Speaking of relationships, Jake was a fun addition to season 2. What were you looking for as a producer, Melissa, in casting somebody to play this role?
Melissa Rauch: That’s such a great question. When we originally cast Jake as the HR rep, it was just sort of a one-off episode of, “Oh, this will be a fun story to tell.” The writers came up with this great idea of having an HR rep that Abby is crushing on. We really just thought it would be just that one episode.
But Ryan came in and was just so wonderful and so funny and such a joy to work with. We all fell in love with him instantly and didn’t want to let him go. We’re like, “I think Abby should start dating him for real. This shouldn’t just be Abby crushing on the HR guy. Let’s make this an actual relationship.” That’s really just a testament to Ryan’s talent and all-around awesomeness that blossomed into more.
ScreenRant: I feel like Abby and Wyatt also complement each other well. When I spoke to Nyambi last season, he said he’d be on board with a potential romance. Melissa, I’m curious to hear your thoughts.
Melissa Rauch: You know what? I love it. And you never know. I think there’s such a chemistry with all of this wonderful cast, and I could absolutely see if we wanted to explore that at some point. He’s been such a wonderful addition to this cast, having him come in last year was just so seamless. He’s so funny and so talented. That would be fun. Never say never!
About Night Court Season 3
In her quest to bring order and dignity to the court and reign in its colorful crew of oddballs, Abby enlists former night court district attorney Dan Fielding (John Larroquette) to serve as the court’s public defender. Still exceedingly self-confident, Fielding must adjust to a new boss and a new job – defending the downtrodden. And, beneath his arrogant demeanor, there is an empathetic side to Fielding that Abby is determined to unearth.
Check back soon for our other Night Court season 3 interviews:
Night Court season 3 premieres Tuesday, November 19 at 8:30 p.m. ET.
Night Court was a TV comedy that ran for nine seasons between 1984 and 1992. The series centers around Harry Anderson’s character, Harry T. Stone, a presiding judge who works at the night court in Manhattan. In 2023, the series was brought back by NBC, this time starring Melissa Rauch as Manhattan Municipal Court’s new Judge. While the revival hasn’t been as critically praised as its predecessor, it has garnered attention for bringing back John Larroquette, who played Dan Fielding in the original series.
- Cast
- Melissa Rauch , India de Beaufort , Kapil Talwalkar , Dan Rubin , John Larroquette
- Release Date
- January 17, 2023
- Seasons
- 1
- Writers
- Dan Rubin
- Directors
- Dan Rubin
- Showrunner
- Dan Rubin