Up All Night: Season 1 Finale

The season one finale of Up All Night had all the makings of a superlative half-hour comedy, so much so that I had to check IMDB—twice—to be certain that the show is not in fact a multi-year veteran. Up All Night has all the swagger one would expect from executive producer Lorne Michaels (SNL, 30 Rock) and his all-star cast of comedic actors, but the crew balances the laughs with ample loads of sincerity and heart. Whether it’s the adorable presence of little baby Amy—the cutest TV toddler since Michelle Tanner—or the endearing on-screen chemistry of Chris and Reagan Brinkley (Will Arnett and Christina Applegate, respectively), Michaels and writer/creator Emily Spivey (a 10-year SNL writing veteran) have put aside the farcical absurdity of SNL and 30 Rock in favor of a good old-fashioned, heartwarming sitcom.

The first season of Up All Night has largely surrounded Chris and Reagan coming to terms with their new parental lifestyles, often comically scrambling to cling onto some semblance of their former lives before conceding newfound content with their age—and baby—imposed limitations. Thus it seems fitting the season would close where their story more or less began—no, not Amy’s birth: the proposal. In totally befitting fashion, we discover that Reagan was the one to ask Chris to marry her, not the other way around—or so she thinks. It turns out that Chris had intended to propose that night; he instructed the DJ to cue their song (“Total Eclipse of the Heart” …naturally) and began his little speech when Reagan unknowingly stole his thunder by drunkenly falling to a knee (clumsily) asking him to marry her. Well, when Chris finds Reagan’s misplaced engagement ring, he uses the opportunity to offer the proposal he never had the chance to finish.

It’s an incredibly original and amusing twist on a classic storyline of so many sitcoms over the years (i.e., the proposal). I mean, think about it—can you even imagine? For most guys, a girl saying “no” would seem the worst possible outcome of a proposal. But for her to literally hijack the moment, for her to take away the most romantic gesture that tradition has bestowed upon us is hilarious and heartbreaking all at once, the perfect back story for someone like Chris who is such a vulnerable romantic despite his frequent efforts to convince others (and himself) that he is in fact a well of machismo.

I was also pleased to see the return of Jason Lee as Kevin, Chris & Reagan’s neighbor who briefly dated Ava (Maya Rudolf) through the middle of the season before disappearing with little explanation. Lee’s understated comedic style provides a natural balance to Rudolf’s wildly gregarious portrayal of Ava, and re-uniting the couple again will help keep Ava grounded as a character—infusing her unrestrained Oprah-esque fervor with sympathetic wants and needs—while also providing a compelling B story that can complement and enhance the arc of Chris & Reagan’s own relationship, as it did so well in “The Proposals.”

Living with two couples who pine for romantic sitcoms—How I Met Your Mother is like a religion in this house—Up All Night has quickly become a household favorite. It was technically the second-highest ranked show for Thursday, which would bode well for future seasons if they were on literally ANY other network—even Univision had better ratings this week. Up All Night probably won’t be the show to bring the Peacock Network back on the map—hell, Lord of the Rings probably couldn’t do that at this point.  Nevertheless, with its stellar cast and solid writing, Up All Night knows how to deliver consistently good (and, in the case of the finale, occasionally great) comedy each and every week, and that’s a big step in the right direction.