REVIEW: ‘Newlyweds’ Episode 3  — “We’ll Never Have Paris”

Following two episodes of chaotic setup, Newlyweds Episode 3, “We’ll Never Have Paris,” does the important work of developing its characters. The whirlwind romance between 8th-grade science teacher Jeanie (Téa Leoni) and college professor James (Tim Daly) has led the two lovebirds to live under one roof and adjust to their new lives.

Every married couple goes through what’s commonly called “the honeymoon phase”. It’s different for every couple, but the point is that the couple views each other through rose-tinted glasses, and they’ve never been more in love.

For Jeanie and James, it naturally begs the question, “Now that we’re married, shouldn’t we plan an actual honeymoon?” The problem is that they’re both educators, and it’s not a good time to leave. This leads James to a brilliant idea: to bring a bunch of different honeymoon destinations right to their home for a weekend staycation that they decide to call the minimoon.

The honeymoon is top of mind for our lovebirds in Newlyweds Episode 3.

With Arvid’s (Bill O’Neill) help, James turns the whole Saturday into an event that takes the couple through France, Hungary, and Japan. The only problem is that neither James nor Jeanie accounted for the biggest source of distraction in their lives: Jeanie’s kids, Lolo (Ignacio Diaz-Silverio) and Poppy (Emma Meisel), and James’ ex-wife Claudia (Jamie Lee Curtis).

When all three of them show up unannounced, it completely derails the entire day. Poppy is having relationship issues and needs her mother’s support. Claudia is picking up a painting with the help of movers who haven’t arrived, but is mostly there to annoy the titular newlyweds to great effect.

The biggest hurdle James and Jeanie face isn’t these singular crises, but rather the lack of boundaries in place. Jeanie says it beautifully, “Why is it so hard to set limits with the people we know best?” Her rhetorical observation, said in frustration, is the backbone of Newlyweds Episode 3 and gives us greater insight into the main characters.

The question of boundaries comes up and opens up much-needed discussions.

After taking a page from Patricia Highsmith’s Strangers on a Train, the two decide to swap problems. Jeanie will deal with Claudia, while James deals with Lolo and Poppy. While no one is all that successful in solving the issue of boundaries, James walks away with a greater appreciation and understanding of his stepkids, and Jeanie and Claudia find more common ground than they’d like to admit.

Newlyweds Episode 3 is the best the series has had to offer so far. One of the biggest reasons for this is that the series already had great bones going in, but it fixes one of its biggest problems: Arvid. While James’ Norwegian teaching assistant turned unexpected houseguest still lacks any level of depth, his over-the-top antics and goofiness are far more subdued here.

Because he comes off as genuinely helpful instead of merely being a pain in the neck, Arvid is actually quite likeable in Newlyweds Episode 3. He’s certainly not a well-written chaos goblin in the same way Claudia is, but this episode shows that he can be more than simply a punchline.

Jamie Lee Curtis’s Claudia remains the comedic center of this show. 

Jamie Lee Curtis still chews on every scene. Claudia is truly the comedic center of Newlyweds so far. Still, Curtis understands she’s not the true star of the show and lets Leoni and Daly shine. Curtis is an incredibly resourceful actress, making use of everything in the shot available to her during her scenes. She uses her body, facial expressions, other actors, and the set itself in an intensely funny performance.

Weirdly, the weakest spot in Newlyweds Episode 3 is the kids. Lolo and Poppy are remarkably well-grounded in the first two episodes of Newlyweds. Yet, in Newlyweds Episode 3, Poppy is a mere joke vehicle, and Lolo has very little to do, aside from eating all of James’ and Jeanie’s food.

Newlyweds Episode 3 involves only the six main cast members. It’s an incredibly small and intimate episode of television, and it works. Not including side characters, guest stars, and extras means every person is featured and given an opportunity to shine.

Keeping the focus on the main characters, this episode gives each one their due.

This doesn’t mean that it would automatically be a slam dunk. Featuring Arvid or even Claudia, for example, for too long may have been catastrophic. Instead, Arvid and Claudia are given enough time to be funny without wearing out their welcome. That’s an especially difficult feat considering how exhausting Arvid has been up to this point.

Further, the humor in Newlyweds Episode 3 is the best it’s been so far. Laugh tracks are used, and often, they’re there to remind the audience that a joke has been said. Here, there are moments when the laugh track could be missing entirely, and it would still evoke laughter.

By the end of Newlyweds Episode 3, all six main characters work well together and even get along in a way that shows development beyond anything we’ve seen so far. Even Claudia and Jeanie are smiling and happy in the same room. It’s a comforting feeling to have smiles and happy endings; just what a Friday night watching television needs.

New Episodes of Newlyweds air Friday Nights on NBC and stream the next day on Peacock.

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