One of the most common sitcom tropes is the clip show. In this format, after several seasons, writers put together an episode where the characters reminisce about some of the show’s most memorable moments. Newlyweds Episode 4, “Back In Time,” puts a creative spin on the clip show, making the format work for a brand-new series.
Jeanie (Téa Leoni) and James (Tim Daly) have been married for one month. They’re doing that thing new couples do where they learn each other’s habits, both good and bad. As they prepare for taco night, James, who clearly doesn’t do tacos, is getting micromanaged by Jeanie concerning the construction of the tacos. James is taking it in stride because he’s just happy to have a night alone with his wife.
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Of course, that can’t be allowed to happen. It isn’t long before Jeanie’s kids, Lolo (Ignacio Diaz-Silverio) and Poppy (Emma Meisel), show up. When they start touching James’ food, he learns quickly that’s just one of those habits he has to learn. Jeanie’s kids aren’t the only people in their lives who have issues with boundaries.
The show uses flashbacks well to fill in the gaps of what we know of our characters.
In typical sitcom fashion, the night gets even weirder when James’ ex-wife, Claudia (Jamie Lee Curtis), walks in. Claudia announces she’s going to therapy. Her therapist in Newlyweds Episode 4, Leon (Cedric Yarbrough), told her in their last session that she has trouble with accountability and boundaries. Claudia invites James and Jeanie to join her for her next session.
Although Jeanie and James have serious reservations about going to a therapy session with Claudia, they agree. Leon appears to be the only one in Claudia’s life able to speak to her insanity. He challenges her, and she listens and even hears what he’s saying, though she admits it’s hard to take his advice.
Through the session, we learn that while most of Claudia’s behavior centers around her expectation that James’ post-divorce life would be significantly worse for him, he found Jeanie and fell in love. He’s happier now than he’s ever been, and that deeply bothers Claudia, who thought she was going to win the divorce.
Boundaries are a recurring issue in Newlyweds Episode 4, with Claudia at the center.
Claudia is mostly upset because she expected them to have doubts. This opens a dialogue between James and Jeanie that shows the titular pair did, in fact, have some doubts. For the bulk of Newlyweds Episode 4, the two talk about the 6 weeks leading up to their wedding in a series of flashback clips.
These flashbacks in Newlyweds Episode 4 fill in the scenes surrounding the pilot episode that the audience never saw. It’s incredibly effective at fleshing out the characters and making them feel more human. Further, the series continues to drive its humor in ways that don’t require a laugh track to identify the jokes.
Newlyweds Episode 4 continues doing its best work by limiting how much the audience sees Arvid (Bill O’Neill). His presence is only felt in one scene, allowing his over-the-top nature to avoid wearing out his welcome. He’s funny and even a slight bit charming in this episode, likely because he isn’t in most of it.
Arvid is used sparingly in Newlyweds Episode 4, which works in the character’s favor.
Weirdly, Claudia is the weak link in Newlyweds Episode 4. Up to this point, her crazy comedic antics have been an asset to the series. Her comedic timing is top-notch, and she’s a very resourceful actress. Here, though, it becomes a minor liability.
The problem is that as James and Jeanie explore their feelings and find new revelations about each other and their fairytale romance, Claudia takes every chance she can to make it all about her. That’s not unsurprising considering her character, but in such a mature and intimate setting, it stops feeling petty and starts feeling childish.
It does feel like the direction of Claudia in Newlyweds Episode 4 was aiming for “petulant child,” but it feels out of place in an episode where Arvid ends up looking more like an adult than Claudia. Yes, it’s still funny. Curtis is still a rock star, but a more toned-down version of Claudia would have landed better.
Surprisingly, Claudia is the weakest link, but that doesn’t make her any less funny.
The only other issue with Newlyweds Episode 4 is the retroactive rewrite of Jeanie’s daughter, Poppy. In two different scenes, she’s just decided that her job isn’t the right job for her. One scene is during taco night, and the other is in a flashback.
It’s a boring and lazy way to open up opportunities for the writers to shove more jokes into a sitcom. The truly frustrating part is that it’s unnecessary. Newlyweds is very funny without relying on cheap laughs from overused sitcom tropes like the reliably jobless character.
Still, eye-rolling aside, the central theme of Newlyweds Episode 4 comes through clearly. It’s another heartwarming and comfortable episode of Friday night television. Newlyweds continues to be enchanting, featuring unparalleled talent. Newlyweds Episode 4 isn’t dragged down by its flaws. Despite them, the show still gives viewers plenty of laughs.
New episodes of Newlyweds air Friday nights on NBC and are streaming the next day on Peacock.
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Eye-rolling aside, the central theme of Newlyweds Episode 4 comes through clearly. It's another heartwarming and comfortable episode of Friday night television.
