Chapter 1

**Chapter 1** is the first episode of the Netflix romantic comedy-drama series *Uncoupled*. It aired on July 29, 2022 and also served as the series premiere.

## Premise

*Michael plans an elaborate surprise party for Colin's milestone birthday, but the night takes a devastating turn after a shocking revelation.*

## Plot summary

Michael and Colin are laying in bed, as Michael wishes Colin a happy birthday. Later, Michael is in the kitchen, and he tells Colin that he prepped him his breakfast, but unfortunately his showing got moved up by an hour. As a result, Colin will have to finish without him for the second time that day. Colin however states that he is not all that hungry saying he is having a hard time with his birthday, since he just turned 50 years old. However, Colin gets irritated when Michael states that fifty is still young; to which Colin replies that the only time anybody says that about fifty year olds, is at funerals. On his way out, Michael tells him that he is glad it is just the two of them celebrating Colin's milestone birthday. As it turns out, it is all a ruse, since Michael is in fact throwing a surprise birthday party for Colin.

Later, Michael explains to his friend and coworker Suzanne that Colin has no idea about his surprise birthday party, and Michael went ahead and recreated the whole limelight from when they first met. Michael then goes onto say how the two of them have been together seventeen years, but are not married. While prepping for his first clients of the day, Michael receives a call from his housekeeper Carmen stating that his place got robbed. Apparently, the robbers took clothes, wine, a Sonos speaker and some Hermès towels that are too nice to actually use from his apartment.

Later that night, Michael is standing out front from where Colin's surprise birthday party is going to take place. Michael checks in with everyone inside, and asks if everyone is in position. A few minutes later, Colin arrives, and Michael notices that Colin seems to have a lot of tension in his shoulders. Eventually Colin, tells Michael that contrary to what Carmen thought, they weren't robbed. In reality, he took his clothes along with some things, and proceeded to move out. Before he can say anything though, Michael accidentally opens the door, and reveals the group of people ready to wish Colin happy birthday.

Inside the party, Michael tries in vain to talk with Colin to finish their conversation, but it's to no avail. Along the way, he bumps into his parents, where Michael's dad tells him, that at first when he and Colin moved in together, it was quite the curveball for him. But over the years, he has come around after seeing how in love the two of them are.

Just when Michael is about to talk to Colin, he is roped into giving a toast to him. He struggles to find his words, and his voice breaks as he admits that he can't imagine his life without him. After the party wraps, Michael asks Colin if there is someone else, but Colin refutes that. He tells Michael that he just needs some time on his own to figure things out. The two argue in circles; with Colin eventually hailing a cab after telling Michael, that somehow everything always leads back to him.

The next morning, Michael wakes up in bed alone. He texts Colin that he doesn't understand, and that they need to talk. But his text message goes unanswered. He then receives a text message saying that he made an appointment with a couples counselor, and asks Michael if he can make it to a 3PM appointment the next day. He initially texts an excited yes, but eventually deletes the response before sending it, and just gives Colin's text, a thumbs up emoji.

Michael eventually confesses to Suzanne that Colin moved out of their apartment. To which Suzanne asks if he thinks there is someone else. Michael explains that while Colin said he doesn't, at the end of the day, Michael is in the dark. Suzanne then asks how Michael can be so calmed during all this, and he mentions that Colin booked them a couples therapy session. Which is a big deal in it of itself since Colin doesn't like to talk, and instead likes to sweep things under the rug. Later at Stanley's art show, Michael tells him and Billy about his relationship troubles with Colin. Stanley points out that their age, they are invisible in a city like New York. Billy disagrees; stating that things get better with age. He points out that there is a large number of young guys who want to hook up with older men.

At Stanley's party, Colin is a no show, and Michael meets Claire Lewis, who is going through a divorce, and her husband is trying to get her to sell their apartment with a terrace. The next day, he meets up with Claire, who shares her story about how one day and without warning, her husband of twenty eight years moved out. On his way down the elevator, he tells Suzanne that his situation with Colin, and Claire's current predicament with her ex-husband are quite similar.

At the couple's counselor appointment, Michael tries to get Colin to reveal where he is living now, but he doesn't tell him. Thus, a frustrated Michael tells Dr. Sweeny how Colin never told him he was leaving. Instead, he thought they had been robbed. Colin states, that had he told Michael, he would have talked him out of it. Which wouldn't give them a chance to deal with their issues. Even though he says he wants to listen to Colin, he spends most of his time talking.

Later, Colin texts Michael telling him that he won't be coming to the Jonathan's bris, and that he has realized that there isn't anything for them to work out. Back at his apartment, Michael sits on his couch drinking alcohol, as he stares sadly at a picture of the two of them together. Eventually, Suzanne calls him to tell him that he knows where Michael is living, and who he is living with. So she asks him to meet her for a drink.

## Cast and characters

### Starring:

* Neil Patrick Harris as Michael Lawson
* Tisha Campbell as Suzanne Prentiss
* Emerson Brooks as Billy Burns
* Brooks Ashmanskas as Stanley James

### Guest-starring:

* Tuc Watkins as Colin McKenna
* Byron Jennings as Ben Lawson
* David Pittu as Dennis
* Stephanie Faracy as Lisa Lawson
* Colin Hanlon as Jonathan #1
* Jai Rodriguez as Jonathan #2

### Co-starring:

* Nic Rouleau as Tyler Hawkins
* Jasai Chase Owens as Kai Prentiss
* Gonzalo Aburto de la Fuente as Wyatt
* Jay Santiago as Freddy
* Scott Wittman as Scott
* Zuhdi Boueri as Eric
* April Ortiz as Teresa
* Marc Shaiman as Marc
* Mellini Kantayya as Partygoer #1
* Ezra Sage Bynum as Developer

## Gallery

### Videos

Uncoupled - Official Teaser - NetflixUncoupled - Official Trailer - NetflixUncoupled - Trailer Ufficiale - Netflix ItaliaNeil Patrick Harris Navigates Dating In His 40s In New Series 'Uncoupled'
## External links

* Chapter 1 on the Internet Movie Database
* Uncoupled (@uncouplednetflix) on Instagram
* Uncoupled on Wikipedia
* Watch Uncoupled on Netflix

## References

1. ↑ Uncoupled Episode Guide - Netflix
2. ↑ Gonzalo Aburto de la Fuente Casting Confirmation - Instagram