The Night Court reboot revealed that Harry Stone's life was a far cry from the somewhat happy ending that the original series finale suggested. Beyond revealing that Harry Stone was dead, the new series also affirmed that Judge Stone never reconciled with his longtime love interest, Public Defender Christine Sullivan. This revelation greatly disappointed those who had hoped that the Night Court reboot's lead, Judge Abby Stone, would be revealed as the daughter of both Harry and Christine.
Those hopes were dashed by the Night Court reboot episode “Blood Moon Binga,” which introduced Abby's mother, Gina Brown Stone. Played by Faith Ford, Gina was revealed to have fallen in love with Harry Stone after he showed her compassion she wasn't sure she deserved after she was arrested on charges of running an illegal poker game. The two got married after Gina served her sentence, and while no specific timeline was given regarding when they met and married, it seemed clear that Harry Stone never reconciled with his lost love, Christine Sullivan, after the classic Night Court finale.
Night Court Ended With Harry And Christine Apart
Harry Stone (Harry Anderson) and Christine Sullivan (Markie Post) enjoyed a long flirtation during their time together, serving in the same court. However, circumstance and propriety kept them from pursuing a serious romantic relationship. The showrunners planned to bring the original Night Court to a close after eight seasons, with the series finale ending with the wedding of Christine and Harry. However, those plans were changed when Night Court was unexpectedly renewed, and Night Court season 9 opened with Harry and Christine agreeing to just be friends in a desperate bid to restore the status quo.
The exact opposite set of circumstances played out as the season finale of Night Court season 9 approached. The showrunners, confident they could continue the show in syndication if NBC did not renew Night Court for season 10, elected to end the season on a major cliffhanger, with Christine being elected to Congress and Dan Fielding (John Laroquette) quitting his job to follow her, hoping to win Christine's heart. This set up a true love triangle, as Harry was enraged to hear Dan was making a play for "my Christine" after Christine told Harry she would miss him most of all right before giving him a passionate kiss.
This storyline was never resolved, as Night Court was unexpectedly canceled. Years later, the showrunners revealed that they had hoped to end the series with Night Court season 10. Their plan was for the redeemed Dan Fielding to finally earn a promotion to a judge's post, taking over Harry's court. Dan's first act as a judge would be officiating Christine and Harry's wedding, as the two left their jobs to become professors at Columbia University. The hypothetical wedding of Harry and Christine was also the centerpiece of the fictional Night Court finale produced as part of the 30 Rock Night Court crossover, "The One with the Cast of 'Night Court.'"
Night Court Reboot Negates Harry's Career Choice
Despite the unresolved romance between Harry and Christine, the Night Court season 9 finale set up a happy ending for Harry Stone. The two-part episode "Opportunity Knock Knocks" found Harry Stone awash with new career opportunities, ranging from a full partnership in a prestigious law firm to a seat on the New York State Superior Court. In the end, Harry decided to stay in his current position as a criminal court judge after he became convinced that he could do more good where he was. Such was Harry's love of helping others that he passed up a chance to tour with his idol Mel Tormé.
This decision put a poignant spin on Harry's decision to stay in his court as the series ended, with Christine moving on to a new political career. Unfortunately, the knowledge that Harry left his job to start a family with Gina Brown somewhere in upstate New York takes the shine off of that choice. This is doubly true given the context clues in the Night Court reboot, which indicate that Harry Stone regretted that decision on some level, having told his daughter Abby about how his years as a criminal court judge were the best days of his career.
Night Court Reboot Reveals Harry Was Estranged From His Daughter Before His Death
Little is known about Harry's life after leaving his court in Manhattan or much of his life beyond that he married and had a daughter. The Night Court reboot has not revealed anything about his legal career after the finale of the original Night Court. However, it has been disclosed that Harry's relationship with his daughter Abby was not the best and that they were estranged for several years. This seems odd given the importance Harry placed on his family, having been raised by a single father and growing up thinking that his mother abandoned him.
The Night Court reboot episode "Just Tuesday" confirmed that Abby was a recovering alcoholic who lost much time with her father due to her disease. Abby unveiled her past with a surprisingly sympathetic Dan Fielding, discussing how she kept her distance from her family due to shame over how far she had fallen. True to form, Harry reportedly helped Abby get treatment for her alcoholism, and the two reconciled before his death. Abby said she was glad Harry lived to see her turn her life around but regretted the time lost.
It is true to Harry Stone's character that he retained his faith in his daughter and was, to quote Abby, "keeping that faith safe until I had it in myself again." However, the fact that Harry left the job he loved more than anything else in the world for the sake of a woman other than Christine Sullivan seems to tarnish the classic Night Court finale. While the Night Court reboot may perfectly emulate the comedic spirit of the original, it has also cut out the heart of the show with what it revealed about the life of Harry Stone.
Night Court airs Tuesday nights on NBC.