I Didn’t Know I Needed Night Court’s Dan Fielding Dressed As A Southern Belle, And The Behind-The-Scenes Stories About John Larroquette Are Hilarious

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As a movie buff with over three decades of TV viewing under my belt, I must say that “Feliz NaviDead” episode of Night Court Season 3 was nothing short of a delightful surprise. Having grown up watching the original series and reminiscing about its holiday episodes, it’s always refreshing to see familiar faces return to the sitcom scene.

Heads up! Upcoming discussion may contain spoilers about the ‘Night Court’ holiday episode from its third season titled “Happy (and Deadly) Holidays.

In the spirit of holiday cheer, I followed along as Night Court delightfully titled their festive episode “Feliz NaviDead” to round off the 2024 TV season. This special occasion served as a testament that even after last year’s Christmas escapade with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Abby hasn’t lost her holiday spirit. The storyline swiftly unfurled into a murder mystery involving guest stars Andy Daly and Joe Lo Truglio, offering an unexpected twist – Dan Fielding transforming into a southern belle!

In the series “Night Court,” Andy Daly and Joe Lo Truglio joined the cast, portraying characters Fred Norton, an escape room actor suspected of murder by Detective Kratz. However, as the plot unfolded, it turned out that Fred had staged his own death, and surprisingly, Detective Kratz was a phony cop whose badge was made from chocolate! The show “Feliz NaviDead” can be streamed with a Peacock subscription, and it’s definitely worth checking out.

Prior to the revelation, our regular gang donned costumes to stage a murder mystery game, with Dan adorning himself as a southern belle, complete with lace gloves, a parasol, and an accent that undeniably sounded more genuine than Abby’s. In this role, John Larroquette didn’t hesitate to immerse himself fully. When I had the pleasure of chatting with our weekly guest stars, I couldn’t help but inquire about their experience watching the Emmy-winning actor perform. Andy Daly, famed for his work on Mad TV, disclosed:

It was quite absurd, but thankfully we had practiced it numerous times throughout the week, even without our complete costumes and props. This allowed me to gradually get accustomed to it. I got comfortable with each part separately. However, when he finally appeared in that outfit, carrying a parasol and adopting that accent, it was truly something [laughs].

The opportune moment when Dan Fielding revealed his more refined side couldn’t have been more fitting, especially since Abby had just pointed out his habit of inserting Louisiana references into conversations at every opportunity… and he continued to do so even after being called out on it. It’s worth noting that John Larroquette, similar to his character, originates from the state known as Louisiana, also known as the Pelican State.

Laughing at his costume, I can’t help but smile after reading his heartwarming comments about Markie Post last week! Andy Daly went on to discuss how he managed to steer clear of any mishaps while acting alongside Larroquette, who was adorned with a parasol and gloves.

I must admit, I had a feeling that viewers might get quite excited when this was broadcasted. However, I ended up lying flat on the table for quite some time during that scene and couldn’t laugh out loud because it would have shown my body shaking. So instead, I managed to smile discreetly. [laughs]

In the Christmas episode of Night Court, Joe Lo Truglio couldn’t hide his smile or pretend to be dead, but he did appreciate Larroquette’s acting before needing to maintain a serious expression on camera. Mentioning Dan Fielding, the southern belle, caused the Brooklyn Nine-Nine alum to laugh instantly, and regarding Larroquette, he remarked:

That was a perfect example of watching him, and he was having a lot of fun with it, too. He’s just so, so good at those, at the accent, and just having fun with it, that I just kind of sat back and watched it. Because my character kind of comes in a little bit into that scene, takes a little time, I was able to just kind of enjoy John’s play for a bit before Detective Kratz came running in.

Lo Truglio came into Night Court as a fan of John Larroquette not only from the original series, but going all the way back to him as narrator of 1974’s The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. When I asked how the experience of working with him lived up to the excitement, Lo Truglio shared:

He’s just so good. It’s so great to watch him take scripts and lines and put them through the Larroquette filter, and [he] is deliberate in that way that so many people love. He’s a consummate professional. He took care of me, and I imagine all his guest stars really, really well, as did Melissa [Rauch].

In summary, this installment was delightful, further demonstrating how Night Court often invites humorous veterans as guest stars. However, don’t expect Andy Daly and Joe Lo Truglio to appear again in the sitcom reprising their roles, given the closing scene’s revelation that they were actually angels spreading Christmas joy among Dan and his team. Such a twist is uniquely Night Court!

With a Peacock subscription, you’ll have easy access to stream “Feliz NaviDead” and all previously released episodes of Season 3 for “Night Court”. Additionally, you’ll be able to enjoy the entire first season as well. For those interested in watching Joe Lo Truglio on “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”, including an episode where Daly appeared as a guest star, Peacock is the place to go.

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2024-12-18 05:07