The Mysterious Fate of Night Court's Christine Sullivan

The Legacy of Christine Sullivan

With the return of Night Court in the form of an NBC reboot, the question of what happened to Christine Sullivan after the original series ended looms large. Played by the late Markie Post, Public Defender Christine Sullivan was introduced as a temporary addition to the court during Night Court season 2. Christine proved popular as a character and Post joined the cast as a series regular in Night Court season 3, remaining with the show until it came to a close after nine seasons.

Markie Post as Christine on Night Court

The final season of Night Court was infamously erratic, leaving fans hoping that the Night Court reboot would resolve some questions left open by the confusing series’ finale. Chief among these was the final fate of Christine Sullivan, who left the court after confessing her love for Judge Harry Stone (Harry Anderson) and being elected to Congress. Assistant District Attorney Dan Fielding (John Larroquette) likewise resigned, so that he could follow Christine in the hope of winning her heart.

Dan and Christine in court in Night Court

The Unresolved Mystery

Unfortunately, the Night Court reboot reveals nothing directly about what happened to Christine Sullivan. The new series centers around newbie judge Abby Stone (Melissa Rauch), as she is assigned to the same Manhattan criminal court her father presided over three decades earlier. The Night Court reboot does eventually reveal who Abby's mother is, and she's a new character, played by Faith Ford, not Markie Post's Christine as some expected. Dan Fielding is revealed to have been married to a woman named Sarah. While this does address Dan Fielding's quest for redemption for his womanizing ways, it does beg the question of what happened to the woman he quit his job to pursue.

Christine Sullivan and Dan Fielding in Night Court

When the Night Court reboot was announced as centering around Harry Stone's daughter, it seemed possible that the revival would reveal that Harry and Christine finally got married and settled down together. The two were teased as a romantic pairing repeatedly over the course of Night Court's final six seasons and Christine kissed Harry in the series finale, saying that she would miss him the most out of everyone she was leaving behind. However, it seems unlikely that Harry and Christine ever reconnected in the Night Court universe before the reboot. In the original Night Court series finale, Dan decides to pursue Christine, leaving his job behind to follow her as she's been elected to Congress. It doesn't appear that he reconnected with her either, however, since he mentions his wife, who changed his life, but his wife isn't Christine Sullivan, and he doesn't mention her during the series so far.

Christine sitting on Harry's lap in Night Court

The Future of Christine's Story

A future episode may reveal what happened to Christine Sullivan, if only in a passing comment as Dan Fielding muses about his past. Markie Post was a major part of the original series' success and her contributions deserve to be acknowledged just as much as Harry Anderson's were. The Night Court reboot owes it to her memory to give Christine Sullivan's story the closure it didn't get in the original Night Court finale.

Harry Stone and Christine Sullivan Kiss In Night Court Finale