BLOGS

New Girl: Is It Still the Best New Comedy of the Fall?

New Girl was the first new show of this fall to get picked up for a full season, as well as the one pilot that actually merited its giant summer ad campaign. And while we were utterly charmed by Zooey Deschanel's shtick in the premiere, we were more than a little underwhelmed by the second episode. Not that it was terrible, but it just wasn't as consistently funny as the debut. That's often a problem with pilots in general -- either there is too much exposition and the pilot is dull, or the pilot is captivating but the writers struggle with how to recapture that on a weekly basis. So we watched last night's third New Girl with a little trepidation, and while Zooey is still Zooey (that's not going to change, so if you hate her, just quit reading now), this episode was far more enjoyable than last week's, giving us hope that this show will live up to the buzz in the long run.

The second episode actually seemed more like a generic pilot than the premiere, possibly because the show had to replace the verbally berating style of Coach (Damon Wayans, Jr.) with Winston (Lamorne Morris). Shoehorning in a new character in Week 2 was more than a little bit awkward, and was handled really badly and having Schmidt and Winston compete over the larger room wasn't amusing or creative. But now that's out of the way, along with Jess' emotional stupidity about her ex-boyfriend, and not a moment too soon.

What we initially liked about New Girl was not just Jess, but the newfound relationship between her and the roommates. While the second episode was severely lacking in that chemistry, Episode 3 more than made up for it. Plus, the show managed to "suppress the Jess," limiting her quirkiness to a moderate amount of singing and weird teeth, while still allowing her to be funny and do a chick chance. And having her try to help Nick get over his ex-girlfriend served to demonstrated that she could pull her weight in the friend department instead of always being the girl that needed saving. She actually put on her big girl panties (though she did have to cut them off) and forced Nick out of his funk and onto the dance floor. And while there was a moment where the episode looked like it was building into a romance between the two, it ultimately went for a comedic moment instead. It seems inevitable that the writers will hook these two up at some point, but hopefully it won't drag down the show the way Barney and Robin's relationship on How I Met Your Mother did.

Schmidt was his wonderfully rocking sex-driven piggy self, trying hard to woo his gorgeous dreamgirl (played by our favorite Melrose Place 2.0 alum, Katie Cassidy) while really being sort of smitten with the rough-around-the-edges Gretchen (the wonderful Natasha Lyonne). Their awkward sexual encounter was pretty damned fantastic. (Can she come back? With another stylish pantsuit?) Also, Schmidt deserves props for delivering the best line of the night ("Who let the dirty slut out of the sluthouse"), not once, but twice, with a different inflection that made all the difference.

And while the Winston storyline was a little weak (he fought with an eight-year-old usher and the two awkwardly gyrated around Jess on the dance floor), it wasn't intolerable. And having him at the wedding was key because this show seems to thrive when the roommates are together, and not split off into sub groups. Everyone had their own little plot to follow through, but by remaining in a 200-yard radius of each other, they were able to react to what was happening across storylines, further developing the symbiotic relationship they have. Plus: slow-motion chicken dancing to Phil Collins! That's the kind of bizarreness you only get when four roomies convene. And that kind of weirdness, along with the easy camaraderie, is what can make this show so uniquely entertaining.

What are people saying about your favorite shows and stars right now? Find out with Talk Without Pity, the social media site for real TV fans. See Tweets and Facebook comments in real time and add your own -- all without leaving TWoP. Join the conversation now!

Comments

SHARE THE SNARK

X

Get the most of your experience.
Share the Snark!

See content relevant to you based on what your friends are reading and watching.

Share your activity with your friends to Facebook's News Feed, Timeline and Ticker.

Stay in Control: Delete any item from your activity that you choose not to share.

MOST RECENT POSTS

BLOG ARCHIVES

The Telefile

February 2013

21 Entries

January 2013

62 Entries

December 2012

44 Entries

November 2012

59 Entries

October 2012

69 Entries

September 2012

66 Entries

August 2012

65 Entries

July 2012

51 Entries

June 2012

58 Entries

May 2012

68 Entries

April 2012

71 Entries

March 2012

68 Entries

February 2012

64 Entries

January 2012

78 Entries

December 2011

49 Entries

November 2011

56 Entries

October 2011

74 Entries

September 2011

77 Entries

August 2011

61 Entries

July 2011

56 Entries

June 2011

57 Entries

May 2011

57 Entries

April 2011

78 Entries

March 2011

73 Entries

February 2011

57 Entries

January 2011

65 Entries

December 2010

39 Entries

November 2010

45 Entries

October 2010

46 Entries

September 2010

62 Entries

August 2010

55 Entries

July 2010

53 Entries

June 2010

65 Entries

May 2010

59 Entries

April 2010

57 Entries

March 2010

67 Entries

February 2010

53 Entries

January 2010

59 Entries

December 2009

32 Entries

November 2009

47 Entries

October 2009

65 Entries

September 2009

66 Entries

August 2009

58 Entries

July 2009

72 Entries

June 2009

71 Entries

May 2009

50 Entries

April 2009

57 Entries

March 2009

66 Entries

February 2009

52 Entries

January 2009

56 Entries

December 2008

51 Entries

November 2008

71 Entries

October 2008

88 Entries

September 2008

86 Entries

August 2008

120 Entries

July 2008

115 Entries

June 2008

90 Entries

May 2008

44 Entries

April 2008

30 Entries

March 2008

26 Entries

February 2008

30 Entries

January 2008

44 Entries

December 2007

31 Entries

November 2007

66 Entries

The Latest Activity On TwOP