For the past year or so, I was a very passive viewer of Zooey Deschanel’s FOX sitcom, “New Girl.” To be honest, I never really got Deschanel’s quirky charm, and would only watch an episode if it came up on my Hulu queue on an extremely boring Sunday. However, I watched one or two episodes at the start of this season and I realized something. This show is smart. This is a smart show with excellent writing and an extremely talented cast. Max Greenfield deserves a big shout out; he makes me love his self- obsessed Schmidt character more week after week.
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But so what? People could argue there are many more smart and funny shows on television shows right now. But “New Girl” consistently has a different voice, and that voice seems to be a younger voice. The show utilizes humor that simply resonates with a college age crowd. Whether it’s elaborate drinking games like “True American” (with Clinton rules) or fighting over a phone charger, the episodes seem to center around what young people would actually do living together in an apartment post-college.
Keeping with this pattern, the show’s writers made a shocking decision this season by having Nick and Jess engage in a hardcore make-out session at the end of a recent episode. The two roommates have always had some serious sexual tension, but many people are asking “Why so soon?” Why not draw out the impending relationship for six more seasons to keep viewers hooked (and frustrated)? Many shows worry that allowing the classic “will they or won’t they” couple will lead to declining ratings and the end of a show, but “New Girl” has taken a bold leap in the right direction.
When discussing the infamous Nick/Jess kiss at Paleyfest, writers of the show had a simple answer. They said that to have two young people who seriously attracted to each other never hook up would just be totally unrealistic. People in Nick and Jess’s situation would eventually be forced to take their relationship to the next level. The episodes that follow the kiss now show Nick and Jess dealing with the awkward “what are we?” stage. Should we go on a date? Can we kiss other people? Why is your hand on my boob?
“I like what’s happening with Jess and Nick because it’s just so relatable,” said Weinberg junior Rachel Libowitz. “In college, friendships turn into relationships and it’s always hilariously awkward. It’s insanely hard to tell what is just a random hook-up and what is something else. That’s why the Nick and Jess thing is so funny, we’ve all either seen it happen to a friend or had it happen to us.”
But for now the show has left things pretty open-ended; the couple’s current state of mutual attraction could take any number of turns. Will the writers take the big risk and have them enter into a serious relationship? Or will they have them do the on-again off-again Ross and Rachel thing to keep viewers (just somewhat) annoyed for many more seasons?
“I want them to actually get together,” said Libowitz. “Serious relationships are funny and weird too, especially for roommates like Nick and Jess. It could make the show go in a totally crazy and interesting direction.“
So the possibilities are endless, but I personally think this gem of a show will do the relatable, quirky thing it always does. I hope “New Girl” keeps being awkward and real, because they give me hope that I’m not the only awkward and weird person alive. Maybe they show us how weird and awkward people form weird relationships, or maybe Nick Miller will screw the whole thing up like he always does. Here’s to (hopefully) more hallway make-outs and uncomforatable “not dates” for Nick and Jess.