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New Girl, Season 4, Episode 1, “The Last Wedding”
September 16, 9:00pm (EST), Fox
New Girl has taken the route less traveled in romantic sitcoms. Pairing Nick and Jess mid season 2, after a small amount of foreplay (so to say), with the audience, and then breaking them up near the end of season 3, has made them stand out from the fray (though Mindy Project has gone a similar route). Their situation and chemistry has brought on a lot of comparisons to Sam and Diane of Cheers, which I can’t ever disagree with (Ted Danson is still a babe). I felt that season 3, once the two were together, struggled; even though Zooey Deschanel and Jake Johnson’s chemistry is fantastic, the writers didn’t know how to keep them together. The break-up scenes were excellently done, and much sadder than New Girl is used to. It certainly gave them some great material for season 4. Getting back to the show’s roots, and almost taking on a Happy Endings type vibe for the season premiere, we see our cast attending the last wedding of the summer season. Schmidt is determined for all of them to hook up. No one hooks up in the Fall or Winter, and this is the last chance. Jess, a tap-shoe wearing Nick, Coach and a couch-ridden Winston agree wholeheartedly. However even with this determination, a lot is still hidden below the surface, Schmidt is still desperately pining for Cece, and in a brilliant delivery as always, from Max Greenfield he declared “not going to lie, I have a halfie”, when he sees her teaching Jess to dance sexily.
Nick and Jess are still navigating their new relationship, friends, to couple, back to friends, who are now exes that live together - the writers summarize their hilariously complicated relationship as Jess bares her soul, and attraction to a teenage Simba from the Lion King, to the best man she competes for against Jessica Biel (a decent, albeit, unnecessary cameo). The chemistry is still there, and in a sweet moment when Jess is hiding in the men’s bathroom and Nick comforts her, telling her she’s “not a toilet girl”, you can see the sparks fly between them.
This episode felt filmic in tone, and adequately got New Girl back on the horse for the season. A happy ending, much like Wayans Jr.’s old show, the gang, who didn’t go home with anyone, went home together, and tore all the wedding cards off the fridge. Because, what’s more important than friendship?
New Girl has taken the route less traveled in romantic sitcoms. Pairing Nick and Jess mid season 2, after a small amount of foreplay (so to say), with the audience, and then breaking them up near the end of season 3, has made them stand out from the fray, Mindy Project has, however, gone a similar route. Their situation and chemistry has brought on a lot of comparisons to Sam and Diane of Cheers, which I can’t ever disagree with (Ted Danson is still a babe). I felt that season 3, once the two were together, struggled; even though Zooey Deschanel and Jake Johnson’s chemistry is fantastic, the writers didn’t know how to keep them together. The break-up scenes were excellently done, and much sadder than New Girl is used to. It certainly gave them some great material for season 4. Getting back to the show’s roots, and almost taking on a Happy Endings type vibe for the season premiere, we see our cast attending the last wedding of the summer season. Schmidt is determined for all of them to hook up. No one hooks up in the Fall or Winter, and this is the last chance. Jess, a tap-shoe wearing Nick, Coach and a couch-ridden Winston agree wholeheartedly. However even with this determination, a lot is still hidden below the surface, Schmidt is still desperately pining for Cece, and in a brilliant delivery as always, from Max Greenfield he declared “not going to lie, I have a halfie”, when he sees her teaching Jess to dance sexily.
Nick and Jess are still navigating their new relationship, friends, to couple, back to friends, who are now exes that live together - the writers summarize their hilariously complicated relationship as Jess bares her soul, and attraction to a teenage Simba from the Lion King, to the best man she competes for against Jessica Biel (a decent, albeit, unnecessary cameo). The chemistry is still there, and in a sweet moment when Jess is hiding in the men’s bathroom and Nick comforts her, telling her she’s “not a toilet girl”, you can see the sparks fly between them.
This episode felt filmic in tone, and adequately got New Girl back on the horse for the season. A happy ending, much like Wayans Jr.’s old show, the gang, who didn’t go home with anyone, went home together, and tore all the wedding cards off the fridge. Because, what’s more important than friendship?
The Roundup
- The constant call back to Nick’s tap shoes throughout the episode is perfect. Runs away from foursome: “tap, tap, tap”.
- WINTER IS COMING
- Nick telling Schmidt he’s been a lady killer all summer “You have been killing it!” “Mostly hand stuff.”
- “I lost my virginity to Malcom Gladwell.”
- “You got a pretty good face.”
- I can’t promise I won’t Biden someone, just to say I “Bidened” someone. When Biden becomes a verb.
New Girl's season premiere shows us the importance of friendship in a sweet, endearingly funny episode, that takes us back to the show's roots.
