New Girl, “LAXmas” (4.11) - TV Review

New Girl, Season 4, Episode 11, “LAXmas”

Tuesday, December 9, 9pm, FOX

I have a love hate with Christmas themed shows with a strong romantic comedy background. The fact that almost this entire episode takes place in the airport, is an homage to all those rom-com Christmas movies (and, really, any romantic comedy) come before it. Because, according to the genre, love happens in airports. The fantasy this is based on is the idea that one person is leaving forever, the other wants them to stay, big moment happens. In reality, you wait in a terrible line with gross people, you get judged and prodded by TSA, then you wait uncomfortably with bad, expensive food, to get on the plane. There’s nothing romantic about it. But we so desperately want these terrible places to be more magical then they are. New Girl tries to mix a bit of that cynic realism into this episode, in the form of Billy Eichner, the angry desk agent, who goes over the edge thanks to Jess’ positive, cheery, “adorkable” demeanor.

As to why all of our misfits are at the airport? Well, Jess was originally supposed to see her own family, but making out with the very hot brit Ryan, in a supply closet, he asks her to come meet his family in London. She immediately agrees, because love is crazy? They’ve been dating for around three weeks.. seems normal, I have a gripe with that, but I guess when it feels right, it feels right? Anyway, Jess is slightly apprehensive about meeting his family, especially when he sends her a photo of just how well off his parents are.

Nick and Winston are both heading towards Chicago - I could go for another episode of Nick’s family (Nick Kroll!), the idiots that they are, they decide to try for a cheaper, standby flight, a few days before Christmas? Come on now. Billy Eichner’s character bumps them to the bottom of that standby list when Jessica Day pushes him over the edge.

Jess, eventually wears down Billy Eichner, and they become the unlikely odd couple, hanging in the airport bar, and she manages to get Nick and Winston into some sexy first-class seats. I could personally use more Billy Eichner in all of my network comedies (please add him into Mindy Project next, he can fill the hole in my heart that Adam Pally will be leaving).

Schmidt and Cece are heading to the East Coast together, Manhattan and Long Island respectively. When their flight is delayed, Schmidt tries to sneak them into the first-class lounge, as, of course, he is “an aspiring millionaire”. The show is really building back up the chemistry between these two, and New Girl is always at its best when its showcasing romantic tension between a couple of characters. Plus Greenfield and Simone are just fantastic the way they play off each other. Her deadpan reactions to Schmidt’s ridiculousness, and then her silent happiness when he says something sweet and endearing works so well. A really gross rich dude in the lounge offers them his spot, if only he gets a night with Cece, because, yea, that seems fair. Of course Schmidt rebuffs these advances.

And Coach, the lonely traveler who I can relate to. For him Christmas is a time to escape and head to Hawaii, for some well-deserved alone time. Unfortunately he has a very cute niece complaining he’s not coming home to Detroit. The audience knows he’s going to give into this cute little child, the way I give into my God-daughter every damn year. Christmas is for the children.

All in all this episode continues the solid run New Girl has been on, and I’m glad they didn’t make this episode too Love Actually-like.

The Round-Up

• Line of the night goes to Nick and his distrust of the sky: “That’s why we should’ve taken trains: Because the sky’s too fickle, it’s the play-place for butterflies.”
• Yes, that perverted Santa in the airport bar was Mr. Belding from Saved by the Bell. If you are unaware of who that actually is, then, well, I feel old.