Quick entry today - I know, I know... you're saying "impossible!" But I do think I might be capable of a less verbose entry about TV. I'm gonna give it a try. I will try very hard to not get too analytical or deep. I will not talk about how I identify with Jess on so many levels, and I will try to steer clear of any discussion involving how last night's episode shines a bright ray of light on the very complex layers and interwoven fibers of female friendship. I'll try. But there's thiiiiiiiis, so it will be haaaaaard:
diabolical!
I haven't written about New Girl yet, and yes I could go on for days about how fun, smart, adorkable it is, but I will try to concentrate on just last night's episode. First, how interesting that new character Sadie just appears out of nowhere? No introductions here, folks. Now that my panic attack over possibly having missed (MISSED!) an episode of New Girl has subsided, I am able to recognized the freshness of this. I love that the show felt no need to "introduce" us to her... she's always been there, we're just seeing her for the first time. Interesting! Sadie, a lesbian gynelocogist, is a terrific addition to the gang, especially in the offsetting of Schmidtness.
And then there's our other other new girl, Julia played by Lizzie Caplan. We were introduced to her on last week's episode as love interest for Nick. (Aside: what's up with Lizzie? She was not looking like herself last week... maybe because I am so used to seeing her in choppy bangs on Party Down? Curious.) Looking more like herself this week, she is the foil to all of Jess' adorkablness. Julia is (seemingly) everything that Jess is not - high-powered, hard, snarky - and she is threatened by Jess. Meanwhile, Jess is not a fan of Julia either. "I am not a dessert person" says Julia when Jess offers her a cupcake. She might as well have said "I hate goodness and light." These two do not like each other, and in a less smart sitcom, we would all hate Julia and this would be the set up for Jess to tell Nick that Julia is not right for him and then they would confess their feelings for each other. But that doesn't happen here... oh, Jess tells Nick how she feels, but as a friend and also just as a straightforward heads-up that some girl stuff is a'happenin'. And we don't hate Julia at all. Yes, she's a bit of harshness in our comfy Jess world, but she also allows us to see the group as an outsider would (as we did when Paul came around). And she is also snarky funny. (By the way, we all understand that ultimately we are moving towards a Nick and Jess pairing, and I am actively rooting for it... but the typical sitcom/romcom set ups don't apply here. And yes, I do realize I use a lot of parentheses. Singing: Aaaaa lottt.) After strong words towards each other (including awesomeness such as Julia saying: "I don't like you" and "Your whole thing. With the cupcakes and the I break for birds and bluebirds help me get dressed in the morning" and Jess saying "I hate your pant suit! I wish it had ribbons on it or something to make it just slightly cuter" and "my checks have baby farm animals on them, bitch.") Julia begins to soften and allows herself to be friendly with Jess and her friends. And in a scene that is totally relatable, while crocheting, Julia has a fit of frustration and says one of my favorite lines of the episode: "this yarn is broken!"
The ongoing secondary storyline of the Schmidt bathroom saga proves to be strong on the funny. We are again humorously reminded of how particular Schmidt is, especially with his hair sculpting chutney ("and once I'm done with my chutney, back in the row it goes"). Upon finding out that his towel is continually damp because Nick is using it, Schmidt's gagging is appropriate and hilarious. The payoff in this final banter with Nick and Schmidt is fantastic:
Schmidt: "Do you wash the towel?"
Nick: "No I don't wash the towel. The towel washes me. What do you want me to do? Wash the shower next?"
Schmidt: *gagging*
Which leads to...
And now this: Poor Winston. What the hell is going on with this character? I miss Coach played by Damon Wayans Jr. Can't he be supremely awesome on both Happy Endings AND New Girl. I have high hopes for this.
I miss him
Aside: Absolutely loving that New Girl is employing Party Down folk (both Julia and Sadie actresses are Party Down alum). I think I may have been the only person in the world watching that show. SO underrated. So fantastic. Find it. Watch it. Love it. Write me.
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