New Girl: First Thoughts

The TV Month That Was: New Girl

It's Zooey Deschanel, the douche goofball, the love interest, and the not!Coach.

There were quite a number of debuting television shows that I was looking forward to seeing this year than any of the previous years, simply because there were a lot of shaking up taking place—a boob tube icon returning to TV-land, also more reality shows, more sexified dramas, and more movie veterans trying out the small-screen gig for the first time. Excitement!

But, after catching the pilot you end up with only a handful of these that you want to see go the distance. A good three seasons, at the very least. Hey, One Tree Hill lasted nine seasons.

Subtitled: The Series that Refused to Die

One of the few new shows that really made a big impact on its first day was the Zooey Deschanel-led sitcom New Girl on Fox. Yes, from (500) Days of Summer; yes, half of She & Him; yes, Emily Deschanel’s younger sister. What, you didn’t know that last tidbit?

Moving on…

If you want a ha-hee-ha ha, feel good, cringe-fest fix on your sets, New Girl is just for you. Zooey plays the main protagonist Jess Day, a bubbly preschool teacher, who loves to sing to herself and do awkward things in front of guys. The boys from The Big Bang Theory don’t hold a candle to Jess in situations that involve socializing with the opposite sex. Miraculously enough, she was able to keep a model boyfriend for three whole years, although that ended horribly, which was the premise of the entire show, actually. How does one very likable but awkward girl (more awkward than seeing Ellen judge on American Idol) move on from a tragic relationship, especially when she moves in with three single but attractive guys, who also have their own issues with the opposite sex? SHENANIGANS, I tells ya.

SHENANIGANS! Also: Spoiler.

So anyway, not to give away too much about the show (so far, the third episode’s just aired), methinks it’s still kind of riding on the success and momentum of the first episode. This could just be me, but the last two episodes left me a bit underwhelmed by the supposed-to-be funny parts. (A few exceptions would be the driving scene in the second episode and the group chicken dance scene in the third.) Maybe because the first one was just plain hilarious from start to finish. It had the sweet moments, and the flat-out witty ones. 

It may also have something to do with the role-change situation. It’s either Damon Wayans Jr., despite his uber short-lived part as Coach, is as epic a comedy actor as his old man, OR the replacement has not been given the best material to work with. Damn, I can’t even remember him or his character’s name. I mean, a dance-off with an obnoxious kid at a wedding? Come. On. Still not likable at this point, unfortunately.

Still, given the small disappointments, I do think it’s already found itself a growing fanbase, who will forgive them for the little mistakes. Personally, I will still be watching New Girl mainly because of: 1. Zooey Deschanel playing Jess (“It’s Jess!”) is her most lively role YET, 2. Zooey singing is always adorable, and 3. THE DOUCHEBAG JAR.

Probably the funniest thing on the show.

- Soc

As much as Soc and probably quarter of world is falling head over heels over the New Girl, I’m not exactly jumping in the bandwagon just yet. I’m still not feeling the show just yet or maybe I’m one of those boring TV watcher kind – I like my dramas, procedural and my funnies, sitcom-y. Though I give some exceptions to some, I find that I keep going back to the formulaic kind, to keep my mind numb and happy.

When Soc reminded me about this show, I checked it out right away because Zooey Deschanel is in it. I like Zooey. She’s warm and fuzzy like a summer’s day (heh).

Raised expectations towards quirky girls to unreasonable levels.

Ms. Deschanel is going all out with her quirkiness and awkwardness as Jess, which basically means she’s being almost like every other character she plays. (Almost, meaning she’s being quirky and another adjective.) But, I like her all the same. Then we have the 3 guys whose worlds are going to be rocked (I’m assuming) by the new girl – Nick (who is obviously the romantic interest), Schimdt (the only other potentially interesting character), and Winston (who is so not Coach). And lastly, Jess’ best friend Cece, who I’ve decided is my favourite character because she balances the embarrassment moments with her super deadpan expression. Love her.

Cece, save her from too much dorkiness!

So, I liked the first episode of the New Girl in a finger-curling-oh-my-god-somebody-please-hit-her-over-the-head kind of like. Maybe, I’m just not into those shows which centralize on a constant stream of embarrassing moments. I like those situations in small dosages or else I’m going to be rendered incoherent from so much 2^nd hand embarrassment, which this show is proving to be good at starting at episode 2. But, I’m giving this show a very wide berth because after all, it’s just been 3 episodes and I don’t think it’s fallen into a good rhythm yet.

New Girl is the kind of comedy that I probably wouldn’t get into as fast if I wasn’t watching it real time and, I’m not waiting in anticipation for it to warm the cockles of my non-heart. As for now, I’m just waiting for it to let me watch without curling my fingers every other second.

- Tula

Friendly Exes (?)

Ex-boyfriends are probably one of the most fun topics to talk about when I’m not talking about my ex-boyfriends. Rather than the bitterness that I may or may not have on them, it’s because those topics are better left in the past or bludgeoned until it screams for mercy. Er... I mean that they’re just better kept in the past.

Yes, right.

So, ignoring my last statement, let’s talk about having an ex-boyfriend as a current (close) friend which probably any self-respecting girl has tried to achieve at a certain point in time. Because, you know, it’s the logical thing to do if the break up was not vying to be the next screenplay for a Star Cinema movie.

 I mean, what do they talk about? They're sexing it up and you're fishing. What?

(Photo: Vanity Fair)

This idea about having your ex as a good friend is all good and nice, except that it’s usually a bad idea. He became an ex for a reason and that will hang in the air between the two of you (and of your significant others, if any) for the rest of the time that you aren’t married to other people. I don’t know if I’m alone in this, but I think there will always be lingering feelings for exes even if you’ve really moved on and it doesn’t necessarily have to be love; it can be like murderous contempt or something.

(Mind, this does not reflect on me or my relationship with my exes, it’s just to prove a point. Moving on.)

This doesn’t mean that I object to being friends with an ex, but anything beyond civil friendship baffles me and I admire people that can do that. I don’t believe that it can happen but congratulations if you can do that, though I always have a sneaking suspicion that all of it is a defense mechanism of some sort. I’d only believe it when you’re 80 (or mature or senile enough) and have worked your way to turning those lingering feelings into a quiet acknowledgement of something you both shared.

Anyone can admit that there is always an awkward air on seeing someone you valued so much. Going back to what you were before you had a relationship is not as easy as sitcoms/series have you believe. Heck, even How I Met Your Mother brought the topic of Robin being the ex of both Ted and Barney into the spotlight.  And the Robin and Ted thing was like four or five seasons ago. Don’t even get me started on shows like Gossip Girl, Melrose Place or 90210 where they have like a relationship round robin for their whole run.

Seriously, this only happens in TV.

I wouldn’t stop anyone who would want to attempt it, though. Not because I don’t believe in it doesn’t mean that it absolutely cannot happen. I have an open mind. But, if you’re my friend and you come running to me, remember that I would only give you a snort for your efforts. And probably a pack of tissues. All the alcohol would have to be provided for.

-          - Tula

And because we’ve recently found out the obvious instinctive partiality of our dear awesome readers (both ladies AND gents) toward relationship topics (the sudden climb of the number of hits at our site just brings us over the moon and back, though it’d be more awesome if we get an actual comment from you cats, but what the heck, we’re happy), allow us to delve deeper into this foolish subject we can’t help but obsess over.

Next stop: ex-boyfriends. Whoopee.

CLEARLY, I’m excited. Nothing brings me more joy than when discussing the not-so cute, often bitter past. I mean, we might as well have puppies and cotton candy right now. That’s sarcasm, in case you haven’t noticed.

Anyway, yes, the case of the ex. I’ve had my small share of that phenomenon and when I say ex, I do mean mention-his-name-to-my-face-again-and-I’ll-cut-you. Kidding (not).

Soc, I know this is how you feel. - Tula

Let it be known though that I do admire girls who can let things pass and just allow maturity to prevail when dealing with their exes, most especially, if the girl is the hurtee, not the hurter in their once happy relationship as a romantic couple. It takes a bigger person to look at the once bane of her existence straight in the face and smile at it—I mean him. So it really is amazing and what-the-hell, fantastic to sustain the bullsh*t, I mean friendship between an ex, let alone three.

This weirds us out the most. All the Jonas Brothers exes in one photo. 

What do they talk about?

I won’t declare that I don’t buy certain cases. I know several girls who show great pride in having such a special bond between their ex-boyfriends, but I guess it’s really hard to imagine it being not complicated. They say that what makes it work is that they really don’t dwell on their past, instead they build on what came after that. They also say that it really shouldn’t be hard as you once shared a true, strong connection together. It’s just a matter of forgetting (the often sad and/or cruel past), and if push comes to shove, dealing with what cannot be forgotten as simply part of life that is ever-so growing old and tired of all the drama. They also say that I look like Scarlett Johansson.

I’d like to think that in time I’ll have that ex-boyfriend-turned-friend in the future. I should learn how to “unblock” a few people on Facebook first, though. 

- Soc