Zooey Deschanel is enough reason for me to be interested in any TV show she stars in. And I'm guessing most American TV viewers share the same sentiment. The challenge, however, lies in keeping the TV viewers interested long enough for the network to extend the season to 22 episodes for its first season, or order for a second one.
The Plot: Three guys (a black guy, 2 white guys) accept a recently cheated on girl (Jess, played by Deschanel) as their new housemate. This girl sings to herself, makes up songs for herself and watches Dirty Dancing when she's heartbroken. And, she's not drop-dead-sexy. But they take her in anyway because she can pay rent and has model friends (hello, Hannah Simone!).
Judging by the looks for the first episode one would know, or can reasonably infer, that one of the guys (if not, god forbid, all of them) will definitely fall in love for Jess. This is where the story will revolve around. My money's on Nick (Jack Johnson).
PRO
The first episode was okay...
CON
...but it had a commercial-movie-like feel to it. I felt the dialogues were narrating the story instead of the story unfolding by itself.
PRO
Zooey Deschanel...
CON
...but her Failure to Launch-like comedic-ness does not seem to work for me in New Girl. Maybe her brand of comedy is best served in small, regulated doses and not regular, daily servings.
PRO
The chemistry between the guys were ok. It felt as if they are friends. Coach (Damon Wayans Jr.) was the most promising because not much has been said about him in the first episode. Nick and Schmidt's stories' foundations seemed to be laid out pretty well.
CON
They changed the token black guy character just after one episode! They replaced him with (and no surprises here!) another black guy who looked like the average black guy. I haven't fully watched episode 2 but I took a peek and discovered that Coach, the most promising character from Episode 1, was replaced! Too bad Wayans' other show, Happy Endings, was renewed for another season. There should be a Bring-Wayans-Back-to-New-Girl movement. Well, first, there has to be enough people who watch the show to care to bring back the chemistry that was in the pilot episode.
PRO (and this has no CON counterpart...)
One of the guys (or at least it is made to appear that one of them) reads Nelson DeMille like I do! I'm amazed at how a copy of Lion's Game lying inocuously behind Zooey Deschanel can catch my eye.
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| I wonder, who is the Nelson DeMille fan in the show? |
Little things like this, albeit of... well, little importance, can easily reel me back to a show the same way that a big character change (first, Bones, House, Glee and now New Girl) has made me let go of it. For all it's worth, and New Girl has to thank Nelson DeMille for this, I will give New Girl another try to make up for Damon Wayans' ouster, Zooey's mediocre antics and the show's fairly predictable storylines. If it fails to deliver up to Episode 5 I'd drop it.
My Quest for the Next Best Series continues.
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You may want to read my other QNBS review:
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