NEW GIRL SEASON 2 FINALE: ALL ABOUT NICK & JESS
Botched weddings, childish pranks and awkward declarations; just another normal day for the gang in Fox’s critically acclaimed hit New Girl. Praised for its hilarious writing, comedic acting and irresistible cast of characters, the show’s second season has officially dodged the dreaded sophomore slump.
Most shows need to be worked in a little before audiences fall for the main protagonists. This crew of four talented actors have such incredible comedic timing, most were hooked from the first episode. So as season two began, we welcomed them back with open arms.
Ever the damsel in distress, Jess (Zooey Deschanel) finds herself this time around sans job (as opposed to season one, where she was without a boyfriend and an apartment). But with her quirky optimism and roommate support system, she trudges on. Last season left us with a cliffhanger involving the relationship between Nick (Jake Johnson) and Jess. With Nick deciding to forego moving in with girlfriend Caroline and staying in the loft, the door remained open for a romance to flourish. This became the theme of season two. Even when it wasn’t undoubtedly noticeable, the prospect of a relationship past the friend zone always lingered. The show built upon this notion, leaving us to almost root for them to “happen.”
Johnson once again remained brilliant as the hapless yet lovable Nick. Slap happy one moment and down on his luck the next, you can’t help but hurt for the guy. But even at his most conflicted and darkest moments, Johnson spins tragedy into comedy better than anyone since Jack Benny. We ache for Nick, then cheer for him to succeed. His goofiness, mixed with Schmidt’s (Max Greenfield) arrogance and Winston’s conservativeness (Lamorne Morris) makes for terrific chemistry. The icing on the cake is still Dechanel’s sensibleness to her bumbling roomies’ antics. Emmy-nominated Greenfield is again spot on as the lady-killer who always ends as the butt of the joke.
As New Girl season two comes to a close, many questions are left unanswered. By the end, some relationships survive, but at the expense of others. At Cece’s (Hannah Simone) wedding, Schmidt is convinced she isn’t over him. He then recruits the spineless Winston to “sabo” (Schmidt’s word for sabotage) the nuptials between Cece and her arranged fiancé. Needless to say, hilarity ensues. Schmidt’s allegations turn out to be true, as the wedding is called off. Nick’s involvement in the wedding pranks only came out of frustration that Jess saw him as immature and hopeless. When Jess gets word, they embrace in a kiss and ride off. Meanwhile, Schmidt hilariously plays the coward as he runs off, left with the conundrum of choosing between his current squeeze and newly singled Cece.
Those behind the show clearly were hoping we would root for Nick and Jess. Although still roommates, they will assumingly enter season three as an item. (Season three has received the green light). However, one should enter next season with caution. Many shows see a drastic fall in quality once boiling sexual tension turns into full-fledged dating. I look to the show Frasier, and how it went completely downhill once Niles and Daphne got hitched. But maybe this formula will work. We could see Nick and Jess pull a Ross and Rachel from Friends, going on-and-off for many seasons before ending up together in the end. The following seasons certainly have potential, if they’re done right. Stay tuned!
