‘New Girl’ awkwardness overshadows hilarity


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Fall will soon be poking its head around the corner and it’s practically mandatory that it arrives with new TV series in tow. For those of you curious about the upcoming Fox series, New Girl, and don’t mind the most inoffensive of spoilers, read on.

With Zooey Deschanel as the star and a tagline reading “Simply adorkable,” New Girl holds promise as a quirky show sure to entertain fans of awkward characters and situations. Deschanel plays Jess, a young woman who, after a painful breakup, decides she needs a change of life’s scenery.

The show follows her relationships with her three new male roommates, Nick (Jake M. Johnson), Schmidt (Max Greenfield) and Coach (Damon Wayans, Jr.), as well as her best friend, Cece (Hannah Simone).

Sadly, the first episode did not live up to the expectations the trailer had established. From the beginning, the scenes are confusing. Flashbacks advance too quickly for the jokes to sink in.

When we finally settle in present time, Jess’ emotional breakdown is barely believable. Her obsession with Dirty Dancing has good intentions as a method of breakup recovery, but Deschanel’s sobbing fails to elicit sympathy, even if it was intended to be comically overdone.

Adding to the disappointment, the dynamics between Jess and her new roommates and Cece feel forced and unrealistic. We can usually suspend disbelief for anything filmed for the entertainment of the general public, but opposites do not attract with Jess’ social awkwardness and Cece’s occupation as a model. Though Cece treats Jess with admirable kindness, their relationship lacks the chemistry necessary for a TV friendship to be taken seriously.

If there’s any reason to watch New Girl, it’ll be for the unfailing hilarity of the trio, Nick, Schmidt and Coach. Together, they outshine Deschanel and take the reins of the show. Nick’s reaction to a not-so-recent breakup highlights his dramatized sensitivity; Schmidt’s regular offenses of douchebaggery make us want to create our own “Douchebag Jar”; Coach gets a laugh with every emotionally-blind “Stop it!” directed at Jess.

Still, whether it’s for Jess or for the boys she lives with, I encourage everyone to check out New Girl, which will premiere on Fox on Tuesday, September 20 at 9/8c.