The Fox television sitcom “New Girl” premiered Tuesday, September 20th at 9 PM, drawing about 10 million viewers. The show follows Jess Day, played by the beautiful and talented Zooey Deschanel. After a tough breakup with a cheating boyfriend, Jess is on the hunt for a new place to live. After perusing Craigslist, she is led to a gorgeous loft that comes complete with three single guys whom she’s never met before. The guys are hesitant to let her stay but eventually agree to allow it. Jess warns them that because of her breakup she’ll be “watching Dirty Dancing 6 or 7 times…a day.” Cue the scene where Jess is cross-legged on the loft floor, unpacking her boxes, and sobbing hysterically while Dirty Dancing plays on the television and her 3 new male roommates look on in shock and terror.
I have to admit, the reason I stumbled across “New Girl” was because “Glee” had just ended and I hadn’t yet started my Marketing homework. However, two or three minutes into the show, I was hooked. The plot is something that may seem a little far-fetched (would you agree to and enjoy living with three guys?), but for the eccentric Jess, the producers make it believable and realistic. Jess comes off as a little strange; she’ll sing her response when a roommate asks her a question, she has her own personal theme song, and she uses the expression “Jeesh!” excessively.
Deschanel owns the character and makes us want to like Jess, not despite her oddities but because of them. Jess is a goofball but goes about her antics in an honest, candid way (When handed a drink at the bar she sings “Pink wine makes me…slutty”). The frank comments she makes and her unapologetic attitude (at one point she tells a roommate “Well, I guess I can’t hide my crazy”) suggest there is more than meets the eye. She is clearly hurt by her breakup and at times, the consistent stream of sarcastic remarks appears to be somewhat of a guard or coping mechanism. I’m excited to see how the relationship between Jess and her three roommates (who, as of right now, seem quite similar to each other), pans out. I would like to believe that in upcoming episodes, their own individual personalities will become more apparent. All in all, “New Girl” offers a fresh, modern spin on the typical sitcoms that seem to pop up year after year.
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