Quick Take: New Girl, "Pilot"
Unfortunately the new girl is not bringing it.
Review: New Girl, "Pilot"
(S0101) I really had high hopes for this show, but midway throught it I was feeling quite disappointed and bored.
Zooey Deschanel stars as Jessica, a teacher in her late 20s who after an unforeseen break-up moves into an apartment (which she finds on Craigslist) with three guys. Jessica is supposed to be a bit bubbly and a bit quirky, but I personally found her to be a bit annoying. I think that may be in part to me feeling that Deschanel was overacting. While the guys Nicky, Schmidt and Coach (respectively played by Jake Johnson, Max Greenfield and Damon Wayans Jr.) do seem cool, I just find it hard to believe that all four of them would instantly hit it off as they did in the premiere. Where's the awkwardness that arises when new people move in together, especially between men and women? Unless the writers just felt that was too trite to write about.
The scene at the bar where Jessica does the motion with her glasses when the hot guy walks by is ridiculous. To me it looked like the glasses were going to fall out of her hands. The night at the bar just goes downhill from there. Well, maybe not for Jessica who does manage to score a date by refraining from being her usual self.
The one redeeming scene in this episode comes at the end. When Nick, Schmidt, and Coach learn that Jessica is being stood-up they race to the restaurant she is at and arrive just as the hostess is telling her that they need her table. They end up singing the Dirty Dancing hit "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" to her, which promptly gets them thrown out.
I guess my biggest issue with the show is, what's the hook? Why should I tune in every week to watch this show? Just to see the antics between Jessica, Nick, Schmidt, and Coach. I don't think so. If this show had more of a back story written into it and some sort of love triangle it would make a cute movie under the romantic comedy genre though.
As a side note, Damon Wayans Jr. will only be seen in the pilot since Happy Endings on ABC was renewed for a second season.
