Zooey Deschanel has made her mark on Hollywood by playing the somewhat dorky (but still very pretty) girl who prefers dry digs over batting her eyelashes and painting on a charming smile. She is a bit awkward; she is a bit quiet; she is the physical epitome of the old-fashioned “wallflower.” And yet she has these big, bright eyes that suck you in and speak directly to your soul. New Girl, FOX’ new half-hour comedy, is the perfect vehicle for her because it reflects all of those things. But if you are one of those people who just have yet to “get” Deschanel’s particular appeal, then you simply won’t get her new series either.
Deschanel is charming and adorable and even exceptionally funny in person, and much of that does translate on-screen, but there are many moments within the New Girl pilot that do feel quirky simply for quirky's sake. Perhaps it is simply because she is so off-beat, but much of the dialogue Deschanel delivers in the pilot sounds dripping with sarcasm, even when she’s attempting to be sincere. It can be a bit uncomfortable, a bit off-putting, even when you know that the place from which it comes, the mind of creator Liz Meriwether, really is genuine. In fact, Meriwether seems to be Deschanel's soulmate, as if she is writing specifically for this actress. We can't imagine anyone else in the role, nor anyone else writing to Deschanel's strengths as well. So thankfully, those slightly unreal moments don't overpower the pilot as a whole and hopefully will soon be chocked up to just first episode jitters. Jess has a tendency to make a strange first impression, but thankfully New Girl overall does not.
New Girl is a fish-out-of-water comedy, and much of the time Jess doesn’t seem emotionally mature enough to be living a fully adult life, yet she is thrust into one. Some of her awkward moments are “pat her on the head” cute…until you realize she is not a five or six year-old child. Then you may cringe a little bit. There are certainly moments when the should-be-a-picture-of-modern-youth seems like a hastily drawn caricature instead. Jess is not your typical girl-next-door; she is an acquired taste-- for her new roommates, and probably for the audience, as well. But FOX was able to open its mind enough to embrace her, and we only ask that you do the same. If and when you do you will find characters who mean well but may be a bit misguided.
Jess moves in with three guys who are not without problems and emotional issues of their own. Jake Johnson is dealing with a break-up of his own; Damon Wayans Jr. has been told he doesn't know how to truly listen to women; Max Greenfield has a "douchebag jar" and has to drop in money every time he crosses the line. They all have unique quirks, and together they make a really odd group-- like something you'd only find off a Craigslist add. But that in itself lends itself to the authenticity of their situation.
The pilot of New Girl wants you to get close to these characters-- but admittedly you'd be loathe to get too close, seeing as how one of them (Wayans Jr.) won’t actually be around past this first episode. Little details like the aforementioned “douchebag jar” help ingratiate the guys to the audience but also make them feel like fully fleshed out friends, right off the bat. It's easy to understand why they all hang out together, and it's hard not to want to be invited to join in, too. They really look out for each other; though they don’t explicitly nickname themselves the way the gang of Cougar Town does, they are still their own “Council.” And when Jess moves in, she immediately becomes a part of that close-knit group, so by extension, so will the audience.
New Girl premieres on FOX at 9pm on September 20th, but it is available for FREE on iTunes right now!
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