Once upon a time there was an actor named Damon Wayans, Jr. He was in a midseason series called Happy Endings, which was pretty funny, but since there was no guarantee it would get a second season, he did another pilot for a show called New Girl. Which got picked up to become a series (and just got a full season pick-up plus 2 extra episodes). And then, Happy Endings got surprisingly picked up for a second season, so Damon Wayans, Jr. couldn't carry on with New Girl. But since his character worked good in the pilot, the producers of New Girl decided not to change anything and instead write him out of the show in episode 2. So, tonight we're introduced to Winston, whose name is on the apartment lease and who Coach had been subletting from, while he was abroad. Does he work as well? Well, it's hard to say because he didn't get that much focus this week, but he seems solid. As for the rest of this episode, it's also pretty solid and keeps up the quality from the pilot.
The main plot of the episode is simple. Jess hasn't got much of her stuff back from her ex-boyfriend's house yet, but when she breaks the TV throwing a ball around, her roommates insist she go confront him and get him back. Of course, her first attempt to do so winds up with her driving his new girlfriend Rochelle to the airport (and she's picking her up the following week too) so the boys and Cece help her confront him. Meanwhile Schmidt tries to justify having the biggest room, now that the original owner of the room, Winston has returned.
Both of the stories work well, though the climax of the A-story, where the roommates rush to Jess' defense is pretty similar to the climax of the pilot (except instead of singing, they put on wacky hats, which is funnier. And Schmidt slaps Spencer, whilst wearing a thumb ring in the funniest scene of the episode). Zooey Deschanel is as adorkable as ever as Jess (though toned down a little from the pilot.) and you really sympathise with her as she tries to stand up to her "Kryptonite" (Spencer, hence the title of the episode). Meanwhile from the roommates, Schmidt is quickly emerging as the next funniest character, with his plot about trying to outsmart Winston and keep the big room (but in the end, he convinces himself that he's being tricked into taking the big room and so he takes the small room) is possibly even funnier than the A-story. As is the bit at the end, when he leaves with the rest of the roommates, when Jess' movie selection to watch on her functioning (but slightly broken) big TV, only to quickly come back and request Curly Sue.
So New Girl remains an entertaining watch on Tuesday nights. Nick, Winston and Cece could still go for some fleshing out as characters, and hopefully every episode doesn't end with the roommates coming to Jess' defense, but it's still solid and I could watch 22 more episodes of this at least.
Grade: Awesome! (Good)
Memorable Moments
-"We seem like the same size". Part of Jess' first bad impression on Winston.
-"That's not fair. She might be a really nice ho."
-"Rochelle? Fancy name. 'Rochelle'. Like a mermaid".
-Jess tries to get a free TV from the pawnshop when her first attempt to confront Spencer fails. But a smiley face doesn't equal 550 dollars apparently.
-"Schmidt happens!"
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