There are only a few actresses in Hollywood who manage to transcend the various rules of attraction. More often than not, they are either aligned with what is known as "boy or girl sexy." Zooey Deschanel, the star of Fox's new sitcom, the "New Girl," somehow manages to fuse the two. With her quirky and charming humor, Deschanel attempts to save a fairly tired and cliched script.
Elizabeth Meriwether, the writer and creator of "New Girl," gained fame from her commercially celebrated but critically panned "No Strings Attached" earlier this year. These romcom roots are strikingly evident in her new show. Though it centers on the domestic and personal relationship between three men and one woman, the script has a distinctly female undertone.
Deschanel portrays Jessica Day, a teacher obsessed with "Dirty Dancing" (1987) and fond of singing to herself. Upon discovering her long−term boyfriend with another woman, Jess responds to a Craigslist apartment advertisement. She is quick to inform the three male residents that the she had expected them to be women. When Jess critiques the feminine tone of the ad (which described a "sun−soaked and beigy" space), one of the men, Schmidt (Max Greenfield), responds to the emasculation by removing his shirt. Though endearingly funny, his gesture evinces Meriwether's desperate attempt to communicate that this is also a man's show.
The men, Schmidt, Nick (Jake Johnson) and Coach (Damon Wayans, Jr.) perfectly demonstrate the show's feminine influence. Though these characters appear to be stereotypically manly on the surface, they have sensitive sides and articulate their feelings almost too clearly. Schmidt, for example, works entirely with women. A brief clip from his workday illustrates his lack of control in the office, as one woman makes fun of his pink tie: "Nice tie, can I borrow a tampon?"
Schmidt's discussion of "motor−boating" comes off as a contrived and unnatural attempt at asserting his masculinity. He follows up that comment by asking Jess — who is showering during Schmidt's conversation with Nick — if she has shaved her legs, front and back, as she prepares for her first night out post−breakup. His overly keen interest in her well−being contradicts his womanizing attitude.
Coach is perhaps the most macho character, working as an overly aggressive personal trainer. In the description of the show, Fox is keen to clarify that "Coach's macho athletic exterior is actually a cover for his shyness around women." The pilot episode demonstrates Coach's vulnerability in a conversation with Jess, when he asks her to help him talk to women.
Like Jess' character, Nick has somewhat recently had his heart broken. He is not, however, by any means over his ex−girlfriend, as proven by a series of intoxicated phone calls to her — for which he affects a disturbingly inaccurate British accent more often than not. He is easily the most relatable of the three male characters; his intelligence is demonstrated in his sarcastic and witty quips. Nick's job as a bartender thus implies his current uncertainty about his life.
The last character in the lineup is Cece (Hannah Simone), a model and Jess' best friend from childhood. Meriwether strives to give Cece more depth that her profession normally implies; Cece offers deadpan responses and cynically rejects Schmidt's advances. Her straightforward humor and pragmatism perfectly balance Jess' idealized notions of reality.
"New Girl" offers a dichotomous portrayal of the relationship between the sexes, which encourages the unusual−for−Hollywood idea that men and women can cohabit platonically. The show emphasizes this notion by concluding its pilot with Schmidt reassuring Jess that he'd "totally do her." Rather than interpreting the comment as romantic, Jess asks him to stick a dollar in the "douchebag jar," which the housemates keep on hand for Schmidt's especially obnoxious moments.
The show is a little hackneyed so far, but "New Girl" has potential to improve. The characters are endearing and the script is reasonably funny. Hopefully, Deschanel can save and ameliorate what will otherwise be a one−season show.
