When I was watching New Girl last night I was consumed with this overwhelming sense of guilt for being such an ass about it when it first started, because “Thanksgiving” reminded me very much of “The One Where Underdog Gets Away,” and everybody knows that Friends did holiday-themed episodes better than any TV show ever. “Thanksgiving” was really, really funny and really, really sweet – and somehow it even made me fall for Schmidt a little bit, which, frankly, is a Turkey Day Miracle.
AFTERELLEN BAIT
Even though New Girl is getting funnier and funnier – by the end of the season, I fully expect it to be on par with Happy Endings – it’s still ranking pretty low on the AE Bait Meter. We’re getting more CeCe, which brings the lady count to two, but she’s just a cardboard cutout at this point and the only thing she and Jess ever talk about are dudes. Zooey Deschanel continues to delight, of course. It helps that Jess’ adorable quirks are outweighing her grating hijinks. But if New Girl is going to have staying power, they’re going to have to up their game past rom-com shenanigans and that means they’re going to have to give Jess something to do besides dancing around Nick and that means they’re going to have to give her a lady friend with a personality. So hop to it, writers. You’re getting better. Get better-er!
FEELINGS, FEELINGS, FEELINGS
Justin Long was a good get for New Girl because he’s ridiculous and Zooey Deschanel is ridiculous and they have some good chemistry. I think I was supposed to feel all, “Oh, but Nick!” But those two were too cute in their Thanksgiving costumes for me to get worked up about grump Nick. And honestly, the thing I felt the most during “Thanksgiving” was legitimately tickled, which means this show has come a long long way in six episodes, which makes me really happy.
CUTE OVERLOAD
Did somebody say Thanksgiving costumes?
Also, why were they wearing costumes if they were only working backstage. Ah, who cares. They’re adorable.
GIGGLE BOMBS
OK, for starters, that giant turkey was a perfect visual gag and the director played it perfectly. From Jess cuddling it on the floor, to the gang crowding around to watch it in the dryer to Schmidt cradling its charred remains on the floor, it was hilarious.
Poor ol’ Hank’s giving. Also: the dialogue jokes are getting much snappier! “Just two dudes playin’ word association games, kickin’ back with a couple of pumpkin ales” was a good one. And so was “Black Friday – or as I like to call it: Friday.” But the best, best, best was Jess shouting about how she wanted to have sex with with Paul BIG TIME.
I do! I want to, I want to have sex with him big time! I want to take him down to Chinatown and slice him off a piece of this pumpkin pie, OK? I want to do all the things you do in a bedroom with him, OK? I want to do it standing up and sitting down and half-up and half-down and the wiggly one and the bear attack and the claws in the head and the one the figure skaters do and the What’s For Lunch and the Give Me That Hat. Let’s just say, I’m good. I’m really really good and I don’t care what you think!
Another great visual gag was Paul dancing around in the elevator trying to get away from the dead body.
What did you think of “Thanksgiving”? And, um, does anyone know what the Give Me That Hat entails?
