Avi's Pick: New Girl

New Girl

Host: Avi

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Date For Meeting: 2/7/2021

Episode Title(s): The Last Wedding, Julie Berkman's Older Sister

Season(s): 4

Episode #: 1, 3

Source(s): Netflix

Episode Length: 22 min

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Show Description/Introduction: Liz Meriwether was a young playwright when she got a screenplay turned into a major motion picture. This opened the door to her pitching a series about a woman who, after walking in on her boyfriend with another woman, moves into a downtown LA loft with a bunch of weird dudes. It was based on Meriwether's own experience as a struggling artist in her 20s bouncing through various LA apartments filled with Craigslist weirdos. Instead of hewing closely to the characters she had initially created, Meriwether opted to focus on casting compelling and talented comedic actors and then building the show around them, which resulted in considerable growth and development of the characters early in the series. The show ran from 2011-2018.

Characters: Jess (Zooey Deschanel): A high-energy, compassionate, passionate, awkward weirdo with a habit of singing regardless of the situational propriety. Jess is an elementary school vice principal who loves her job and people in general. The character is an amalgamation of real-life Meriwether and Deschanel.

Nick (Jake Johnson): An aimless law-school dropout, Nick is an often-barely-functional manchild who works as a bartender at the group's local haunt. He harbors a number of questionable beliefs about life/the world and vague aspirations of becoming a writer. Nick and Jess used to date but are now just friends.

Schmidt (Max Greenfield): Grew up on Long Island as a fat, sensitive nerd. A few years before the start of the show, Schmidt got ripped and decided to become a bro through sheer force of will, but he is very bad at it, and his true personality constantly leaks through his facade. Schmidt is a type A control freak and is always neat, always put together. He works at a marketing firm where he is the only man. Schmidt and Nick met early on at college and have been roommates and best friends for 10 years. They have a deep bond and take care of each other in their own ways.

Winston (Lamorne Morris): Nick's childhood best friend from Chicago. Winston played basketball in Latvia for a few years to little success, then moved to the loft to figure out his life, and has recently decided to become a police officer. Goofy, earnest, and very strange, Winston gets attached to people quickly and is borderline obsessed with his cat Ferguson.

Cece (Hannah Simone): The only main character who does not live in the loft, Cece is Jess's childhood best friend from Portland. She is the cool one who tries to reign in some of Jess's excesses, to little success. Cece works as a model and now also as a bartender with Nick. She used to date Schmidt, and he is very much not over her.

Coach (Damon Wayans Jr.): Real name Ernie, Coach played college basketball with Winston. He is the stereotypical sports-loving guy's guy. Everyone calls him Coach as he found his true calling in his love of helping people through yelling at them, which he does both professionally as a personal trainer, and in his personal life with the loftmates.

Discussion Topics: Will discuss on Sun!