Review: 'New Girl' - 'Fluffer': Friends without benefits
Jess uses Nick as an emotional surrogate, and Schmidt impersonates a Romney
Zooey Deschanel and Jake Johnson in "New Girl."
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A review of last night's "New Girl" coming up just as soon as I'm going through a Taylor Swift-like range of emotions...
Sometimes, there are sitcom episodes where I enjoy the stories but don't find them especially funny, while other times I laugh at a bunch of jokes but don't like the stories. "Fluffer" was largely an example of the latter scenario, filled with a bunch of amusing individual gags (the other guys mocking Schmidt's belt, Jess and Nick surviving an awkward, overpriced dinner with a thermos of wine, Sam asking "Am I being blackmailed?" to understand Jess's scenario with the dresser) but more problematic stories.
The basic premise of the A-story — that Jess needs a guy she likes emotionally to prepare her to have crazy sex with a guy she doesn't — was a good one, but halfway through it turned into another plot about how Jess and Nick are denying their not-so-secret feelings(*) for each other, and at that point I lose abll interest. I get that Zooey Deschanel is the star of the show, Nick has turned out to be the funniest character on the show, and it's a TV tradition for opposites to attract, blah blah blah. But it's always felt like the "New Girl" writers are trying to make Jess/Nick happen because they're supposed to, and not because the combination becomes vastly more entertaining when you add sexual tension to their contrasting temperaments. Even if the creative team genuinely thinks it's an awesome idea, it never comes across on-screen as one, and feels like a waste of resources to keep devoting time to it.(**)
(*) Speaking of non-secrets, what's with Nick trying to deny having fantasized about Jess when the show did a whole episode last season ("Secrets") about how all three of the guys had done it, repeatedly?
(**) I was talking with Todd Van Der Werff about "Fluffer" this morning, and he suggested that the only way a Jess/Nick pairing would be entertaining is if they get together and it is a complete disaster, like the way "Scrubs' treated J.D. and Elliott in the early seasons, or the payoff to Cordelia and Wesley's season-long flirtation on "Buffy." I concur.
Schmidt impersonating Tagg Romney — and briefly getting away with it in front of a trio of hardcore Romney fans — was pretty stupid, but I did enjoy, as usual, his interactions with Cece, including her being there for him in his moment of need even though they're broken up and he's constantly mocking her boyfriend. That's a situation where the chemistry between the two actors works in virtually any iteration.
As for Winston, it's unfortunately still a struggle. Why is he almost always much funnier commenting on the other character's storylines ("Never Adele!") than when he's involved in his own? They had a whole season, plus a hiatus, to figure this out, and it's still a case of a funny performer in search of a character.
Enough jokes landed, and the first half of the Jess/Nick storyline worked (before their fight) that overall I liked "Fluffer," but it felt like a step down from last week's two strong episodes.
What did everybody else think?
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Login or create a HitFix account Login SignupJohn
October 3, 2012 at 10:08AM EST Reply to CommentI gotta disagree and call this a pantheon episode for them. Nick and Jess are being treated like a TV couple because the actors have chemistry and you can't avoid it forever, and paying it off with that fight in the middle was fantastic.
Also, having ended up in one or two "relationships without benefits" myself, I found myself really relating to and enjoying the storyline.
sepinwall I definitely think this is an episode where your affection will depend largely on how you feel about Nick and Jess as a couple.
October 3, 2012 at 10:52AM ESTShannon I'm with John. The pairing feels inevitable to me, because I do think the actors have a nice chemistry and it doesn't feel at all forced. I think the writers are being smart in having Nick and Jess acknowledge the obvious while both realizing it doesn't mean they should date, at least not right now.
October 3, 2012 at 11:27AM ESTAnd I thought their fight was hilarious, but I am admittedly a total sucker for the people-yelling-funny-lines-over-each-other gag.
Liz
October 3, 2012 at 10:10AM EST Reply to CommentI never get tired of seeing Nick's disgusted, "I wish you hadn't told me that" face.
Also, his talking peanut conversation and subsequent emotional breakdown at the bar was hilarious.
Brian
October 3, 2012 at 10:16AM EST Reply to CommentIs Nick the funniest character or TV right now, or am I crazy?
Balaji K Not by a distance. In my opinion, he's not even the funniest character on "The New Girl." Schmidt is funnier.
October 3, 2012 at 11:25AM ESTChampSkins
October 3, 2012 at 10:30AM EST Reply to CommentHilarious episode. New Girl was constantly hit and miss for me last season, with more misses than hits... but so far they are nailing it.
Mike
October 3, 2012 at 10:32AM EST Reply to CommentAh, I always love when I call the "As soon as" line correctly, and what a great line it was.
Evan
October 3, 2012 at 10:35AM EST Reply to CommentHated the storyline, loved the execution. I couldn't stop laughing, even when they were having their stupid fight. And Winston's faces in the mirror had me dying.
Mike
October 3, 2012 at 10:36AM EST Reply to CommentAh, I'm always glad when I correctly call the "As soon as" line, and it was a pretty easy call last night since that whole exchange was just great.
Balaji K
October 3, 2012 at 10:48AM EST Reply to CommentI watched all 4 FOX comedies last night and Raising Hope was the funniest of them all. Sadly, there's review/recap of that show. I'm glad to have this show back.
Balaji K I meant there is no review of Raising Hope here. Missed the "no." Not complaining though.
October 3, 2012 at 11:11AM ESTBrian I would respectfully disagree. Im a regular watcher of Raising Hope. Its decent, but nothing groundbreaking. New Girl is one of the Top 5 comedies on TV IMO.
October 3, 2012 at 6:11PM ESTBalaji K I would respectfully disagree. I gave up on New Girl after 3 episodes last season because it was simply unfunny. But over the course of last season, I read the critics writing that the show has gotten better. So, I finally managed to watch the first season. It's not hilarious like some of the other shows but the show did get better after the first 9 or 10 episodes. And I started to like the characters. Zoey toned down a bit. In the first 17 or 18 minutes, the characters act crazy. In the last 4 or 5 minutes, they get an epiphany and all get together and say stuff. In the next episode, they start acting crazy all over again. That's the format of this show.
October 3, 2012 at 10:39PM ESTAll said and done, I don't consider this among one of the top 5 comedies on TV right now. From among the comedies I watch, I'd rate New Girl after Parks and Recreation, How I met your mother, Modern Family, The Big Bang Theory, Raising Hope, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Community, Happy Endings. The list is not in any particular order.
Brian Its funny, we have pretty similiar tastes in shows, so I'm surprised you don't like New Girl. My Top 6 would be (in no particular order): Parks and Rec, New Girl, Happy Endings, Always Sunny, Community and Louis.
October 4, 2012 at 9:09AM ESTBalaji K Oh I forgot to add Cougar Town to the list.
October 4, 2012 at 10:33AM ESTI like the characters on New Girl. I just feel like I'm not laughing as much as I'd like to.
Col Bat Guano
October 3, 2012 at 10:54AM EST Reply to CommentSchmidt's "It's like memory foam." line was my laugh of the night. Really enjoyed this episode and I got the feeling they were sort of mocking the idea of Jess and Nick getting together.
Amy Loved that line also!
October 3, 2012 at 12:03PM ESTDave
October 3, 2012 at 11:21AM EST Reply to CommentSchmidt as "Tugg Romney" was just fantastic.
The Original G Man I agree. I laughed out loud at the Tugg Romney stuff. If Romney wins in November, I hope they occasionally bring "Tugg" back.
October 5, 2012 at 7:49AM ESTdrew It's Tuggb. Remember, the b is silent.
October 7, 2012 at 5:55AM ESTfilthyfowl
October 3, 2012 at 11:25AM EST Reply to CommentI enjoyed the early part of the Tagg Romney bit because it showed just how douchey Schmidt could be. He vehemently rejected the comparison when provoked by Nick and WInston, but when he realized it could get him into the club or meet women, he embraced it. So many young guys do stupid things, tell dumb little lies and pretend to be other people to meet girls, so I found it funny and right on character.
Catherine
October 3, 2012 at 12:19PM EST Reply to CommentWow I totally disagree. Nick & Jess have a really nice, sweet, believable chemistry.
gadgetguy03
October 3, 2012 at 12:31PM EST Reply to CommentAlan, I see what you're saying with the "Secrets" episode but Nick mentioned that by saying "not voluntary." He said "sleeping Nick is off the table." I think what Jess was referring to when she asked that question was what Winston was doing and just staring. She mentions doing the deep lunges and he stared, to which he brought up his Google history.
I liked the ep. The Schmidt plotline fell kind of flat for me but I think it's because I can relate to being a "fluffer" in a sense for some friends.
The Spo
October 3, 2012 at 2:09PM EST Reply to CommentEven though I feel a little shaky about the idea of Jess and Nick hooking up, I trust Liz Meriweather's judgement at this point.
Biddle
October 3, 2012 at 2:29PM EST Reply to CommentNick and Jess starting a conversation and then suddenly finding themselves screaming at each other is endlessly funny to me because the two of them work off each other so well.
My kid made me rewind he moment where they ere talking and Nick admitted to some attraction and Jess got all happy "I knew it!" and in typical Jess fashion got incredibly nerdy with her "my calculations were correct". Shit that made me laugh.
Alan, I've never seen the writers as feeling like Jess and Nick HAVE to be a couple, I've always gotten the sense that they're going for a different type of connection. Where they drive each other crazy but understand each other so well, more of a sibling type connection then a romantic one. When a connection like that exists between two unrelated people it stands to reason they'd wonder if it's romantic before realizing that they're important to each other in a different way.
I'm a fan of Nick and Jess interacting as much as possible, but I'm not hoping they'll hookup.
Sara
October 3, 2012 at 3:28PM EST Reply to CommentI, for one, would LOVE to see Jess and Nick as best friends. They have chemistry, sure, but it's not romantic chemistry. And it would be really refreshing to see males and females be friends on TV WITHOUT sexual tension. Seriously. (This was my biggest problem with When Harry Met Sally. Why can't they just be friends??)
If anything, I'd love to see Jess and Schmidt together. As much as I like Cece, the episode with Schmidt's party bus from season one displayed an unexpected chemistry between the two actors, and I thought it worked exceptionally well. See: Jess going into Schmidt's room for sex, only for him to be in there with Cece. (Schmidt's just too manic around Cece, and Jess is too cutesy around everyone... but I think the two of them could really humanize one another in a sweet way.)
Best friends with Nick. Romance with Schmidt. Make it so.
mrbilliam
October 3, 2012 at 5:33PM EST Reply to CommentDating your formerly platonic roommate is a horrible idea... and I hope the writers acknowledge that when they put the two together. I think that could be very entertaining, if they do, whether or not the relationship is a disaster.
JB
October 3, 2012 at 9:04PM EST Reply to CommentThis one didn't really work for me. Schmidt in particular crossed from lovably douchey to just plain douchey. Jess' and Nick's fight was also too obnoxious to be funny and the tone didn't strike me like they were going for pathos. I don't feel the chemistry between the two as much as the writers seem to.
I liked some of the one-liners, though. "Sam came over, we tried to make out. I stopped it and then we just laid there, like two old people in 'The Notebook', waiting to die."
belinda
October 3, 2012 at 9:32PM EST Reply to CommentI had been thinking as to why I don't particularly like (or dislike) Nick and Jess as a couple, and you've hit the nail on the head for me. I don't even mind - that much - that they're together because they're supposed to, because I think they have an ok chemistry together, but this - "not because the combination becomes vastly more entertaining when you add sexual tension to their contrasting temperaments." - is why I don't really care either way, and thus would rather have the show take the time to build other stuff and be funny about it than what seems to be the central relationship. I don't hate it, but I don't think it adds anything as to why I enjoy watching the show.
Turtle
October 4, 2012 at 2:42AM EST Reply to CommentI feel like Winston's story lines never really go anywhere, like his scenes are routinely getting cut or something. Last week it was visiting mom and sister, and this week it was his relationship with Shelby fizzling out. It's frustrating because I like Winston and would like to see his character fleshed out.
Also, I like the chemistry between Nick and Jess. I actually think it'd be funny to see them get together considering how different they are.
Brian Yea, I sort of agree, but its a tough situation for them. Its pretty clear that Nick and Schmidt are the two funniest characters, so they need their screen time. Obviously, Jess has to be a focal point as well. Doesn't leave too much time left to flesh out Winston. At least they are giving him is own stories (as you pointed out) rather than just having him be Not Coach, and just on the periphery of the other characters.
October 4, 2012 at 9:12AM ESTsnowlarbear
October 4, 2012 at 2:09PM EST Reply to Commentjust caught up, when winston is in the bathroom (right before the fluffer conversation with nick) he is brushing his hair in the mirror and giving weird looks.
is this because he's processing the conversation, or fantasizing about Jess by looking at her through the mirror?
i thought it was the former at first, but then the weird look came back when he was talking to cece.
Adam
October 5, 2012 at 2:12AM EST Reply to CommentI get the feeling from Alan's reviews of "New Girl" that the main reason he doesn't want to see Nick and Jess get together is because that's what has happened in all sitcoms before it.
I disagree with this line of thinking entirely. I'm of the mind that you find out what works and you go with it. And anyone watching this show gets that Nick and Jess have the most chemistry together, so its completely logical for them to have flirtation and frustration with each other. To pass it off as any other sitcom tripe is lazy, its the writers using what makes the most sense with what they've seen on screen. And I happened to agree with the writers from what I've seen of New Girl so far.
fresser28
October 5, 2012 at 3:05AM EST Reply to CommentI like Nick a whole lot more than I did last season, but please, PLEASE no cliched Ross-and-Rachel stuff. It's so boring, it's been done to death, and both Deschanel and Johnson deserve better than being shoehorned into such a predictable sitcom trope.
If the producers/writers follow through with this, they'll really turn a very special, singular comedy into every other stupid lame sitcom on network TV. Keep the roommates separate!
Jaxemer11
October 5, 2012 at 9:12AM EST Reply to CommentThis was an awesome episode. The Btugg Romney stuff was hilarious.
Mel
October 6, 2012 at 10:09PM EST Reply to CommentI don't give a shit about the romantic relationships. I just don't care. I love everything about this show. Nothing about it was unfunny. The belt, kayne, tuggb Romney, thermos, the slap fight. The range of emotions of schmit.
Screw the relationships, who cares. This show is just damn funny.