Okay – I know I’m gushing about this show but truly this is ranking up there with Modern Family for me. And what I love about it is that it doesn’t hold any punches. There is a “real” factor which just seems so refreshingly honest to me.
We have a situation where Jess (Zoey) and Nick are clearly bonding more than the other roommates. It’s your classic TV relationship set up. But this is season one, so nothing is going nowhere for a while. And I’m fine with that. The story starts with the two of them getting out of long term relationships so we’re okay with him dating his rebound girl and her dating her rebound guy.
But the key here – we the audience really liked rebound guy. (He’s already gone.) And I’m liking rebound girl for Nick. They are not pulling out cookie cutter “bad” guys that the audience has to hate because we really want the main couple to be together.
And then what I LOVED is that Jess and Rebound Girl (Julia I think) didn’t like each other. Jess is a sweet school teacher. Julia is a hardcore lawyer. And for once they really did an exchange between two different women which had nothing to do with the guy involved, but everything to do with why sometimes women aren’t friends.
I'm paraphrasing but we get lines like...
Julia thinks Jess is zaney and spacey and bakes things and makes people blankets and walks around like little birds might start flying out of her skirt. And if Julia talked like Jess at her office people wouldn’t respect her.
Jess thinks Julia talks too much like Murphy Brown and should where more ribbons on her suits because they are not cute at all. And maybe she does talk a certain way but it’s because she’s an elementary teacher and she talks to kids all day long. And she ends this great scene with, it doesn’t mean she’s not smart and strong. Then she follows that with how she has to write out a check for a parking ticket and her checks have baby farm animals on them… BITCH!
I saw this scene and I was like YES. Finally. This is real. And maybe while people aren’t that openly confrontational sometimes that’s what they are really thinking. And they didn’t magically become friends. Yes there is grudging acceptance but still the differences are there and they are real.
To me the writers of this show are brilliant. I have absolutely no idea where they are taking me but I know I'm going to get the unexpected.
Also Schmidt is a flat out show stealer. Look for him to be up for supporting awards soon.
8 comments:
Which one is Schmidt? I liked this show too the little I watched it and now it's fallen off my radar.
I know I keep talking about how I'm not watching tv, but it seems I'm not watching any tv but The Voice. Which is terrible, I know.
I'm a big fan of this too. And the episode where Schmidt placed the "conference call" to Tokyo! OMG! Hilarious.
Schmidt is half player, half geek. Total metrosexual. You're really not sure if he's a jerk or cool - but you love him anyway.
My favorite was when he was trying to impress CiCi the beautiful model with things he knew about India... just the long string of anything could think of to relate to India. Also hilarious!
I'm a huge, huge fan of this show. LOVE IT.
I finally have it set on my DVR to record so I'm seeing it more regularly. Really enjoying it too.
I like how in many ways it's like Friends, but they aren't taking us places we expect. Frankly, they had me at that episode (first? second?) when the boys went with Jess to pick up her stuff at her old boyfriend's house. "He has this gorgeous hair. It's like magic." That was a different but real moment too (and funny) because it shows how love and infatuation color perceptions.
Oh, and how they let a girl character be so "twirly" and admit it.
I've watched it intermittently but now I need to place it on my regular weekly watch.
Steph, Schmidt is hilarious. It's magic of casting and writing that he is as funny and charming as he is..
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