Page 1 of 3
"I'm gonna end up alone. I'm gonna be a single old lady flashing people on the subway...."
Fox / 526 Minutes / 2011-2012 / Unrated / Street Date: October 2, 2012
Zooey Deschanel has come a long way since her appearance as the stewardess older sister in Almost Famous. In New Girl, a comedy that keeps its focus steadily and constantly on her, she has a zesty but well-worn vibe - she seems both new to the scene and like she's been doing this her whole life. So much of TV comedy centers on raw charisma, and in that regard, Zooey has everything pretty wrapped up: it's hard not to fall in love with her.
Speaking of love, heartbreak is how New Girl: Season One kicks off. Zooey plays a lady named Jess, a woman who suffers a split with a longtime beau and finds herself in need of a place to hang her hat. Luckily, a loft with three buddies - played by Jake Johnson, Max Greenfield, and Lamorne Morris - has space for her, so she sets up shop. And as she looks to forge new relationships (both amorous and non), New Girl unravels its stories, pinning Jess and pals in various tricky and often awkward scenarios.
And believe it or not, the thing actually works quite well. New Girl was one of last season's most effective debuts, and this TV-on-DVD set proves why. Unafraid of throwing its characters into quicksand narrative situations, the stakes run pretty high in New Girl - even if its antics are just efforts of young love and twentysomething microdramas, things feel important, even seismic at times on this Season One compilation. And don't forget Zooey - her bubbly debutante persona really is the stuff of TV magic.