Of course you’ve been put in a position where you’re uncomfortably uncertain about something.
And when that happens everyone reacts differently. Like Jess, for example … the focus of this episode of New Girl.
When you’re used to sleeping on wash cloths which double as bedsheets (as her ex-beau Spencer did), getting swept up by a seemingly haughty knight in shining armor like Russell Schiller (Dermot Mulroney) can be downright head spinning. What do you do? Well … you do exactly what Jess did while engaging in repartee with Russell: You fumble and awkwardify and fall head first into a koi pond, trying to make sense of it all while failing miserably in the attempt. Little do you know you’re charming the smarm out of this dude you don’t understand. You saw that, didn’t you? I sure did. I don’t know about you, but I’ve done that exact same thing on an occasion or two in my past.
Which leads me to make a comment regarding many of the folks out there (mostly women) who are harping about the feminism aspects purportedly intertwined in the fabric of many a New Girl story line. As far as I’m concerned, there wasn’t an ounce of it in this one. Supposedly (and I’m just wingin’ it here, folks, because I’m no expert) feminism is “a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights for women” … or so I’ve come to understand. But, in this New Girl chapter, there was no collection, no movement, little aim, no definition, zero establishment and nary a defense. There was, however, a more cohesive reasoning to the end point in the half hour … and sans feminism.
And that was simply the advice Nick offered to Jess where Russell was concerned. “Go for it.” Let it be. Pack up your troubles in your ‘ole kit bag and smile, smile, smile. Try something new. Throw a bit of caution to the wind and let it ride. After all, where can the harm be in accepting a little dinner invitation? (WowZah … am I ever going to get lambasted for that last question …)
And Nick? It will be interesting to see if he takes the “then I grew up” comment to heart that was thrown out there during the exchange between he and Russell in the latter’s study. Much as I love Nick? He is a bonehead at times … in a paradigmic parallel and corollary manner to Jess.
Good episode. Let’s see where part 2 of “Fancyman” leads us.
Notes:
Quotes:
“He’s the 3rd largest donor in the city.” — Tanya
“We take his money and then what? We have to answer to him? So you’re asking me to give up my integrity?” — Jess
“That’s what I’m telling you to do, yes. We need his money.” — Tanya
“So he pulls his donation. You know what? I’ll raise the money myself. I’ll get a rag-tag group of kids together: A lost soul … an orphan … a Jewish kid with a keyboard … a little slut who can dance … and one fatso. And I’ll choreograph some dances, make a show.” — Jess
“You already did that, Jess. It’s called the spring musical … and it literally brought in $60.00 …” — Tanya
“Look … there’s Mesopotamia.” — Winston using “Mesopotamia” in a sentence
“Crispin Glover was not the first person to die in the Revolutionary War …” — Schmidt to Winston
“When I was your age I had a skinny ponytail and I think I was living off of selling my own blood.” — Russell
“So what happened? You just woke up one day and had all this?” — Nick
“I realized I wanted to grow up, that’s what happened.” — Russell
Clacked by Michael Noble 
on Mar 21, 2012 @ 11:51 EST5EDT
Well I was thoroughly charmed by Dermot Mulroney. I hope he stays for a bit.
I will have to go back and stop the DVR, but Jess’s list on the blackboard about alternatives to intercourse was pretty “jess”..I saw “write a convict” on there and something about checking for lice.
I loved Nick’s scene at the end while sitting at the desk. Yes..that’s 5 kabillion dollars,,is China mine??