Apr 4 2017SaveTV ReviewsNew Girl4/4/17ATV ReviewsNew Girl4/4/17New Girl’s season (and maybe series) finale is packed with joyous farceEmily L. Stephens236SaveLast week, “San Diego” feinted in the direction of convenience and cowardice, then turned the tables, letting each…
Mar 28 2017SaveTV ReviewsNew Girl3/28/17A-TV ReviewsNew Girl3/28/17A name-dropping New Girl makes excellence look easyEmily L. Stephens169SaveNew Girl is extraordinarily deft at mirroring its plot points and emotional beats in its structure, and “San Diego”…
Mar 21 2017SaveTV ReviewsNew Girl3/21/17B-TV ReviewsNew Girl3/21/17A fragmented, frustrating New Girl puts some pieces togetherEmily L. Stephens99SaveLet’s get a couple of things straight. One, “Misery” is a utilitarian episode of New Girl, and a utilitarian episode…
Mar 14 2017SaveTV ReviewsNew Girl3/14/17B+TV ReviewsNew Girl3/14/17Every time New Girl closes a door, it drunkenly opens a windowEmily L. Stephens84SaveA gift of fine wine from Jess’ former principal opens a whole can of worms, and “Socalyacon VI” gets just as…
Feb 28 2017SaveTV ReviewsNew Girl2/28/17B+TV ReviewsNew Girl2/28/17Principal Day is done kidding around, and New Girl is growing upEmily L. Stephens112SaveWith three big stories that take all the core characters outside the loft and a gang of guest stars, “Young Adult”…
Feb 21 2017SaveTV ReviewsNew Girl2/21/17B-TV ReviewsNew Girl2/21/17A wacky New Girl goes big on pranks but too small on rites of passageEmily L. Stephens91Save“Rumspringa” opens in classic New Girl style, with a made-up celebration and a momentous announcement. Together,…
Feb 14 2017SaveTV ReviewsNew Girl2/14/17A-TV ReviewsNew Girl2/14/17New Girl doesn’t get too sentimental like those other sticky ValentinesEmily L. Stephens142SaveWhen Jessica Day discovers her roommates are stifling their Valentine’s celebrations to spare her feelings, she…
Feb 7 2017SaveTV ReviewsNew Girl2/7/17B+TV ReviewsNew Girl2/7/17When Nick has a crisis, the glue holding New Girl together gets stickyEmily L. Stephens132SaveFriendship, and especially a shared language of habits and small gestures, is the glue that holds New Girl together.…
Jan 24 2017SaveTV ReviewsNew Girl1/24/17B+TV ReviewsNew Girl1/24/17New Girl covers some rocky ground, but brings the story home safeEmily L. Stephens120Save“The Hike” covers a lot of ground, then brings all its detours together with admirable simplicity and balance. It…
Jan 18 2017SaveTV ReviewsNew Girl1/18/17C+TV ReviewsNew Girl1/18/17A superficially sweet New Girl leaves a sour aftertasteEmily L. StephensSaveIn an episode revolving around one friend’s fear that he’ll be cut out of the core group, it’s mighty cheeky to…
Jan 10 2017SaveTV ReviewsNew Girl1/10/17BTV ReviewsNew Girl1/10/17New Girl sets one smart trap but stumbles into anotherEmily L. Stephens60SaveSo much of this episode feels at first like a series of cleverly set traps. But those traps never quite spring. How…
Jan 3 2017SaveTV ReviewsNew Girl1/3/17BTV ReviewsNew Girl1/3/17New Girl brings Reagan back into the mix by remixing classic sitcom beatsEmily L. Stephens81Save“Raisin’s Back” opens with a demonstration of one of New Girl’s quiet strengths, emphasizing that its characters…
Dec 13 2016SaveTV ReviewsNew Girl12/13/16BTV ReviewsNew Girl12/13/16New Girl’s Christmas is as sweet and clumsy as a gift from Nick MillerEmily L. Stephens104SaveHowever often “Christmas Eve Eve” reminds us of the old gift-giving truism, it’s not just the thought that counts.…
Dec 6 2016SaveTV ReviewsNew Girl12/6/16BTV ReviewsNew Girl12/6/16New Girl plays to its weaknesses and “Es Good”Emily L. Stephens72Save“Es Good” makes several of New Girl’s recent weaknesses into strengths. In the opening scene, Winston poses a…
Nov 29 2016SaveTV ReviewsNew Girl11/29/16B+TV ReviewsNew Girl11/29/16New Girl gives the greatest gift of all: More WinstonEmily L. Stephens88SaveAn average sitcom is like a gift from a registry. You know exactly what you’re getting, and it’s exactly what you…
Nov 22 2016SaveTV ReviewsNew Girl11/22/16A-TV ReviewsNew Girl11/22/16New Girl’s Thanksgiving episode is imperfect but stuffed with oomphEmily L. Stephens45SaveAt this stage in New Girl’s run, is any sitcom better at will-they/won’t-they relationships? Is any sitcom better at…
Nov 15 2016SaveTV ReviewsNew Girl11/15/16B+TV ReviewsNew Girl11/15/16A rough, ready New Girl doesn’t know its own strengthEmily L. Stephens106SaveAfter almost a month off, New Girl is back, and it’s ready for change, at least temporarily. “Ready” opens on Jess…
Oct 18 2016SaveTV ReviewsNew Girl10/18/16B+TV ReviewsNew Girl10/18/16A New Girl about compromises doesn’t compromise on laughsEmily L. Stephens99SaveDon’t get excited by “Jaipur-Aviv”’s first-act promise of a day spent stripping. Like Winston, you know Schmidt and…
Oct 11 2016SaveTV ReviewsNew Girl10/11/16BTV ReviewsNew Girl10/11/16New Girl and Brooklyn Nine-Nine cross over for a comeuppance and a comebackEmily L. Stephens103Save“Homecoming” works—mostly—because it’s first and foremost an episode of New Girl. Schmidt returns to New York, “the…
Oct 4 2016SaveTV ReviewsNew Girl10/4/16B+TV ReviewsNew Girl10/4/16A New Girl about singlehood, self-sabotage, and stalling never stalls outEmily L. Stephens127SaveLike camping, taking an ensemble out of its structured environment can be refreshing or it can be exhausting. Adding…