Get it together already, New Girl’s Nick and Jess

Proving I don’t only watch TV shows that ended over a decade ago, a quick post on New Girl (I am up to S02E21 – spoilers ensue). NEW EPISODE TONIGHT

It’s been great fun since the beginning and Season 2 has really inspired a lot of discussion and debate online, not to mention masses of fanvids on YT, for the budding relationship between central characters Nick Miller and Jessica Day.

This intense friendship has long been acknowledged, both by the two characters individually and by their friends, and there have been some truly poignant and weighty moments between the  two wonderful actors that  have carved a lovely, balanced and logical interdependence, which sees them both sharing vulnerabilities, insecurities and fears.  Heavy stuff and good stuff. There aren’t enough friendships like this on TV.

Then there is the mutual attraction. They have both admitted it in the past and both dealt with the scary prospect of taking a step beyond the comfortable relationship they have built – probably the only real man woman friendship they have ever sustained.

Enter the Cooler (I don’t choose the music, OK). Nick has some great moments of doubt, longing and sexual tension and Jess is displaying some longing to be close to him (she talks to a dummy she made of him all day) and is testing the water and her power  – being quite provocative in a rather skimpy bra…

He makes it clear that he would like to kiss her at some point in the future and when that happens he doesn’t want it to be for a dare. This is a crucial moment and fan hearts around the world skipped a beat.  So, when he does act on an opportunity or a whim or a feeling or whatever, he truly won our love with some really manly man and incredibly hot kissing action.  As an aside, this kiss ranks pretty high on any list. It is very well executed from start to finish. Only comment (Sorry!) is I wish he hadn’t set his jaw so hard when he grabbed her in readiness for the smooch. Soft jaw wins.

Kissing aside, this episode sparked a WHOLE LOAD of blogs, tweets, videos and discussions. We are officially excited.

We know the budding romance part is the biggest seller in any TV comedy and the writers can therefore be forgiven for dragging it out over a significant period of time. In the genre, romantic tension can be great and moving the relationship on too quickly can also be fatal for a show for the simple ‘what next?’ dilemma.However, the tension can only last so long and the audience may well start to get bored, especially when there have been big long gaps between episodes. It’s mean. Can we still be excited, two months later, five episodes later, when nothing has actually happened between these two?

To be fair, the writers have done some interesting work with the other characters, giving us a breather from all the sexual chemistry, and giving an opportunity to the other two roommates to have a laugh and enjoy some hijinks of their own. Balancing the power between the two, they share equal screen time being idiots and being grown ups. It’s sweet. (Schmidt needs a CeeCee – presuming there will be Dustin Hoffman’s Ben banging on the glass shouting “Elaine” at the wedding – a great ending for Season 2?)

Anyway. Five Episodes later. FIVE. We have been patient, we have been excited and we have been hopeful. But enough is enough.  Thirty year olds aren’t this indecisive. We don’t have the time anymore.

This much, I know.

Table 34 – great episode to follow on with. We have an acknowledgment that the kiss happened, that they are a bit confused and they are both a bit excited and awkward about the implications – and kick some dirt over the whole thing.

• Best line: “Pink robes are my catnip”.
• The big move forward is Jess and Sam breaking up.

Parking Spot – a really fun episode, nice reminder that the dynamics and shenanigans between the four are what make the show work. Jess brings the kiss up for discussion again and we have an admission that perhaps they can’t gloss over it and now might maybe need to deal with it.

• Best line: “You realize, every second that you don’t run after her, you become more and more of a buttwad, don’t you?”
• The big move forward was how Jess’ reacted to Nick wishing he had never kissed her… AND when he admitted the Oath was to stop him. Now they are both vulnerable and on a level playing field.

TinFinity – diversion again, bit off topic (way off topic) but OK we can take a breather. We have some apprehension from Jess this time – she wants to forget Nick’s mouth with any other mouth she can find. It’s nice to see her getting a bit hooked onto Nick and giving him a chance to feel wanted.

• The big move forward is Jess running away from Nick’s mouth via the bottle of whatever they are drinking. She is so into him.
• Best line: “I wish I knew what was going on in Nick’s head. He’s like a…grumpy mystery”

Quick Hardening Caulk – ok now things are hotting up between them. We have confrontation … Jess admits she wants something to happen. Nice that Nick is a bit oblivious to it and now sleeping with someone else – and nice how quickly he drops the new bird when there is a chance with Jess. Really great use of good ole fashioned slapstick humour how they damage each other throughout the episode (a sign perhaps). It would have been too easy to end with consummation, but so annoying to have no resolution. AGAIN. Winston and Schmidt have another couple of beautiful moments – they might move out together, Nick needs to watch his baaack.

• Best line:  “Just remember, you caught him pleasuring himself to a mail-order steak catalog.” Of course, “Shut up and take off your clothes, I mean it, take off your clothes.” (hot) and “You’re so annoying with your little shorts!”
• The big move forward is them two acknowledging they want to have sex with each other.
• The small step backward is no one is talking about caring for each other or wanting to be together… there’s no recognition of the genuine bond they share as friends and what that naturally could lead to

Chicago – finally they act like the friends we have known them to be. We get to see some growth as Nick steps in as man of his house, Jess has some insight into him as a person, and they are there for each other in a way we have come to expect from the two. Blessed relief.

• Best line: “You okay, momma?” and “I got your back”
• The big move forward is when Nick’s mom tells him she’s happy he has someone like Jess looking out for him. You’d think they’d get back to the loft and have a conversation…?

Which leads me to this week’s episode, First Date – Sigh. Now I think we are pushing it again. The chemistry or Cooler and QHC are here in abundance, the acknowledgment of the mutual attraction, the desire to confront it on a date, the discussion around what they might be etc – it’s all there… except someone’s being a chicken. Someone is too scared to commit to a plotline and that is messing it up for everybody. Come on, writers. We know they can handle chemistry and tension and we know they can dance around it forever…but we also know you can’t be reckless with someone else’s heart and underneath they care about each other a lot. So if this is just sex, let’s move on and let it simmer into Season 3 until one of them is in a proper relationship with someone else and it actually forces the other into doing something.

• Best line: “The sexual tension has been off the charts. It’s like the Wild West! No laws. Whiskey for a nickel. Whores caked in mud.”  But for the relationship, I’d prefer: “Jess.  You are a beautiful woman, and my life has not been the same since I met you—and it would mean the world to me if you’d go on a date with me.”
• Other thoughts:
  • Anyone else find it odd that what Nick finds hot about Jess is how much she needs him? Sure that is something to be explored further.
  • Plus I am hoping that the now long haired fancyman Russell keeps hold of the two cards that they wrote on, and whips it out at a later time.
  • Did they drive home after all that ‘sweet-spot drinking to forget?’
• Three dates in one night and the big move for the two is a big fat nowhere.

Maybe they can’t move forward in a relationship until they move past sex, in which case I am happy to wait. Maybe they can’t move forward with sex until they have a proper conversation about what they mean to each other. Maybe they just need to do it and then suffer the fall out for a few episodes. Whatever. Let’s have some progress now already. Season’s drawing to a close. Time is a running short.