This episode is another example of how well New Girl pulls off sentimental, realistic situations, as well as straight comedy. It's funny and heartfelt, and Jess isn't annoying anymore! Thank God, don't think I could have taken much more. The episode begins with Jess faffing around with some balloons, and I just want her to shut up, and then Nick comes in and says his dad has died. Wait...what? His dad, who we met once in what seemed like a plot line that was going to continue (a plot line that ended sadly and felt unresolved), is DEAD. You have to admire their nerve, making a father and son relationship forever disappointing and unfinished, with no magical brightly-coloured happy ending.
Cute-romance-build-up-heartfelt-Nick-and-Jess
Everyone goes to Chicago. I have never been to Chicago, but it doesn't really look like how I thought Chicago looked like, it looks more like Marshall's house in St.Cloud, Minnesota on How I Met Your Mother. Winston starts getting sad, and Nick is all, 'He was my dad!' Winston says, 'He loved me more than you, he told me that'. Nick is like, 'Yeah, true'. Ha. Schmdit is upset the airline lost his bag and his suits (okay, is this actually How I Met Your Mother now? Is Schmidt suddenly going to say, 'suit up!'? Is Jess like Robin? Is that why she irritates me so much?) Schmidt has also suddenly aged 20 years:
He looks like a 40 year old married man with two young children and a hectic job. 'How do I feel, son? Tired. I can't remember the last time I didn't feel tired. But it's worth it to send you on that skiing holiday'. Anyway, we meet Nick's working class Chicago family. His brother looks like Gollum:
His Mum is over weight, very rude, and socially awkward. His grandma is the grandma on everything who gets drunk and swears. I think I last saw her on Wedding Crashers, and if so she is holding up well, because that was like, 10 years ago. There is also a random ginger cousin. The big surprise is...Nick is the one in charge of everything at home. They rely on him. He had to be 'the man of the family' because his dad was so crap. They ask him to organise the 'Elvis' funeral. Are funerals usually arranged the day before? I don't know. He tries his best. Jess tries to be all sucky-up with Nick's mum and gets shot down, and I snickered. The most awkward moment is when she goes, 'I'm from Portland, Oregon....land of BOOKS'. It makes me like her again. She is back to being good Jess; kind, strong, reliable. I also felt sorry for her because, if the mum hates her already, its going to be pretty awkward in 2-3 years time when her and Nick get married. Nick asks her to write the eulogy. Me and Jess are both thinking...WHAT? How awkward is that. She says to Nick, 'you should write it'. So he goes on a 12 hour bender? And arrives at the funeral, which as been magically organized, even though he was supposed to organize it and he can't have had enough time whilst he was on the 12 hour bender?
Anyway, Jess has Nick in the bathroom, and Nick is drunk and saying 'You're mad at me. You have that face'. LIKE A BOYFRIEND. And Jess is all, 'I have your back and I'll hold your hand through everything. I wanted to tell you that last night, but you ran away'. Awwwww. Nick's mum says to Jess, 'I don't know you. I don't want you here. I don't know your people'. Ouch! Mean mum. She is grieving, I guess. There is a sad bit where she says 'I would rather not have a funeral if it didn't honour my husband', because there isn't a legitimate Elvis impersonators, and then she has to go up and say, 'I want to thank you for coming, but it's over now'. But then....
Let me explain. So there is the whole sub plot of the MISSING ELVIS. Who can be Elvis? Nick can't afford an Elvis! He can only afford a black Elvis! (Jess looks anxious)...Can this drunk white man be Elvis? (Jess looks increasingly anxious)...Can this drunk, white, sleeping man be Elvis? (The anxiety in Jess's eyes is killing me!)...Who can sing, and wear the spare Elvis costume?....Oh, it's fine, Jess is Elvis. REMINDER: Zooey Deschanel is also a SINGER, as well as an ACTOR. And she is Elvis, so she is so 'quirky'! She keeps singing 'in the ghettoooooo' over and over and over again. It's slightly annoying, but a very nice gesture. Winston says, 'this is everyday in North Korea'. Ha! There is a very unsubtle zoom in on Nick's face, as he stares at Jess with love:
By the way, check out Winston's facial expression in the background. Haha. Anyway, Nick gives a touching, but depressingly honest and real eulogy. 'He was very good at gambling. He had a great moustache. He was so mean to cabbies in such a cool way. And he never was scared. I don't know if he was a good guy or a bad guy in the whole scheme of things, but he was my dad and I sure am going to miss him'. Slightly cheesy, but very New Girl. Jess holds his hand and everyone looks at them with love, including the mum. She has changed her tune swiftly. I guess funerals do that. Everyone starts singing 'in the ghettoooo' and Nick's mum starts dancing. Schmidt says, 'I really feel transported to the ghetto'. Hahaha.
Schmidt- Schmidt is being weird and doesn't want to go to the funeral. 'The early buzz on this thing is that it is going to be a real drag'. He is has a hissy fit over wearing one of Walt's suits, because he looks 'like a remote control'. He prnounces buttons as 'battans'. He admits he is scared of death. He asks Winston to pretend to be the body. He is scared most of the body moving, so he asks Winston not to breath. Winston says he has to, 'for regular life reasons'. Haha. Schmidt gaves a touching, hilarious fake eulogy, and it is probably the highlight of the episode. It beings 'You beautiful black butterfly'. He says he thought they would be rivals, over Nick and 'who wore Easter colours best'. Who writes these line?! I love them! (I think Winston would wear Easter colours best, Schmidt would look a bit too much like Andy Bernard from The Office). Schmidt eventually confronts his fear by stopping the random ginger cousin stealing a chain from the body. He starts screaming 'Desecration!' (haven't heard that word in a while) and puts his head in the casket, whilst shouting 'I can do this all DOIY' (I think he is mimicking the cousin's Boston accent). It's funny, anyway. He looks so CUTE when he gets over his fear of the body:
Max Greenfield is so good at facial expressions! Schmidt wasn't quite as adorable as last week wtih the fish, but almost.
Winston- Winston breaks down when trying to give a eulogy for Walt and starts screaching 'Walt would have wanted us to have a party! Wallllt!' It's basically like the episode where he is screaming 'WHYYYY' a few weeks ago, only this it's about death, not sex, so it isn't as funny. It seems the random screaming thing is turning into Winnie's set move. But he looks pretty sharp in a suit, so I'll let it go.
End
Schmidt has a witty war of words with the Boston random ginger cousin. The cousin tells him to 'stay out of Boston'. Schmidt is all, 'What, you're going to keep me out of a whole city?' The cousin says he works at the airport and he will put a gun in his luggage. Awkward. 'Why do you have to bring weapons into it, Bobby?' (most stereotypical Irish Boston name ever). There is a very cute scene between Winston and the mum; he has stolen loads of stuff, like Walt's hat and the leg of his favourite chair. She hugs him and tells him to keep it all. It's cute because it reminds you that Winston knew Nick since childhood, so was close to the family too. The mum also gives Jess some cheese puffs in a see through sandwhich bag as a snack, and hugs her. Nick looks on with love. It's an episode full of looks of love. Nick's mum apologizes. 'We relied on you so much, and you were just a kid...I'm glad you have someone to take care of you'. Looks of love are directed towards Jess, who is conveniently looking very 'adorkable' trying to open the cheese puff bag with gloves on. Jess has met the family and passed the test!
This weeks episode was great. Funny, warm, realistic, honest, Jess isn't being annoying anymore, Schmidt is adorable, I still like Winston. Next week, the episode is called 'First Date', and the synopsis is: 'Nick and Jess go on a first date. Schmidt and Winston try their best to ruin it'. I for one am both excited and intrigued....
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