New Girl The Complete First Season new to DVD

Arguably last year's best new sitcom, FOX's New Girl The Complete First Season has arrived on DVD in a three disc set. All twenty-four episodes of the show's freshman run are included, along with special features.

As the New Girl "Pilot" begins, Jess (Zooey Deschanel) leaves her boyfriend. Homeless, she finds a place with three bachelors who share a spacious apartment. Coach (Damon Wayans Jr., Happy Endings), the jock, Nick (Jake Johnson), the slacker bartender, and Schmidt (Max Greenfield), the douche whose rude exterior masks a good heart. Coach is gone by episode two, but in his place, the guys' old friend Winston (Lamorne Morris), whose overseas professional basketball career has fizzled, comes home.

These guys are not boyfriend material for Jess, but after a rocky adjustment period, they all come to care very much about each other. They may not be lucky in love individually, but they all lend support where needed. Eventually, Schmidt even finds a steady girlfriend in Jess's friend CeCe (Hannah Simone).

Over the course of the season, these five well written, well acted, layered characters become like friends to those of us watching at home. They really have some neat chemistries, and while some of the plots may seem a bit stale for a sitcom, somehow they come across as fresh when played out by these particular personalities. It's hard to pinpoint exactly why this show works, other than to say that the particular combination of elements here just melds together really well. The brilliance is that the show stays simple, but remains incredibly funny by playing to everyone's strengths.

Among the best installments in this first year are:

• "Wedding" Jess goes as Nick's date to a wedding and tries to prevent him from sleeping with his crazy ex, Caroline (Mary Elizabeth Ellis, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia). This is the true start for Jess / Nick shipper fans, many viewers of the show who root for this pair to get together (they still haven't).
• "Naked" Winston tries to catch up on all the pop culture he missed, while Jess walks in on a naked Nick, shaking his confidence.
• "Thanksgiving" Jess tries to prepare a holiday dinner for her crush, Paul (Justin Long, Ed), which of course, works out perfectly. Just kidding. It's a disaster.
• "Bells" Winston joins Jess's handbell choir, and quickly proves to be better than her.
• "The Story of 50" Jesse tries to salvage Schmidt's 29th birthday party. She is not exactly in tune with Schmidt's tastes, or how to execute them.
• "Valentine's Day" Schmidt tries to help Jess get laid, Nick's relationship with Julia (Lizzy Caplan, Party Down) begins to crumble, and Winston attempts to woo Shelby (Kali Hawk), an ex that he wronged.
• "Jess and Julia" Spending time together is painful for Jess and Julia, who have lots of trouble finding common ground.
• "Control" The delicate ecosystem of the apartment is threatened when Jess encourages Schmidt to only do his share of the housework and Winston calls in Nick's debts.
• "See Ya" The relationships between the characters grow tenuous when one of them tries to move out, but a trip to the desert helps make things clear.

There are quite a few special features included. Commentary is offered on three episodes, including the "Pilot." Deleted and extended scenes are present, as well as some alternate jokes that didn't make it on screen. There is also a gag reel, and Lamorne's audition. Finally, a featurette called "Dress Like Jess" examines the lead characters very quirky style.

If you missed New Girl last year, this is a great way to finally catch up on the comedy. After all, your friends are probably watching, so why shouldn't you?

New Girl The Complete First Season is available now.

If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter! Check out my website, JeromeWetzel.com! First posted on TheTVKing

New Girl deals with another new girl

FOX's New Girl this week deals with the conflict between "Jess & Julia." Jess (Zooey Deschanel) asks Julia (Lizzy Caplan, Party Down, Cloverfield) for help getting out of a traffic ticket. Julia agrees, but isn't all that nice about it. So Jess betrays Julia's insecurities to Nick (Jake M. Johnson), whom Julia is dating. Meanwhile, Winston (Lamorne Morris) realizes he doesn't have, and never had, game with the ladies when meeting up with an old flame (Kali Hawk, Bridesmaids), and Schmidt (Max Greenfield) obsesses over his perpetually damp towel.

It's cool that New Girl finally dwells on female relationships. Much of the premise and early episodes involve Jess and the boys. Which is fine. But now viewers get to see Jess hanging out with Cece (Hannah Simone), their lesbian friend Sadie (June Diane Raphael, NTSF:SD:SUV), and even interacting with Julia! Yes, Cece is a main character, but she's been barely used, like Stephanie (Kellee Stewart) was at first in the excellent sitcom My Boys, certainly a forerunner to New Girl. Unlike The Big Bang Theory, New Girl decides to expand the other gender earlier than expected. Only time will tell if it's a wise move or not, but for now, it's welcome to see some other sides of Jess as she deals with her fellow women. It also takes a little of the shine off her alluring, adorkable ways, a good thing.

Girls can be catty, which seems to be a theme of "Jess & Julia." It's not without merit in the real world. However, watching girls acts like "Mean Girls" can also be very uncomfortable. The discussion Sadie, Cece, and Jess have about the games women play will hit a little close to home for many viewers. Some may laugh, and some may cringe. This reviewer tends to fall into the latter category. Why can't they just be straightforward and honest? It will certainly allow for more getting along, understanding, and an easier time of life, in general.

That being said, the resolution of "Jess & Julia" is very satisfying, as Julia is drawn into Jess's gal circle. That's not to say that every female must sit and gossip and crochet, or even that Julia enjoys such things. Hopefully no one will take it as a commentary against the career-driven, less emotionally open woman, who is a perfectly valid type that needs no excuses. The series likely isn't stating that. But it's also good to see Jess and Julia getting along given their mutual affection for Nick, who surely wants his roommate and girlfriend to be civil to each other. Jess and Julia both make effort, and thankfully, they seem to find a way to work things out.

Might Jess's clash with Julia point to some hidden feelings for Nick? Jess and Nick definitely have chemistry, but New Girl has yet to explore this in any meaningful way. It's early in the series, and no one really expects the two main characters to hook up yet. But a jealous streak would explain Jess's initial dislike of Julia, and if Julia picks up on it, her hostility back. Of course, the girls could just be having a personality conflict.

Lest one complain that New Girl is treating women unfairly in "Jess and Julia" and painting a better picture for men, one only needs to look as far as Winston's subplot to disprove that. It's refreshing that a series pokes fun at athletes getting girls just because they're athletes, and explores what happens when the playing stops. Too often egotistical jocks get away with more than they should, a serious societal imbalance, though admittedly, not one that applies to every sportsman. Being a lower level on this hierarchy, Winston gets a harsh dose of reality relatively early on in life. This is great, because it gives him time to change, which he tries to. Winston is a likeable character, and having him figure out how to treat women will only add to that positive image.

And Schmidt is just damn funny. The whole towel debacle is classic Schmidt. He is easily the most laugh-inducing character on New Girl, and there can never be enough humor at the expense of his neurosis. True, it is gross to learn he has been sharing an (unwashed) towel with Nick. But the hilarity of Schmidt's reaction throughout "Jess and Julia" is well worth that punch line. Wonderful!

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