New Girl: Ten Things I’m Thankful For 

If you haven’t been watching this season of New Girl, you should be. Complete with its talented cast, quirky characters and witty humor, it’s one of the best comedies on television. This is a show that never fails to make me laugh, but at its heart, it’s about more than that. It’s about friends, relationships and finding ones way in the world. And I love every second of it. To be a little more specific, here are the top ten reasons I’m grateful for New Girl.

10. Jessica Day’s Wardrobe

I wish I could pull off the clothes Jess wears. Her thick-rimmed glasses, poofy dresses and retro hair-dos are just as eccentric as her character, but in a stylish way that only she can get away with. Half the fun of watching New Girl is seeing what outfit she will wear next.

9. Nick’s Inability to Lie

There are many, many traits about Nick that make him fantastic, but at the top of my list is his inability to lie. When he tries, he usually fails in the most absurd way — by blurting out comments that don’t many any sense at all. In “Background Check,” (season 4) he has to cover his ears and sing “Landslide” to avoid knowing information he’d otherwise have to lie about. Not only does his inability to lie make for some hilarious moments, but it also shows how inherently good Nick is.

Nick: “Lying makes me sweat. I can’t lie. It’s why I can’t play poker or talk to pregnant ladies.”

8. The Holiday Episodes

No other show does holiday episodes quite like New Girl does. With a cast of characters in their late twenties and early thirties who are still finding their way in the world, the holiday episodes are the perfect foil for comedy. The members of the cast have become a make-shift family who are still learning a few basic life skills—like cooking and cleaning.

Jess attempting to thaw a turkey in the dryer for the gang’s first “Thanksgiving” (season 1) together is one of the best examples. In season 2, “Santa” Jess leads the group in some bad caroling to distract a security guard and get the attention of the guy she likes. And for this year’s Thanksgiving, Schmidt has dubbed it “Bangsgiving” for a holiday that includes blind dates, a guest appearance from Tran and a turkey cooking on the roof. But most importantly, it’s an episode that bonds these friends together, like all of the holiday episodes do so well.

7. The Wedding Episodes

Again, this is a group of friends who are all in their late twenties and early thirties, trying to figure out how to navigate life. And along with that comes one of the most relatable scenarios that New Girl handles really well. Weddings! So many weddings. The comedy comes from the awkward situations that the characters find themselves in as they are perpetually single and unsuccessful. They also tend to ruin big moments for the bride and groom.

6. References to 90s culture

The cast of New Girl represents a generation of 90s kids who grew up watching Saved by the Bell and Family Matters. In season 1, Nick refers to a group of 20-year-old girls as people who “don’t know what Saved by the Bell is” and in season 2 Jess masters a Steve Urkel impression to impress a group of young neighbors. But my favorite reference comes from the current season in “Background Check.”

Schmidt: “That is the problem. Okay? You shouldn’t be with a normal guy.”
Cece: “Alright, okay. It was Mark-Paul Gosselaar.”
Schmidt: “What? You’re with Zack Morris? That guy’s a freaking god. I mean, alright. I surrender. That’s awesome. Can I come to the wedding? Do you think Slater and Screech are going to be there?”

5. True American

True American is a completely ridiculous drinking game that the characters have, so far, played once each season. The rules are complicated and unclear, but the game involves of towers of beer cans, standing on tables and shouting out “JFK! FDR!” to name just a few details.

Jess: “It’s 50% drinking game, 50% life-sized Candy Land.” (season 1, “Normal”)

4. The Quotes

One of the main reasons New Girl makes for such great comedy is the dialogue. Here are just a few examples:

Winston: “Like I always say, you can’t put peanut butter and jelly on the same shelf and expect them not to mix. Because somebody gotta eat a sandwich.” (season 4, “Background Check”)

Jess: “And frankly it’s been a while. And the third date is where mama gets her biscuit. Mama gets her biscuit. It’s sex. Anyway, I’m bringing him home tonight. So, let’s keep those toilets flushed! That means, stick around. Take a second look.” (season 4, “Goldmine”)

Nick: “Jess, guys hate complicated situations. We want the path of least resistance. There’s a flap in our underwear, because we are too lazy to pull our underpants down.” (season 4, “Goldmine”)

3. The fact that Nick and Jess broke up.

Seriously. This is the best thing that happened to this show. I loved the idea of Nick and Jess getting together, but once they did, the show simply wasn’t as funny. And now that they remain friends and roommates, they have to navigate awkward social situations when they each try dating (and I say that in the loose sense of the word). It makes for some fantastic comedy and, more importantly, character development.

2. Schmidt

Need I say more? Everything about Schmidt is hilarious and over the top. He’s arrogant, yet insecure; he’s obsessed with cleanliness and dressing well; he makes inappropriate comments that somehow manage to seem endearing; and oh, he can’t do his own laundry. Schmidt is really one of the most well-developed characters on the show, and aside from Jess (obviously), he’s my favorite.

1. Loyalty

These guys will do anything for each other. Nick will pretend to be gay and kiss Schmidt right on the mouth if it means Jess can get laid, and Jess will confess to having a ridiculous amount of meth (rather, aquarium rocks) so that Winston can keep his job. Ultimately, the gang’s loyalty to one another is what gives this show depth, making it more than just a slapstick comedy with great dialogue. Their loyalty is clear as early as the pilot episode, when the guys rescue Jess from her ex-boyfriend’s house after only knowing her for a few days. Heartfelt moments like this one, with the group rallying around one another no matter what, have continued throughout the series. Ultimately, New Girl is about friendship, family, and loyalty, and that’s what makes this show so great.

New Girl airs Tuesdays at 9/8c on FOX.