Round Two: New Girl

New Girl: Season 1, Episode 2 “Kryptonite” (C+)

I’m trying hard to like this show since it seems to be one of the strongest performers of the fall so far, already earning a full-season pickup. I’m still not sold on it, however. The semi-awkward opening credits indicate that there are definitely good pieces of the show, but something about it just isn’t working perfectly. I think the characters might be okay on their own, but when they’re thrown together like this, it all comes off as a bit shrill and excessive. While Jess is a little overeager, she’s still cute, and Zooey Deschanel continues to fire on all cylinders. The other characters aren’t as pleasant or satisfactory at this point, and there’s not much substance to the episode. Coach’s departure brings a character who might be a bit subtler but doesn’t seem to have much to offer, in the form of Winston. Schmidt definitely possesses a whole lot of energy, and he does like to embarrass himself often. Nick doesn’t have a whole lot to do in this half-hour, and all that’s truly achieved is the solidifying of the four-way friendship between Jess and the guys, which, if defined in one word, would be eccentric. Spencer sticking around as part of the plotline won’t do the show any good, and the only positive to come out of the trip to his house was the somewhat strange sudden freak-out by Jess prompted by noticing that he hadn’t watered the plant. Episode one was fun but not funny, and this episode is just all over the place.