New Girl has recently entered its fourth season in the US and the show remains a favourite with critics. Ratings wise the future of the show doesn’t look great, especially as the fourth season is averaging ratings of around 2.5 million compared to 6 million in the first season. Regardless the show has a cult following and the third season is being released on DVD in the UK.
New Girl: The Complete Third Season contains 23 episodes across 3 discs. The action picks up after Cece’s (Hannah Simone) almost wedding with Jess (Zooey Deschanel) and Nick (Jake Johnson) vacationing in Mexico as they give their relationship another try. Jess and Nick’s will-they-won’t-they drama turns into an actual relationship this season but there are plenty of obstacles in the way of their happiness. Will they stay together for the whole season? That would be telling wouldn’t it?
Alongside that continuing storyline Schmidt (Max Greenfield) struggles to choose between the newly single Cece and Elizabeth (Merritt Weaver) and things come to a head in the third episode Double Date. Who will he choose? Elsewhere Winston gets a real job and Jess’ parents visit again in episode Birthday.
There are plenty of special guest stars over the season including Taye Diggs, Linda Cardellini, Jamie Lee Curtis, Rob Reiner, Angela Kinsey, Adam Brody and Dreama Walker. The season also marks the return of Damon Wayans Jr. as Coach on a recurring basis.
Highlights of the season include Exes where Jess tries to prove to Nick that people can be friends with their exes, Sister and Sister II which feature Jess’ troublesome older sister whom she has to pick up from jail, and season finale Cruise where various members of the group try to make amends with one another.
The charm of New Girl is the ensemble cast. Zooey Deschanel shines brightly as Jess whilst Max Greenfield regularly steals the show as the cocky and over-zealous Schmidt. Jake Johnson, Hannah Simon and Lamorne Morris provide superb support and the group plays off against one another throughout the show creating a really great chemistry.
Special features on the release include two featurettes (The Happy Hook-Up Heartbreak Guide to New Girl, Drop That Name), deleted and extended scenes, and a gag reel.
New Girl is a sweet comedy that is always entertaining but not particularly laugh-out-loud funny. Despite being a mainstream show it feels quirky and definitely doesn’t tread the usual US sitcom formula. New Girl continues to be a show we can take or leave but the ensemble cast are the main reason the show is worth tuning into.
