New Girl 6x15 Review: "Glue" (Who's Nick's Real Girlfriend?)
8:30 PM new girl review, s06.15 1 comment
"Glue"
Original Airdate: February 7, 2017
I don't know about you, but I can read my best friends pretty well. I know exactly what one of my friends needs after a particularly bad day. And my best friends know me pretty well, too. When I had a horrible day at work a few years ago, my roommate came home after a trip to the grocery store with my favorite cookie in one hand and a bottle of my favorite wine in the other. The truth is that when you really know someone, you know everything about them — all of the little things that are silly to others, but important to you. Nick and Jess have known each other for six years. They've been through all sorts of crap in their relationship, but it's pretty clear that they care about one another and always will, whether they're dating or not. But more than just that, though, Jess really knows Nick. She knows what little things make him upset, she knows how to read his facial expressions and his body language, and understands all of the subtleties in his personality. "Glue" proves this, and also proves one thing — Reagan really cares about Nick, but she will likely never know him the way that Jess will. I don't know whether or not this episode is a set-up for a Nick/Reagan break-up (I'll talk more about that later), but it's definitely an episode that proves Nick relies on Jess and she's always there for him. Elsewhere in "Glue," Schmidt and Cece get roped into helping Winston propose to Aly. But it definitely doesn't go the way they planned it.
AN ENIGMA, WRAPPED UP IN A BUNCH OF CHICAGO BEARS CRAP
This episode's A-story is all about Nick and his relationship with Jess. Or, rather, Jess' great relationship with him. When Nick goes running, the loft freaks out. But Reagan doesn't understand — isn't Nick running actually a good thing? Apparently not, since Nick only goes running whenever he's really upset. Under Reagan's prompting, Jess learns the root of Nick's unhappiness: he submitted The Pepperwood Chronicles to a publisher and got rejected. While Jess encourages him to open up to Reagan about his disappointment, he resists. And thus begins the episode of "Jess in the middle." (We just had one of those recently, remember?)
Reagan wants Jess to do the heaviest lifting in "Glue," because she's still afraid of Nick and unsure of exactly how to best handle him. At one point, she compares him to a forest baby. Jess, on the other hand, is a Nick Miller expert. She knows exactly what he needs to hear when he needs to hear it. She knows what makes him upset, and she knows how to make him feel better. Reagan doesn't, and she's extremely aware of that fact throughout the episode. Even her fixes make things worse. In learning of Nick's rejection, Reagan dedicates herself to making Nick feel better. And she does, by announcing that she got a local book shop to sell his novel. Awesome! Unfortunately, the bookstore needs 30 copies of his book and... oh, right! Nick will be doing a live reading.
This sends our favorite turtle-faced writer into a bit of a tailspin. And, unsurprisingly, who comes to his rescue? Jess. Reagan is freaked out by the fact that she can't seem to help Nick and she's his girlfriend — she's supposed to know him better than anyone else, but constantly seems to be failing at that job. As I told people on Twitter, this episode doesn't seem to indicate that Nick and Reagan will break up in the next episode, but it makes a valid case as to why they shouldn't be together — or at least why it'll be difficult for them with Jess still in the picture. Because Jess isn't doing any of this (helping Nick) to win him back. She's just doing it because it's natural. And I think that this is the first episode in which Reagan felt like a supporting player in her own love story. Nick and Jess have a history and a natural chemistry. Their relationship is effortless, and that's heavily contrasted in "Glue" with Reagan's efforts to try and try to make Nick feel better.
Jess makes Nick a copy of his book, and it's amazing. So Nick and Reagan decide to make the additional copies together. ... Except that Jess then discovers Reagan went to the craft store for more glue and Nick made a horrible copy of his book. Taking matters into her own hands, Jess decides to help him and they end up accidentally getting high on the glue fumes. When it's time for Jess and Reagan to escort Nick to his reading, he's managed to sober up but panics as soon as he sees the crowd at the reading. In typical Nick Miller fashion, he flounders and then runs away, hiding in a little play house in the bookstore.
Reagan has no idea what to say to him, and asks Jess for advice. It's a really pivotal moment because of what Jess reveals and the tenderness with which she tells Reagan this (even Reagan admits to getting a bit emotional): "I would say... 'Nick, you're one of the most amazing people I've ever met. Everyone here is lucky to hear your book, because it's a part of you. And if you fail, it doesn't change how special you are. And no matter what happens here, I'll always love you.' ... Or something like that."
I'll let everyone recover a moment from the feelings of that mini-monologue. How beautiful was it? It was the perfect expression of Jess' feelings for Nick — especially the fact that she'll love him, always. The moment makes me wonder if Reagan realizes that Nick and Jess have a bond deeper than anything she and Nick will have. Jess will always know him more and better in so many ways. And that's not a slight on Reagan — she's doing the best that she can and Nick obviously cares a lot about her and she, him. But there's something magical about Nick/Jess.
And I wonder if Reagan has finally seen that.
THE 20-STEP PROPOSAL PLAN
Love is in the air this week on New Girl, as Winston tells Schmidt and Cece that he's proposing to Aly! Let's take a moment to appreciate the fact that after years of failed relationships and careers, Winston is finally in a really stable place in his life. And that's why proposing to Aly is such a big deal, and why Schmidt and Cece are so excited to be a part of the process!
The B-story is basically levity this week — in trying to stall Aly from leaving their home, while Winston prepares for the proposal, Schmidt and Cece distract her by having her paint their walls and then tell her that she can't leave because they're having "marital issues." Aly eventually figures out that they're stalling her for some sort of prank, and when they drive her to Malibu, Winston is waiting with her favorite plant (a cactus) and a romantic picnic.
... And then Schmidt and Cece realize that their entire day has been taken up by step one of the proposal plan. And there are TWENTY steps. In Winston's adorable defense, his lady deserves the best and he plans to give her exactly that. It's hard to argue with that logic, right?
"Glue" focused on the glue in our own lives — our relationships. While some struggle, other soar. And ultimately happiness can be found when we let other people in and allow them to comfort, challenge, and change us.
And now, bonus points:
Any episode that features Nick running is a great episode in my book.
"NICK! ARE YOU OKAY?! I SEE YOU. AND I LOVE YOU."
"In my defense, no one here emotes in a normal way." "That's fair."
"I think you know what I'm saying..." "We have no idea what you're saying." "I haven't known what you've been saying for three and a half years."
"Nick is just an enigma, wrapped up in a bunch of Chicago Bears crap."
Nick eating edamame is fantastic, and kudos to Jake Johnson's physical comedy.
Also, kudos to Zooey Deschanel for the baton-twirling bit which had me in a fit of giggles.
"Hi. Hello. Hi. ... Hello."
"What up, boy in the hood?"
"... At least he's not running." And then I CRIED laughing at Nick leaping over furniture to go run.
"I feel like my heart is pumping out scalding hot toilet water!"
The fact that Jessica Day has a craft wagon is so perfect.
Winston and Jess singing the Reading Rainbow theme song is DELIGHTFUL.
"... please don't drag her."
"We are freaking out in increasingly weird ways."
Nick's reading goes HILARIOUSLY awry, and he freaks out. Again: kudos to Jake Johnson for his physical bits.
"I would say... 'Nick, you're one of the most amazing people I've ever met. Everyone here is lucky to hear your book, because it's a part of you. And if you fail, it doesn't change how special you are. And no matter what happens here, I'll always love you.' ... Or something like that." Anyone else get some major feels during that scene? Yeah, me too.
The proposal fake-out was so perfect.
I think my favorite thing is little girls falling in love with Nick Miller.
What did you all think of "Glue"? Sound off in the comments below!
J February 8, 2017 at 4:39 AM
Not just a craft wagon, she has a portable craft wagon AND and stationary craft wagon.
New Girl 6x18 Review: "Young Adult" (Princi-PAL) [...
Supergirl 2x14 Review: "Homecoming" (Broken Hearts...
The 100 4x04 Recap: "A Lie Guarded" (Broken Treati...
Series: This Week's TV MVPs -- Week 54
Oscar's 2017: Chelsea's Chaotic Dreams [Contributo...
Grey's Anatomy 13x14 Review: "Back Where You Belon...
The Flash 3x13 Review: "Attack on Gorilla City" (P...
Arrow 5x14 Review: "The Sin-Eater" (Absolution, or...
Blindspot 2x15 Review: "Draw O Caesar, Erase a Cow...
Riverdale Roundtable: What Betty and Veronica's Re...
Suits 6x15 Review: "Quid Pro Quo" (Setting an Exam...
Big Little Lies 1x01 Recap: "Somebody's Dead" (A V...
Bates Motel 5x01 Review: "Dark Paradise" (Dead Mom...
The Bachelor 21x08 Roundtable: Home Again, Home Ag...
Scorpion 3x17 Review: "Dirty Seeds, Done Dirt Chea...
The Walking Dead 7x10 Review: "New Best Friends" (...
Timeless 1x16 Review: "The Red Scare" (WHAT IS HAP...
Supergirl 2x13 Review: "Mr. and Mrs. Mxyzptlk" (Mi...
New Girl 6x17 Review: "Rumspringa" (#Adulting) [Co...
The 100 4x03 Recap: "The Four Horsemen" (Flames an...
The Man in the High Castle 2x10 Recap: "Fallout" (...
Timeless 1x15 Review: "Public Enemy No. 1" (Ruh-Ro...
Blindspot 2x14 Review: "Borrow or Rob" (Rich in Hu...
Grey's Anatomy 13x13 Review: "It Only Gets Much Wo...
The Bachelor 21x07 Roundtable: Highs and Lows [Con...
The Mindy Project 5x08 Review: "Hot Mess Time Mach...
Scorpion 3x16 Review: "Keep It in Check, Mate" (It...
Arrow 5x13 Review: "Spectre of the Gun" (A Very Sp...
Suits 6x14 Review: "Admission of Guilt" (A Show of...
Supergirl 2x12 Review: "Luthors" (Mother Fear-est)...
The Walking Dead 7x09 Review: "Rock in the Road" (...
Grimm 6x06 Review: "Breakfast In Bed" (Don't Fall ...
New Girl 6x16 Review: "Operation: Bobcat" (S.A.D.)...
Grey's Anatomy 13x12 Recap: "None of Your Business...
Arrow 5x12 Review: "Bratva" (What Happens in Russi...
Timeless 1x14 Review: "The Lost Generation" (Chang...
Blindspot 2x13 Review: "Name Not One Man" (Not Eno...
The Flash 3x12 Review: "Untouchable" (Another One ...
Scorpion 3x15 Review: "Sharknerdo" (A Group of Sha...
The Bachelor 21x06 Roundtable: Life's A Beach [Con...
Suits 6x13 Review: "Teeth, Nose, Teeth" (Progress)...
Supergirl 2x11 Review: "The Martian Chronicles" (L...
New Girl 6x15 Review: "Glue" (Who's Nick's Real Gi...
Powerless Fumbles With Its New Pilot [Contributor:...
Grimm 6x05 Review: "The Seven Year Itch" (When a M...
Lucifer 2x13 Recap: "A Good Day to Die" (A Very Li...
Grey's Anatomy 13x11 Review: "Jukebox Hero" (Alex'...
Arrow 5x11 Review: "Second Chances" (Will the Real...
The Flash 3x11 Review: "Dead or Alive" (Who Tells ...
Suits 6x12 Review: "The Painting" (Forgiveness... ...
5 Reasons You Should Binge-Watch Sweet/Vicious ASA...
The Bachelor 21x05 Roundtable: Love is Kinda Crazy...
Supergirl 2x10 Review: "We Can Be Heroes" (Just fo...