Quick Thoughts: NEW GIRL, "Parents"

Out of all of the Tuesday night comedies, New Girl was probably the most conventional when it came to using the holiday because it once again focused all of its energy around a meal that stirred up crazy scenarios, but its slightly melancholy undertone worked in its favor.

I'm just going to take the bullet right off the bat; I could not have cared less about Jess and her divorced parents. I guess her laying a "parent trap" was cute in its own way, but even then it was only funny because of Nick and Cece's reactions to the horrible idea. I get that the holidays can be tough for fractured families, and I applaud a show for highlighting the somberness that can sometimes occupancy the festivities, but Jess' tweeness only got in the way. That said, Nick once again stole the spotlight and this episode made me long for him to have his own show.

Aside from Nick, "Parents" did a decent enough job at utilizing the stress that can come along with relationships. Schmidt's rivalry with his cousin was a classic example of jealousy and competition that exists among family members and how they can be amplified during these types of occasions, but adding Cece and Winston to the mix only made things better. The underlying commentary about Nick and Jess was also appreciated since it was clear that he's just like her dad and she's very similar to her mother, so if they couldn't make it work what does that say about their inevitable romance. Is it doomed or will the show go all Electra complex?

For the most part, I'd have to say that "Parents" was a successful episode because of how it could impact future stories and how it gave some shading to these characters that we've grown to care about. Not too shabby I suppose.