In its rocky first season, "New Girl" struggled to balance the "adorkable antics" of its heroine, Jess (Zooey Deschanel, "500 Days of Summer"), with the less well-defined personas of her three roommates.
When the show focused too heavily on Jess's craziness, the humor felt forced. But once the writers decided to explore the ensemble, the comedic riches were unleashed.
This season, the flamboyant womanizer, Schmidt (Max Greenfield, "The Indestructable Jimmy Brown"); the confused romantic, Winston (Lamorne Morris, "Sex Love and Lies"); and especially the misanthropic sad sack, Nick (played by an Emmy-worthy Jake Johnson, "21 Jump Street"), can carry stories and inspire laughter on their own as well as in stories with Jess.
Other second-season improvements include stronger emotional material, effective use of guest stars like David Walton, Jamie Lee Curtis and Brenda Song, and a recent narrative arc involving a spontaneous kiss and a drunken round of the impossibly complex game of "True Americans."
Despite sinking ratings, "New Girl" has gradually evolved into one of TV's most pleasurable sitcoms.
Catch "New Girl" on FOX every Tuesday at 9 p.m.
mlieberman@theeagleonline.com
