'New Girl' Review/Recap: "Background Check"

Raina Deerwater ‘16 / Emertainment Monthly Staff Writer

If there is anything that Breaking Bad taught us, it’s that meth makes great television. Sure there was some other things that came out of that show, but the main lesson here is that meth sells. And not just from drug dealers. This point was proven by none other than New Girl this week. Of all the shows expected to take the meth route, New Girl was not high on the list. However, it completely succeeded.
Winston (Lamorne Morris) has slowly been becoming a cop over the course of the fourth season, and now it is time for his background check. It seems like it won’t be a big deal, as his four roommates are zany, but harmless. However, Jess (Zooey Deschanel) of all people, drops the bomb that she has a bag of meth in her closet. The subsequent freaking out from Nick (Jake Johnson), Schmidt (Max Greenfield), and Coach (Damon Wayans Jr.) is what really drives the episode.

Nick sweats through his shirt so much he has to put on a kimono, Schmidt’s shirt somehow ends up on the floor and Jess stuffs her bra with the meth. It’s great and is the classic sitcom situation of having to conceal something big from an authority figure, through crazy shenanigans. It’s comedy at it’s simplest, but it’s what works best for the show. Jake Johnson belting “Landslide” and sweating through a kimono is all anyone really needs from this show.
“Background Check” also has the heart that this season of New Girl overall has been lacking, along with the Winston we’ve been missing. The whole episode ends up hinging on the fact that no one in the apartment really believes that Winston will follow through and become a cop. Jess and Winston have a sad moment in the bathroom surrounded by meth when she tells him this sad truth. He is truly hurt by his roommates’ lack of faith in him. It is very appropriate to bring this up, given that Winston so often gets put on the back burner, both within and outside of the context of the show.

Winston looking Jess in the eye and asking her if she ever believed in him is real and emotional, and it is a moment that the character deserves. It is also in the midst of a meth filled bathroom. These are the kind of scenes that have always made New Girl a great television series. These moments have been rare in the last season, so it is very refreshing to see that tenderness once again.
This episode also deals with loose romantic ends that have been left open. Schmidt’s infatuation with CeCe (Hannah Simone) is back in full force, giving their relationship the same feeling as it had in the first season. This had been addressed early on in the season, and it was nice to have it progress a little further, so that maybe something can move forward with the two of them. Additionally, there was a second of Nick and Jess admitting they had a former relationship. It wasn’t much. But it was at least some acknowledgement.
“Background Check” was altogether a great step forward for New Girl. Even though the meth turned out to be fake, the laughter and the heart was real.
Overall Episode Grade: A