Food and Drink Editor Chloë Hyde is full of admiration for New Girl’s Jess Day, believing that the show would not be as special without her
Even though I only watched New Girl for the first time last year, it has rivalled my prime comfort TV shows such as Friends, Fleabag, Gossip Girl, Desperate Housewives and The Vampire Diaries. How I managed to last all these years without watching it I will never know, and forever regret – this show is a genuine, light-hearted take on the American sitcom which never takes itself too seriously. It is no wonder it is such a huge hit almost ten years later, with new and old viewers watching on repeat thanks to Amazon Prime Video and Netflix.
The epitome of a bubbly, spirited girl-next-door, Jess is the kind of person you need to have as a best friend
What is not to love about Zooey Deschanel’s portrayal of Jess Day? The epitome of a bubbly, spirited girl-next-door, Jess is the kind of person you need to have as a best friend. Even the producers of New Girl, FOX, labelled her as ‘Simply Adorkable’ in promotional material and if you have watched the show yourself, you will know that there is not a term more wonderfully apt for this character. The term ‘comfort character’ resonates with a lot of people for different reasons, but for me, Jess latches on to the importance of relatability and realism. She does not try to be perfect, and she is unapologetically herself – something I think is extremely admirable. It is for this very reason that there is a lot we can learn from Jess about authenticity, since she is never trying to be something she is not.
She does not try to be perfect, and she is unapologetically herself
A strong character trait of Jess’ is her determination and dedication to her job. Throughout the show, Jess assumes a number of roles in education (and anytime she strays from these types of roles, it is obvious she longs to be back in one). Her confidence in her ability to help shape people’s creative minds is honourable, but she is never once cocky or arrogant about her skills. She thrives off helping other people, and this is evident once outside the classroom also. Jess is always one to be helping and cheering up her flatmates, friends and family through difficult break ups, friendship issues and all-round drama, which highlights her utter sense of selflessness. Though I often find myself laughing at the sheer craziness of New Girl (like the most random celebrity cameos you will ever see, which have no build up or explanation), Jess undoubtedly highlights the kind of person you want to have as a thoughtful and enthusiastic friend.
Scripted as Jess doing jury duty during season five, Jess’ absence from six episodes of the show due to Deschanel’s maternity leave really solidified the significance of her presence. I found myself actively missing Jess’ quirky, offbeat one-liners and eccentric-teacher dress sense during these episodes, which demonstrates how integral Jess’ character is to the entirety of New Girl. She is necessary to balance out the moodiness and lack of motivation from Nick (Jake Johnson), always putting a positive spin on any situation. She is like a little sister to both Schmidt (Max Greenfield) and Winston (Lamorne Morris) – sometimes annoying but family, nevertheless. Jess is a life-long best friend, and a sister wrapped all up into one for Cece (Hannah Simone), almost like a reliable partner in crime. She is quite literally a ray of sunshine, and never fails to cheer me up when I need her to.
To put it simply, there is no New Girl without Jess.
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