Tag Archives: television

TV Time: Teen Wolf 3.01

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This summer, the lovely Leah will be sharing her thoughts on this season of Teen Wolf with us.

Hi everyone! It is finally the start of summer shows season and I could not be more excited for Teen Wolf to be back on my TV screen! I am delighted to say that this summer I’ll be covering Teen Wolf Season 3 here on Nerdy Girl Notes, with some occasional help from the wonderful Heather, and I can’t wait to hear all your thoughts as we go through this undoubtedly crazy journey that will be Season 3! As we’ve seen from the opening episode, this might hurt, indeed.

Sorry for the delay this week – I had my last week of college finals ever starting Monday, and so I’ve been quite busy focusing on school, but for the rest of the season (barring any unforeseen issues) I should have the recap up on the Tuesday or Wednesday following the episode’s airing! And now, let’s talk about the premiere!

Title Tattoo

What Happened? A mysterious girl is in Beacon Hills and appears have quite a bit of knowledge about not only our favorite werewolves and their friends, but also the Alpha Pack, as we see her fighting with the Alpha Pack, helping Isaac, and attempting to reach Scott to tell him something. Meanwhile, animals are starting to go crazy around town while the Alpha Pack begins to cause more trouble for everyone. Scott seeks Derek’s help in getting a tattoo, and Derek tells Scott and Stiles what he knows about the Alpha Pack that’s in town – that they can only mean one thing: trouble.

Favorite Lines
“And seriously, an American werewolf in London? Like that’s not going to be a disaster.” (Lydia, talking about Jackson – A reference to the movie “An American Werewolf in London.”)

“Do you have any other emergency werewolf contacts?” (Melissa McCall to Isaac)

“Since the amnesiac in 215 can’t tell us anything, I need the girl with the modified military stun gun in 216 to answer a few questions.” (Sheriff Stilinski)

“Prada bit me.”
“Your dog?”
“No, my designer handbag. Yes, my dog.” (Lydia and Stiles)

“I know you’re afraid of him.”
“Of a teenage boy?”
“Of the man he’ll become.”
“I’m aware of a certain potential threat. But then someone once taught me a very smart way to eliminate threats: get someone else to do it for you.” (“The Girl” and Deucalion)

My Thoughts I thought this was quite an enjoyable episode, and as usual with an episode of Teen Wolf, gave us more questions than answers.

“The Girl”

For me, she is the most interesting new character so far. She clearly knows a lot about this town and about our favorite characters – she knew that Allison, at least, knows Scott well enough to likely know where he was – and she appears to be familiar with not only Scott, Derek, and their friends, but also with the Alpha Pack. I don’t know whether she is time-travelling somehow, or can see the future through magic, or something else we don’t know about yet, but her obvious knowledge of the group surrounding Scott and “the man he’ll [Scott] become,” as well as the bruises she left on Lydia and Allison’s arms, tells me that this girl is definitely more than just human. I hope that she is not actually dead and that we get to see more of her, and I hope she gets a name soon!

Meet the Alpha Pack

We got our first look at the Alpha Pack this episode, and they were suitably menacing! We have seen that the pack appears to be made up of five members, and that they have a leader, Deucalion. I love that Deucalion is blind! (Or at least he appears to be.) I can’t describe how awesome I think it is that the show has the leader of the Alpha Pack having a disability and still being incredibly terrifying. The Alpha Pack will definitely be a formidable opponent for our characters this season as they seem to have not only strength, but strategy and smarts as well.

Sidenote: I think I could listen to Gideon Emery (who plays Deucalion) talk all day in that voice and I’d be happy.

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The Best Thing I Saw on TV This Week (5/26 – 6/2)

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With most of my favorite shows painfully absent from my weekly TV viewing, it could have been difficult for me to make my pick for the best moment of the week. The Bachelorette‘s premiere left me with no strong impressions about any of the guys—or at least no strong positive impressions. (I definitely felt strongly about “hashtag guy” and “fantasy suite guy,” but those feelings were decidedly unkind ones.) So You Think You Can Dance is still in the audition stage. And it’s usually impossible to classify anything from the Real Housewives franchise as the “best” thing on TV.

But thankfully not every high-quality TV show is on hiatus yet. In fact, one of the best shows on television aired perhaps its most anticipated episode this week.

It was time for another wedding on Game of Thrones, and this time it was a red one. I’ve been waiting for this episode with an odd mixture of excitement and dread since I finished that horrible chapter in A Storm of Swords late last year. I’d never read anything like that before—a scene that literally turned the whole story on its head from both a plot perspective and a thematic one. The Red Wedding took the common heroic myths and stories we’re used to and stabbed them in the chest. It broke my heart, but it made for some of the most compelling literature I’ve ever read.

I also knew it would also make for some incredibly compelling television. And I was right.

Warning: If you don’t know what you’re about to watch, this is EXTREMELY violent and disturbing. 

The way this scene built from revelry to dread was utterly perfect—a masterpiece in creating tension that is almost as powerful as it was on the page. Each death was horrific to watch, and you got a real sense that this wasn’t a battle; it was a massacre, which needed to be established in order for this event to carry the weight it needs to carry as the series goes on. But no mention of this scene could ever be complete without acknowledging the absolute brilliance of Michelle Fairley’s performance. The way her voice and her face completely transformed when she’s pleading for Robb’s life gave me chills, and I’ve never heard a scream as purely guttural and agonizing as hers after Robb was killed. And then in those horrifyingly quiet moments after she slit the throat of Walder Frey’s wife, you can see that she is already dead; everything but her body died with her son. I’ve never seen acting like that—so visceral, so utterly destroyed and broken. It was even more haunting for me than the final image of Catelyn in the books—because we can actually see the moment when she’s no longer a human being; she’s simply a body existing despite everything in her soul being dead.

I know this is a horribly depressing pick for the best of TV this past week, but sometimes the best is better than anything else because it makes us feel more deeply—even if those feelings are heartbreak and horror. This scene is what great media is all about—it makes us feel; it makes us care; it makes us react.

Heather has a great post over at TVexamined about why Sunday’s Game of Thrones is an example of how great television is as a medium, and I agree with every word. The reactions to this scene are part of the reason why it was so good. If something can make you feel that strongly about people and events you know are fictional, then it must have done something right. The best fiction makes us think, but it also makes us feel. And the Red Wedding certainly made everyone watching feel something—and feel it intensely.

What was your reaction to the Red Wedding (either onscreen or on the page)? Do you think it was the best thing on TV this week?

Nerdy Girl Predicts: The 2013 Critics’ Choice Television Awards

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A week from today, television’s best will be in the spotlight as the fabulous Retta hosts the 2013 Critics’ Choice Television Awards. I was incredibly pleased with the nominees chosen by the Broadcast Television Journalists Association (BTJA); I feel like they’re a strong representation of what has been an outstanding year for television.

As is usually the case in the world of television awards, who I’d like to see win is often different from who I think will win—although that isn’t always the case. My predictions for these awards will include both the actor or show I feel is most deserving and the one I think the critics will most likely honor. However, I know practically nothing about the nominees in the “Mini-Series or TV Movie” categories, so I’m just going to pick who I think will actually win those after doing some intense research (aka going on Google for a couple of hours to read reviews from critics I trust).

Without further ado, here are my predictions!

BEST COMEDY SERIES
• The Big Bang Theory – CBS
• Louie – FX
• The Middle – ABC
• New Girl – FOX
• Parks and Recreation – NBC
• Veep – HBO
Should Win: As much as I love Parks and Rec, New Girl was both the funniest and most emotionally honest comedy on television this year.
Will Win: Louie is loved by critics and fans alike, and I don’t see it losing to any network comedy. Veep is the only show I could see giving it a run for its money as far as awards go.

BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
• Don Cheadle (House of Lies) – Showtime
• Louis C.K. (Louie) – FX
• Jake Johnson (New Girl) – FOX
• Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory) – CBS
• Adam Scott (Parks and Recreation) – NBC
• Jeremy Sisto (Suburgatory) – ABC
Should Win: Jake Johnson was one of the best actors on television this year in any genre. Whether he was dancing to Taylor Swift, delivering an emotional eulogy for his father, or kissing Jess “like a man” on more than one occasion, Nick Miller surprised me as a viewer every week, and thanks to Johnson’s charming, hilarious, and surprisingly sexy screen presence, it was always a pleasant surprise.
Will Win: Louis C.K. is hilarious, and he’s a critical darling. While this category is stocked with some great names (Adam Scott’s inclusion makes me especially thrilled), no one’s beating him.

BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES 
• Laura Dern (Enlightened) – HBO
• Zooey Deschanel (New Girl) – FOX
• Lena Dunham (Girls) – HBO
• Sutton Foster (Bunheads) – ABC Family
• Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Veep) – HBO
• Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation) – NBC
Should Win/Will Win: I’ve been burned with this prediction many times before, but I think it’s finally Amy Poehler’s time to win. Parks and Rec is loved by so many critics, and it wouldn’t be anywhere near as entertaining without Poehler’s sunny and smart presence at the center of it. This was a big year for Leslie Knope—she became a city councilwoman, got engaged, and got married—and Poehler made us laugh, cry, and smile along with this character through all of it.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
• Max Greenfield (New Girl) – FOX
• Simon Helberg (The Big Bang Theory) – CBS
• Alex Karpovsky (Girls) – HBO
• Adam Pally (Happy Endings) – ABC
• Chris Pratt (Parks and Recreation) – NBC
• Danny Pudi (Community) – NBC
Should Win/Will Win: There’s no character on TV right now like Schmidt, and I really think critics are going to find some way to reward New Girl for its excellent sophomore season. These two factors should combine to give Max Greenfield some well-deserved love from the BTJA. Greenfield’s talent for playing the world’s most lovable douchebag has made him a critical darling even when the rest of the cast was struggling to gain recognition. While I think he had less to do this season than last season, his unique combination of quirky overconfidence and genuine vulnerability were still put to excellent use.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY 
• Carly Chaikin (Suburgatory) – ABC
• Kaley Cuoco (The Big Bang Theory) – CBS
• Sarah Hyland (Modern Family) – ABC
• Melissa Rauch (The Big Bang Theory) – CBS
• Eden Sher (The Middle) – ABC
• Casey Wilson (Happy Endings) – ABC
Should Win: Sarah Hyland has always been an underappreciated force to be reckoned with on Modern Family, and I’m so happy to see her getting the recognition she deserves.
Will Win: It wouldn’t be a TV award show without The Big Bang Theory winning something, so my money’s on the charming Kaley Cuoco to take home the show’s obligatory award.

BEST GUEST PERFORMER IN A COMEDY SERIES 
• Melissa Leo (Louie) – FX
• David Lynch (Louie) – FX
• Bob Newhart (The Big Bang Theory) – CBS
• Patton Oswalt (Parks and Recreation) – NBC
• Molly Shannon (Enlightened) – HBO
• Patrick Wilson (Girls) – HBO
Should Win/Will Win: Molly Shannon is always a treat whenever she shows up onscreen—and I think most critics would agree with me. ‘

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Save the Last Dance for Me: My Favorite SYTYCD Performances

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It’s that time of year again—dance recital season! As a dancer and a choreographer, this is one of the most exciting times of the year, and it’s not just because of what my students and I are getting ready to perform this weekend. It’s also because So You Think You Can Dance is getting into the home stretch of audition episodes before finally revealing its Top 20. Once the performance shows begin, SYTYCD becomes must-see TV for me every week. It’s so exciting to see one of my biggest passions displayed on national TV for others to fall in love with the way I fell in love with dance 20 years ago.

In the spirit of sharing my love of dance with everyone I meet, I decided today to share links to my Top 10 So You Think You Can Dance performances. These dances continue to inspire me, motivate me, entertain me, and move me long after I first saw them.

10. Danny and Lacey’s “Hip Hip Chin Chin” Samba (Season 3)
This dance is still one of the sexiest dances to ever be performed on SYTYCD. The choreography was exciting, the musicality was perfect, and both Danny and Lacey gave star-quality performances. At this point in the season, everyone knew Lacey was a fantastic performer, but this was the dance that really showcased Danny’s stage presence. He looked like he was having the time of his life out there, and those moments of pure joy are my favorites on this show.

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Love What You Love: Some Thoughts on Guilty Pleasures

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We all have our guilty pleasures.

For some people, it’s Nicholas Sparks novels. For others, it’s romantic comedies. From the high school melodramas of ABC Family to the sexiest scenes on Scandal, everyone has a secret indulgence programmed on their DVRs, sitting on their bookshelves, or waiting for them on Netflix. We can claim to have the most discerning taste when it comes to media. But each of us—no matter how astute we pretend to be—has a guilty pleasure.

What’s my guilty pleasure? Reality TV.

Yes, I love the competitive reality shows that actually do earn some critical acclaim. I obsess over So You Think You Can Dance every summer. I thoroughly enjoy The Voice and used to thoroughly enjoy American Idol as well back when it was in its heyday (which has long since passed). Top Chef is one of my favorite shows on television.

But I also love the “trashy” stuff. I will watch any Real Housewives series (except Atlanta and Miami), including the marathons Bravo is so fond of airing. I will also watch basically anything else Bravo throws at me—from Most Eligible Dallas to Don’t Be Tardy. I religiously watch Dancing with the Stars every season for reasons beyond the sparkly costumes and shirtless male dancers; I actually like the performances. And I adore The Bachelorette.

Yes, you heard that correctly: I adore The Bachelorette. I watched and re-watched Meredith’s season back when I could only do that on a VHS tape. I cried when Ashley married J.P. last year. I fell in love with Jef probably even more than Emily did. And I watched the season premiere last night ready to spend my summer Mondays with Desiree and her suitors. Monday nights are one of my favorite nights of the week in the summer. I curl up on the couch, open some Starbucks ice cream (preferably Java Chip Frappuccino), and watch one lucky girl be romanced by a bevy of beautiful gentlemen.

I don’t want you to think that I believe I’m watching great television. I know The Bachelorette and The Real Housewives of New Jersey aren’t exactly comparable with Game of Thrones or Parks and Recreation. But that doesn’t mean I have to look at everything on TV the same way. I like some shows because they make me think; I like others because they allow me to turn my brain off for a little while.

And I’m not so sure I should feel guilty about that.

Why should we feel the need to add “guilty” to some of our pleasures? Does everything that makes us feel happy, relaxed, or emotionally invested have to be critically-acclaimed? Can’t we just like something because we like it, because it’s fun?

Yes, I consider The Great Gatsby my favorite book, but Bridget Jones’s Diary is also high on my list. Yes, I love watching Casablanca and The Empire Strikes Back, but I also love The Wedding Planner and Tangled. My iPod has Mumford and Sons on it, but it also has One Direction. And I don’t feel particularly guilty about loving any of those things.

The media we enjoy—whether it’s reality TV, romantic comedies, sappy county songs, or anything else—should be celebrated, not hidden away in case someone judges us for loving what we love. If something makes you happy, it shouldn’t be a guilty pleasure; it should just be a pleasure.

Grab your ice cream, your wine, or your chocolate. Open your romance novel, turn on E!, or grab your DVD of Dirty Dancing. Let’s all take some time this summer to enjoy media that makes us happy—critics be damned.

The Best Thing I Saw on TV This Week (5/19 – 5/26)

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As this TV season continued to draw to a close, this week gave us more finales and episodes featuring big moments that will surely be remembered for a long time. Game of Thrones featured the first of many important weddings as Sansa married Tyrion, reminding us why Tyrion is such a great character, why Joffrey is such a hated character, and why Sansa is more than deserving of our sympathy and even our admiration for surviving amid such horrid circumstances. Dancing with the Stars ended with perhaps the strongest final four ever. Modern Family ended its season on a high note, with big laughs and big emotional moments. And Nashville‘s finale featured more cliffhangers and dramatic scenes than most shows have in one whole season. 

While there were more than a few fantastic television moments this week, my favorite came from the finale of Dancing with the Stars. As someone who’s been a dancer for 20 years, I watch shows like this (and So You Think You Can Dance) and wait for the one dance every season that moves me to chills and tears because of the raw emotion that mixes with sheer talent to create a truly wonderful example of the best that dance can be on national TV. For this season of DWTS, that dance was Kellie Pickler and Derek Hough’s freestyle performance. While the other choreographers chose to make their freestyle routines loud and splashy, Derek stripped this freestyle down to simply focus on Kellie’s gorgeous lines and wonderful technique. It was a gamble that paid off; the two of them created a true moment of beauty and grace that put tears in my eyes and made me feel proud to be a dancer.

What was the best thing you saw on TV this week?

The Best Thing I Saw on TV This Week (5/12 – 5/19)

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What a week this was to be a fan of great TV! Season finales often bring out the most memorable and thought-provoking moments each year, and this year was no exception. This past week gave me so many phenomenal choices for TV’s best of the best that I needed another day to finally make up my mind!

It seemed that each show I love had at least one moment that I’ve watched again and again and could talk about at length to anyone who’ll listen: Emma finally calling Snow and Charming “Mom” and “Dad” on the finale of Once Upon a Time; Brienne and Jaime sharing a heartfelt goodbye that perfectly captured the nuances of their relationship on  Game of Thrones; Castle laying all his cards on the table and proposing to Beckett on Castle‘s season finale; Danny and Mindy’s game-changing glasses-cleaning moment on The Mindy Project; Michael Scott’s return and all of the sob-inducing final talking heads on the series finale of The Office; and Stefon and Seth’s big moment on Saturday Night Live.

Each of these were incredible television moments, but no moment on TV this week made me as happy as the final scene of New Girl‘s season finale.

 

Yes, I love a good cliffhanger as much as the next girl, and sometimes a season finale needs to end with me reaching for the tissues in order for it to be a great one. But sometimes you just want to go into the summer hiatus with a smile on your face and hope in your heart—and that’s what New Girl gave its fans with that final scene. This scene was a great representation of everything that’s right about New Girl: Its emotions were honest (I think this scene was Zooey Deschanel’s best work yet), it showcased the blinding chemistry between Deschanel and Jake Johnson, and it simply felt real and earned.

Some finales are like a punch to the gut, making you feel like the wind has been knocked out of you. But this finale was like a happy sigh of relief, a warm laugh as genuine as Jess and Nick’s laughter after yet another stunning kiss.

What was the best thing you saw on TV this week? What moments are you looking forward to with the summer TV season right around the corner?

Grading the Series Finales: The Office

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Title Finale (9.24/9.25)

Written By Greg Daniels

What Happens? One year after the Dunder Mifflin documentary aired, the whole gang reunites and is filmed once again for two very special occasions: a panel discussion about the documentary and Dwight and Angela’s wedding. After catching up with various characters, we learn that Darryl is making a lot of money and loving life in Austin as he enjoys the success of Athlead, which has now changed its name to Athleap. Jim, however, has stayed in Scranton but appears happy with his decision and his life with Pam. Andy’s breakdown at his singing competition audition went viral, and he’s now a nationwide joke—but he did get a job in the admissions department at Cornell. Kevin and Toby were both fired by Dwight, Nellie moved to Poland (the Scranton of Europe), and Stanley retired to Florida.

The day before the wedding, Jim does his best to throw Dwight a fun and Schrute-friendly bachelor party, which is his duty as “bestest mensch.” Meanwhile, Angela is kidnapped by Mose at her bachelorette party and forced into the trunk of a car as part of a traditional Schrute pre-marriage ritual. The wedding day begins with the panel discussion, where Andy discovers he has fans, Erin finally finds her parents, and Pam has to face some tough questions about her reluctance to let Jim follow his dreams.

Following the panel, the wedding preparations begin in earnest, but Jim tells Dwight there’s a problem—the bestest mensch is supposed to be older than the groom, so he can’t do it. But he finds an even better alternative when Michael Scott shows up with a smile and a classic “That’s what she said!” Michael, now a family man with kids of his own, happily sits back and basks in the joy of watching the love that grew out of his office—even the dysfunctional love of Kelly and Ryan, who run off together into the sunset, leaving behind Kelly’s boyfriend and Ryan’s baby (who is then given to Nellie).

Before going to a big reception for the documentary back at Dunder Mifflin, Jim and Pam stop at home, but Jim is surprised to find a realtor showing their house. Pam reveals to him that she had been secretly showing the house for months because she wants Jim to be able to live his dream in Austin with Athleap and have his family there to support him. Seeing the documentary made her see that some things are worth the risk; sometimes you need to do the big, brave thing.

The night ends with a private party in the office where each member of the Dunder Mifflin team says goodbye to their friends who are moving on and to the people behind the cameras.

Best Moment The moment Michael Scott appeared onscreen, I knew that this finale was going to go down as one of my favorite series finales ever. For so long, NBC had been trying to deny all reports of Steve Carell being a part of the finale, but I think everyone knew that a finale of The Office without Michael Scott would just feel wrong. Michael needed to be there—not just for the fans but for the characters as well. Dwight’s face when he hugged Michael was one of the most beautiful single moments of the finale, and it was because it signaled that everything was right in the world: Dwight was marrying Angela, Michael was there to be his best man, and Jim had just pulled off the best prank ever. The emotion in that scene was just right. It wasn’t cloying or heavy-handed; it was filled with the sense of joyful pride that a reunion between these characters needed to have. Michael is proud of Jim and Dwight like a father is proud of his kids, and he should be. But he doesn’t need to say it: It’s all in Carell’s smile. And then he follows that smile with the most-anticiapted “That’s what she said” moment of the series, reminding everyone of the way this show can deftly walk the line between sentimentality and silliness. This moment was everything I’d been waiting for and everything I could have hoped for. It was that kind of perfect series finale moment when you could see the emotions of the actors coming through in their characters in a way that worked wonderfully with the material they were given.

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Grading the Season Finales 2013: The Mindy Project

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Title Take Me With You (1.24)

Written By Mindy Kaling and Jeremy Bronson

What Happens? After Mindy decides to go to Haiti with Casey, she attempts to prove herself capable of surviving in that environment during a camping trip with Danny, Christina, and Morgan. However, she soon finds herself wanting to go back on her decision and stay in New York instead. Rather than let Casey down, she decides to scare him off during their going-away party by demanding they get engaged before taking the trip together. Her plan backfires, though, when Casey attempts to propose, and Mindy is forced to tell him the truth: She doesn’t want to go to Haiti with him.

Following the successful delivery of triplets, Mindy and Danny both make big decisions about their relationships. Mindy realizes that Casey is worth the year in Haiti, and she proves this with a late-night trip to his apartment building and a pixie cut. Meanwhile, Danny decides to take a step back and slow down his reunion with Christina. After telling this to Mindy, the two share a moment that blurs the line between friends and something more—before Mindy tells him that she got back together with Casey and is going to Haiti for the year.

Game-Changing Moment With just one look, the dynamics on this show were suddenly changed forever. Danny’s quiet intensity and surprising softness as he looked at Mindy after cleaning her glasses couldn’t be mistaken for anything other than an intimacy far beyond friendship. For this whole season, the audience has been able to see the potential between these two characters, but it appeared that the characters were either unaware of it or unwilling to acknowledge the obvious chemistry between them. After this moment, though, neither will be able to ignore it any longer. Danny made himself vulnerable with her in a way we’ve never seen from him before, and that’s going to fundamentally alter their relationship—even if they both try to pretend like the moment didn’t happen. For someone as obsessed with romance as Mindy Lahiri, it’s going to be hard for her to ignore the fact that her closest male friend put himself out there in a romantic way with her, and it’s going to be interesting to see how that moment is handled at the start of Season Two.

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Grading the Season Finales 2013: New Girl

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Title Elaine’s Big Day (2.25)

What Happens? It’s Cece’s wedding day, but Schmidt infers from an accidental look at the bride that she may not want to go through with it after all. Claiming to be working as her friend, he plans to “sabo” (aka sabotage) her wedding with the help of Nick and Winston. However, Nick is initially against this plan, not wanting to upset Jess and hoping to prove her father wrong about his immaturity. However, Nick is betrayed by his own “Cotton-Eyed Joe” CD; when it’s played during the ceremony, Jess assumes Nick is in on the plan and tells him he acts like a child. Feeling hurt, Nick decides to help Schmidt and Winston with the next phase of the sabotage operation, but things take a turn for the worse when the badger they plan to let loose escapes in the air ducts.

As Jess climbs into the ducts to try to stop the madness, Nick confronts her about her concerns about a relationship between the two of them, and Jess admits that a part of her is afraid that he’s too much of a mess to have a functional relationship with her. Their talk is interrupted, though, when they fall through the ceiling and literally crash the ceremony. The destruction seems to allow Cece to finally speak her mind: She doesn’t want to marry Shivrang because she’s in love with someone else (Schmidt). As for Shivrang, he has a secret love of his own named Elaine.

With the wedding officially called off, Nick and Jess do some calling off of their own, deciding that the one night they had together was enough, although it’s clear neither of them really wants to walk away from whatever they have. While Nick goes to drown his sorrows at the bar, Winston emerges from the air ducts with a nasty wound and some sage advice: Drinking and running away were the moves Nick’s dad always fell back on when things got hard, but they’re not the only moves. Schmidt seems to have never gotten that memo, though, as he runs from the room when faced with the choice between Cece and Elizabeth.

Unlike Schmidt, Nick doesn’t want to run away anymore. In fact, he’s ready to run to Jess, who he finds standing outside in tears over their decision to end whatever was happening between them. She asks Nick if they can un-call it, and he replies with a smile and a kiss. Laughing and bickering, the two drive off into the night towards a destination neither of them knows yet.

Game-Changing Moment While Nick and Jess’s relationship has been the driving force behind most of this season, the real emotional journey has been Nick Miller’s development from a man paralyzed by anger and fear to a man who can embrace uncertainty and hope. That arc found beautiful resolution in Winston’s speech about Nick not having to use his father’s moves. For much of Season Two, we’ve seen how Nick’s father and his abandonment had such a profound impact on his life and his decisions even after his father’s death. So it was hugely important for Nick to make a stand and show that he’s not his father; he’s better than his father ever was. There are other moves—better moves—and Nick is finally ready to choose another move. That moment of deciding to run towards Jess instead of running away signified a huge leap forward for this character we’ve watched grow all season. It was the culmination of a truly wonderful arc, and it hinted at even more growth to come next season.

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