New Girl 1x20: Normal

Original Air Date: 10 April 2012

Storyline: Despite Jess's misgivings, Russell spends a weekend at the loft hanging out with the guys. Winston's new radio job allows him to meet Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Nick takes a page from his idea notebook and tries to bring it to life.Best Quote:

Schmidt: Would you line up around the corner if the iPhone was called "the slippery germ brick"?
Nick: Yeah, I probably would actually.
The Douche Factor: You're listening to the radio and writing with a pen? What decade are we in?

Review: What does normal mean for you? Certainly not the same as normal in Jess' world, where broken elevators and weird drinking games are regular events during the weekends. But be honest now, doesn't The Real American look totally exciting to you? I'd really really love to know the rules for that one!

As the relationship between Jess and Russell progresses, it is inevitable that he has to spend time with the guys at some point. And what better way to get acquainted with Jess' world than spending a weekend at the loft, instead of his mansion? And this is where the gang's full craziness is revealed, as each of the guys tries to get Russell's advice on different stuff, after, of course, having played a drinking game that turned all of them into chauvinistic pigs.
This was one weekend that showed how much of a typical irrational girl can Jess be, despite her claim at maturity. As always, the show bordered on the absurd with the fight she started with Russell over practically nothing and, after all, absurd is something we look for in a sitcom. But her behavior was so far away from what I'd expect from a 30-year old woman that it made me feel ashamed for my sex.
However, since in sitcoms no flaw comes without its very own bright side, seeing Russell make efforts to adapt to Jess' world only to dismiss so straightforwardly the idea of going apple-picking had me laughing incessantly for a good couple of minutes.
The contact with Russell made Nick fall again into the trap of wanting to grow up, something I seriously doubt that it will happen very soon. For the first time, we see him want to do something other than be a bartender all his life, but with an invention with a name like "Real Apps" (or "relapse"), it's no wonder his idea didn't appeal to his current idol. 
Moving on to the B-plot, it had - surprise surprise! - Winston as main protagonist (something I'm getting bored of, to be honest, despite Winston becoming more and more likable with every episode). Having decided that he cannot be a nanny all his life, he finds a dream job in being the assistant of a popular radio sports host who enjoys torturing his employees, among which there's also Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Having practiced basketball for a good part of my life and being a big NBA fan, you can only imagine my excitement  at seeing the former player make a guest appearance in "Normal", though the plot was not even near to worthy of Kareem's name. But the last scene cracked me up and I am still putting it on repeat just to see that Beyonce-colored shake being passed around from one guy to another while discussing the values of the Olympic games.New Girl 1x19: Secrets Back to Season 1