New Girl Season 2 Review “Neighbors” – No One Likes Hipsters…or Urkel

There’s a moment that happens when you reach thirty in which you realize that you not only don’t have anything in common with college-age kids…but that you kind of don’t care. Jess had this moment in this week’s episode of New Girl, “Neighbors,” but of course Schmidt was a little slow to catch up.

When a group of too-hip twenty-somethings moved in next door, Schmidt did everything in his power to befriend them, to prove that he was not, in any way, shape or form, old. Of course it wasn’t his age sending the kids running; it was his personality. The reason I love Schmidt is that he was totally fine with that.

On the other hand, Jess made instant friends with the hipsters. Not only did their lack of knowledge about 90′s sitcoms allow her to get away with her Urkel impression, but they mistook her for a kindred spirit when they discovered she was working a dead-end food service job. Sometimes our friends can jerk us out of our depression, but more often than not it takes an “ah-ha!” moment on a grander scale. Jess isn’t searching for her life’s purpose; she knows she’s a teacher. She just needs to find someone to teach.

While Schmidt was on his epic quest for youth and acceptance, Nick took advantage of his distrated state to escalate a prank war against him. His pranks ranged from evil genius to frat-boy stupid, but they were better than Winston’s ideas which were either undetectable or a full-on felony. Nick really is an angry old man in a hot, thirty-something body, and that’s kind of his charm, isn’t it? He reminds me of Luke Danes on Gilmore Girls, only far funnier.

Winston also asked for and received his own sports radio show to produce. Unfortunately, he got the awesome two a.m. slot; everyone has to start somewhere. No sign of his girlfriend. Maybe they broke up? Another noticible absense was CeCe. If she’d been around there would have been no hipsters; she would have sent them running with the blazing passion in her perfectly made-up eyes.

So, what did you think of the episode? I’d love to find out, so drop me a comment. Also, if you never want to miss a review, feel free to follow me on Twitter @krieli1.