Remember when New Girl didn’t suck? Even despite recasting Damon Wayans Jr. in the first couple seasons with Lamorne Morris without much explanation? When it had actual comedy before it got really slapstick? Fox seems to remember which is how New Girl parlayed its goodwill into a mercy killing. The Zooey Deschanel lead show has been granted one final season comprised of 8 episodes to finally beat this dead horse into the ground.
In an earlier interview with The Daily Beast, Jake Johnson (Nick Miller on the show) said the season 6 finale was shot as a series finale to appease their core fan base. But the core fan base was already apathetic by then. Or maybe that was just me.
Strangely enough, apart from Sunday night animation and The Mick, New Girl was actually Fox’s highest-rated returning half-hour show. Which is an oddly specific stat now that I think about it.
So why is this happening? Series creator Liz Meriwether has wanted to end the series for a while now to work on something new. Just as well since it seems she checked out of the show one and a half seasons ago.