i'm not quite sure how it happened but somehow, only nine months after finishing it the first time, i'm watching New Girl again. this time around, with the official lens of Comfort Show™ and the ability to ease into the familiarity of a storyline I adore, I'm noticing things I didn't appreciate the first time.
in April of last year, i wrote about how giving your friends money is good, actually. i had been frustrated by television shows continuously displaying friends offering money when their friend is in a tight spot as something that could only be met with negativity. i'd seen it repeatedly, but it was seeing it on New Girl that inspired me to write the blog post. After criticizing the show, i'd be remiss to not praise it when i notice a representation of the exact kind of community care i was hoping for.
Season one, episode 15, titled Injured and affectionately dubbed, "The one where Nick thinks he has cancer." In this episode, Jess tackles Nick during a game of football and he bruises his spine. His friends insist he go to the doctor but he says he doesn't go to the doctor-- he doesn't have health insurance. Luckily, Jess has a friend who is an OB/GYN (not a gynecologist-- "it's totally different"). This friend, Sadie, gives Nick an "unofficial" exam, and then "unofficially" gives him some medicine to help ease the pain. But then she notices a lump on his neck. And this is how we get to Nick thinking he might have cancer.
After a hilarious bar scene where they drunkenly share real feelings (another example of genuine love and care but that's for another blog post) and a brilliant drive to the beach at midnight so Nick can nakedly run into the ocean instead of being "the guy guarding the wallets," they're at the office getting the ultrasound. Nick tells the receptionist he doesn't have health insurance, and will be paying in "a mixture of paper money and change." He goes into get his ultrasound and great news-- it's nothing! definitely not cancer! probably a cyst!
as he goes to pay at the front desk, the receptionist says "it's already been taken care of." He turns to hear Jess, Cece, Winston, and Schmidt split the cost of his ultrasound, knowing it was something he needed to get, and knowing he didn't have the money.
Care! Support! LOVE! Genuine non romantic love! On Television! in New Girl!
what is love if not helping your friend get the medical care they need? if not sending your friends kn95s? if not driving to the beach at midnight in a group to help you friend run into the ocean for the first time? if not letting your friend stay on your couch? if not urging your friend to care for herself while she's assisting her family through crisis? if not constructing a care package for your friend who just had a baby?
what is love if not friends splitting the cost of their friend's ultrasound?
in all about love, bell hook speaks about how not only are most of us not experiencing genuine love in our homes, but we don't know what it looks like because we rarely see it in media either. since reading that, i'm always looking for real love in all the shows i watch. and am continuously shown how right she was. so when i see something that i feel is a genuine representation of love in media, especially among friends instead of lovers, i feel compelled to give it some praise.
season one, episode 15 is a great example of genuine love. and it was beautiful to watch.
caring for your community is good, actually!
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