There are two types of people in the world:
- Those who watch a TV show once, think hey, that was fun, then never revisit it
- Rewatchers
I, unabashedly, am a rewatcher. It’s not just television, either—whether it’s movies, books, or music, if I like it, I’ll probably give it another go. I suppose it has a lot to do with comfort, with slipping into a world that feels safe and familiar. Of course I enjoy consuming new media as well, but there’s a delightful feeling associated with revisiting an old favorite, like curling your fingers around a warm cup of tea.
I increasingly crave that feeling, especially after living the last few months in a pandemic. With the world so unstable, the endless barrage of bad news takes a toll on the mind. I’ve found that returning to something familiar makes the unknown seem less daunting, if only for a little while.
So, what is my quarantine rewatch? None other than NBC’s acclaimed sitcom New Girl. I first watched New Girl about two years ago in a caffeine-fueled Netflix binge for the ages—from the first episode, I was hooked. The premise? A quirky teacher, Jessica Day, moves into an LA loft with three single guys, and general hilarity ensues.
In many ways, New Girl is your typical ensemble sitcom, complete with adults living together (never spending much time at their jobs), a good friends-to-lovers trope, and a hangout spot where the gang spends all their free time. It’s Friends, but with better writing.
Recently, I’ve been shuffling through New Girl again, watching an episode here and there. Still, even though I’ve seen the show before, I’m just as intrigued as I was the first time around. Honestly, the predictability doesn’t bother me much; it’s refreshing to know what will happen in one aspect of my life when so much else remains unknown.
New Girl, like many comedies, seeks to create a safe space where the characters’ problems, though often ridiculous, replace your own for a while. That’s what’s so appealing to me—even though the characters and plotlines frequently push believability boundaries, I can still enjoy living in that fictional space for a while. It’s a special kind of escapism, a respite when life becomes grating.
Yes, the characters are a bit overexaggerated, but that’s what makes the world of New Girl so interesting. They’re the type of people you wish you could meet in real life but likely never will. Few people actually have so many random quirks.
The characters’ relationships with each other, however, are more relatable. At its core, New Girl is about relationships and human connection. It’s about going through life with friends as close as family and seeking love in all the wrong places before realizing it’s right in front of you. It’s about being human.
Especially now, remembering our humanity is so important. Shows like New Girl prompt us to recognize our own imperfection and to have the courage to laugh at ourselves. Returning to it now reminds me of the important things in life, like joy and love and relationships, things that have the power to transcend negative circumstances.
So, to all the Type 1 people: give it a shot. Rewatch that movie you loved as a kid. Go see that play again, the one that made you feel hopeful. Read that book you started but never finished. You might be surprised.
Graphic by Maggie Exum
