As part of the lead-up to the big Schmidt-Cece wedding, New Girl did something kind of cool this week: It ran two episodes, separated by a Grandfathered, that took place simultaneously and showed the bachelor and bachelorette parties. It was a fun idea, executed well, and another example of the show still trying a bunch of new, weird stuff — as it did when it brought in Megan Fox during Zooey Deschanel’s pregnancy hiatus — even years into its run.
Which is great. And something we can talk about more fully at another time. Because now, in this post, we are talking about the goofy little puffed-chest chicken dance thing that Schmidt did before he and the rest of his party got in a dusty street fight with dirt-encrusted desert people outside a canyon biker bar. I mean, look at it. Look at him move. Listen to his voice. Why does his voice sound like that? That’s not how anyone’s voice sounds. And this was his attempt at intimidation. Just strutting around in circles, grunting his name, and pounding his chest like a hairless, moisturized caveman. All in an attempt to recreate the bullying he faced in the beginning of the episode that got them in this mess. All of it… it’s perfect.
Sometimes I wonder if any actor in any network sitcom has more fun playing their character than Max Greenfield has playing Schmidt. The character is all precise pronunciation and manic persnicketiness and Greenfield does such a great job of committing to that. Like, look at that Vine and then try to imagine the words that were in the script for him to use as inspiration. I’ve had the benefit of watching it after the fact, dozens of times now, and I’m still not even really sure how to explain it. Even if the description was “Schmidt pounds his chest and grunts his name, recreating the bullying at the beginning of the episode, but more Schmidt-y,” it’s a long way from that to whatever it is he is doing up there. It’s sorcery, basically.
So kudos, Max Greenfield and New Girl. Please feel free to put Schmidt in situations where he fears for his life more often. The people demand it.
