The slump continues for New Girl.

On the latest installment of this Fox sitcom, Coach moved back into the loft with no real explanation, simply taking the place of Schmidt and and acting like he never left.

We all love Damon Wayans Jr. and his portrayal of this character, but he's suddenly become the show's focus over such mainstays as CeCe and the loft's now-former resident, Schmidt.

But at least Winston made an Ironside quip. That was pretty darn funny.

Click the photo below to view New Girl Season 3 Episode 8 from start to finish and let us know if you agree with our negative assessment:

Watch New Girl Season 3 Episode 8

To get painfully honest right up front here: New Girl Season 3 Episode 9 was a regression.

Yes, I was happy to see Cece and Schmidt back in action, even if it was only individually (and even if Hannah Simone's prodigious comedy talents were mostly blown in a straight-man role here). I was happy to see the return of "Furguson," and Winston's always-entertaining fixation on him. I was happy to hear a solid joke about flip-phones.

But the parts just did not add up- - not to the rollicking comedy that this show is capable of producing, and not even to much of a coherent whole.

I am not going to lay it all at the feet of Coach's disruption of the character dynamic... even though, as was made painfully clear in this episode, he is basically a Schmidt retread, with the same exact sometimes-funny, sometimes-toxic blend of insecurity and faux machismo, this time couched in a fixation on sports instead of luxury hair pomade.

Why have two characters with the same exact personality quirk? I don't know-, you might as well ask why Cece would date her ex's roommate mere weeks after their break-up.

While you're at it, you might as well also ask why is Winston into a weird, Maalox-swilling bus driver when his last lady was the thoroughly (and conventionally) adorable Brenda Song.

I don't have a problem with it as a plot point, I just want to know why. I want to understand why I'm laughing. Is it because Winston is going against his usual type in women? Is it because this was secretly his type all along? IS IT BECAUSE BUSES AND MAALOX ARE INHERENTLY FUNNY???

I'll accept any of these answers. But I would love an answer, and one that jibes with the characters they've been steadily developing and distilling since the second half of New Girl Season 1.

In fact, this whole episode harkened back to New Girl Season 1, from the random and unclear swings in character motivation, to glossing over the episode's lack of plot momentum by having something unexpected and absurd happen (you know, like Jess running Schmidt over with a car).

I know, I know, tell you something that you don't know/that I haven't said in multiple reviews. But I truly am at a loss. My relationship with New Girl has had a lot of up-and-downs; it went from one of my most loathed to one of my most loved shows on the strength of New Girl Season 2.

But I'm unsure what to make of this episode and New Girl Season 3 Episode 8.

Is this a temporary dip in quality? Or a permanent change? Your guess is as good as mine. But despite a handful of solid New Girl quotes, this episode represented a real, consistent step down in quality for me, and I'm a little nervous to see what comes next.

Is Cece really going to start dating Coach? Is Schmidt ever going to get over it? Am I missing something with this whole bus driver thing?

Watch New Girl Season 3 Episode 9 Online

Coach and CeCe went on a date last night. With Schmidt's total and complete approval, of course... NOT!

CeCe's ex tried to be all cool about his close friend dating the love of his love, only to need Jess to keep him distracted instead and eventually to hit him with a car. No, really.

That's what ended up happening on New Girl Season 3 Episode 9.

So, how did the date actually go? And how did Winston react to Nick losing Ferguson? And how did this result in the former meeting a new, unusual fling?

Watch the latest installment of this Fox comedy now:

Watch New Girl Season 3 Episode 9 Online

Adam Brody has booked a fun role on New Girl Season 3.

The beloved former star of The OC will appear on an early 2014 episode of the Fox sitcom as Berkley, a very former flame of Jess' who is now a stay-at-home father.

Look for Brody's character to be especially open with his feelings and to be a master at remaining friendly with his exes.

It's not hard to see how much that would bother Nick, is it?

Aside from The OC, Brody has also stopped by The League and House of Lies.

On New Girl Season 3 Episode 10 tomorrow night, meanwhile, Jess and company will celebrate Thanksgiving.

What is the meaning of manhood in our modern society? Is it difficult to hold on to your masculinity while you're in a relationship?

And is it ever okay to eat a rotted fish that you just found floating around?

Surprisingly, New Girl Season 3 Episode 10 took a stab at answering all of these questions.

And even if the show only really came to any conclusions on the whole "eating rotted fish" issue, the other questions hinted at an interesting way forward for a show that's been stuck ever since its major conflict was decided (i.e. Nick and Jess, sitting in a tree, F-A-C-E-S-U-C-K-I-N-G 4 EVAH)

Though this episode was a partial return to form (after a serious two-episode dry spell), with the best New Girl quotes I've heard in weeks, it was still far from perfect.

The tension was fairly manufactured, the stakes low, and man, I am still just not sold on Coach. I think the writers have yet to find his place in the Lofterian dynamic and the recent strategy of using him to produce new conflict has been a pretty weak substitute for the real thing.

But this episode did provide a tantalizing look at a new kind of conflict the show could examine, rather than sticking to the tried and true "Ross and Rachel" sitcom breakup/ makeup cycle.

As we also saw in New Girl Season 2 Episode 4, the show does a great job examining Millennial issues and problems in a very specific - and very funny - way. By focusing on some broader issues (while still having the plots play out among a group of very self-absorbed people), the series might have found a path to keeping things sparky, without resorting to forced relationship drama.

I mean, I'm not saying it's the only way. But wouldn't it be kind of an interesting turn? Almost a kind of adult comedy Degrassi? Couldn't an examination of the unique sociological perils of modern young-ish adulthood be as exciting as cheating and thwarted love and stuff? If anyone could pull it off and make it absorbing, it's this tight ensemble cast. 

Or the show could just go back to having some actually interesting relationship drama. I mean, when the hell are Cece and Schmidt getting back together? Stop playing me, New Girl.

Will Cece end up with Coach? Will Schmidt end up alone? Is there anyone you for whom you would eat a rotted fish?

What makes a real man?

For Nick Miller on New Girl Season 3 Episode 10, that answer was simple: camping and hunting. And definitely NOT making cheesy online invitations that involved cute little trumpet players.

Indeed, this Fox sitcom's third Thanksgiving-related installment took the gang into the woods.

Once there, Winston and CeCe did all they could to NOT be there, while Nick "killed" and cooked a dead fish in order to prove he hadn't been totally whipped by Jess.

Schmidt, meanwhile, wore a hat like Hidalgo and lamented how much better Coach is at camping - and dating CeCe? - than he is.

Relive the fun outing in its entirety now:

Watch New Girl Season 3 Episode 10 Online

New Girl has landed a special timeslot fit for a king: it will air a new episode immediately following the Super Bowl on February 2.

So it's only appropriate for a prince to guest star, right? The Prince, in fact, as E! News confirms the legendary artist will portray himself in his first-ever television show gig.

It's unclear what brings the singer into the fold, but sources say he will somehow get between Nick and Jess, who have thus far enjoyed a comfortable run on New Girl Season 3.

Along with New Girl, Brooklyn Nine-Nine will also air a special installment in the wake of this season's Big Game.

A new girl is coming to New Girl.

The Fox sitcom has cast Linda Cardellini (forever beloved for her role in Freaks and Geeks, most recently seen in Mad Men) as Jess' sister, Abby, described by network sources as a "wild child" who will stick around for a few weeks.

New Girl Season 3 resumes on January 7, though Cardellini's debut date is unknown.

In the meantime, remember: you can watch New Girl online!

It's 2014 and you know what that means: your local gym will soon be spilling over with those who have resolved to get into shape for the new year.

But we've spoken to a number of television characters and they have different kinds of goals for the next 12 months. Scroll down now to learn what various fictional individuals resolve to do different in the year ahead...

Coach (New Girl): Go away. I understand I was funny for a few moments, but now I'm just interrupting the previously-hilarious loft dynamics.

Olivia Pope (Scandal): Branch out with my wardrobe and maybe try colors other than black, white, and gray!

Rebekah (The Originals): Persuade Matt to join me in New Orleans!

Elijah (The Originals): Kiss Hayley already!

Captain Hook (Once Upon a Time): Don't give up on Emma Swan. The fight will be worth it. Our chemistry is amazing...she just hasn't realized it yet.

Bonnie (The Vampire Diaries): Try smiling for a change. I'm actually alive! Life isn't so bad after all.

Kensi (NCIS: Los Angeles) Uncover the mole, kill the White Ghost and get back to LA!

Daniel Grayson (Revenge): Get away with almost murder. Again.

Rick Castle (Castle): Kiss Kate Beckett. Thoroughly and often. We're engaged now. There are no excuses.

Red (The Blacklist) Protect Lizzie. Discredit Tom. Stay mysterious and creepy.

Joffrey (Game of Thrones): Enjoy my seat and my standing as much as I can. I may lose both before 2014 is over.

Nero Padilla (Sons of Anarchy): Invest in new bullet-proof cardigans. Things are about to get dangerous on Sons of Anarchy Season 7 with my new alliance.

Teresa Lisbon (The Mentalist): Start a new life in Texas, complete with new career at the FBI and a fulfilling personal life. And if Patrick Jane wants to be a part of that personal life, he can chase me.

Craig Thomas and Carter Bays (How I Met Your Mother): Rethink How I Met Your Dad. Really. It may be time to let the franchise go.

Carrie Matheson (Homeland): Stop being a nearly traitorous nutcase who cares more about her fugitive baby daddy that her own country.

Raj (The Big Bang Theory) Find a girlfriend who I can pamper, cook for and who will help me raise my love, Cinnamon.

Hannah Horvath (Girls): Stop being so conservative and consider showing my boobs more.

Leroy Jethro Gibbs (NCIS): To use a few more words during daily communication than required for survival.

Though I'm sure it's a coincidence, Jess's Alge-bio-civics class (that would be algebra, biology, and civics, all taught at once via the dynamic use of dead frogs) in New Girl Season 3 Episode 11 reminded me of the episode itself:

Something made up of a lot of interesting parts that doesn't necessarily work as a whole.

New Girl Season 3 has been the very definition of a mixed bag, but as the show neared its mid-season hiatus with New Girl Season 3 Episode 10, it felt like there were more weak episodes than strong.

Lately, the sitcom often feels like it's losing its grasp on its characters, unsure of what to do with them now that Jess and Nick have unexpectedly formed a totally happy, healthy and drama-free relationship.

How has the first half hour in the second half of New Girl Season 3 decided to deal with this issue? Flashbacks! Lots and lots of flashbacks!

Though that sounds groan-inducing, the flashbacks were actually hilarious - from the brief cut to the time Jess and Coach watched "Boogie Nights" together, to the tortured tale of Winston's life as a Latvian basketball non-star, the flashbacks were lively, full of energy, absurdity, dark humor, and top-notch New Girl quotes.

They harkened back to the off-the-wall vivacity of New Girl Season 2.

However, there was trouble in the present day.

New Girl Season 3 has become almost dangerously dependent on gimmick episodes, and this one - Jess has to decide about her entire professional future in 20 minutes! It's a real-time challenge! And actually nothing really changes and the stakes are pretty low! - was the gimmickiest yet.

The reliance on gimmick episodes implies that the writers are lost as to how to have the characters grow, or do anything interesting on their own; not a long-term strategy that inspires a lot of confidence.

It is my deepest hope that this is just a phase for the show. Wait, that's not true... my deepest hope is actually to someday own and operate my own artisanal fro-yo stand.

Watch New Girl Season 3 Episode 11 Online

But it is my second deepest hope that the trip-ups of this season are just growing pains for the show - an awkward adolescence, if you will, as the writers decide what to do next to bring the show back to its former glory.

After all, New Girl took the bold (and pretty unheard of) step of having their will-they-or-won't-they leads get together, and actually end up 'happily ever after' while the show goes on around them. These road bumps could just be the writers experimenting with different things as they attempt to carve out a new normal for the characters, something as fun and ingenious as the highest highlights of New Girl Season 2.

It *could* happen. I hope it happens. But with every new episode that I see of this season, I become less and less convinced that it will.

I don't need a dead frog, a math equation, and the name of a local political leader all mushed together to figure that out.

Has New Girl lost its way since Jess and Nick got together?

It's safe to say that New Girl Season 3 Episode 11 was unlike any other installment in this sitcom's history.

The installment mostly took place in a bar. It flashed back on numerous occasions. And it centers in Jess only have a set amount of time to contemplate her professional future.

It was a tad odd, but, hey, there was a Boogie Nights reference and a story about Winston in Latvia and there was some seriously off-the-wall stuff that reminded us of New Girl Season 2.

Still, it was a gimmick. And Season 3 has relied a lot on those.

Did this one succeed? Watch New Girl online and decide for yourself:

Watch New Girl Season 3 Episode 11 Online

Sex strikes: myth or fact? Flight of fancy, like the hunt for Bigfoot? Or dead-serious real-life issue, like the hunt for Bigfoot?

Regardless of your stance on sex strikes OR Bigfoot, you have to admit that both are an easy recipe for fun, palatable TV. And while I am still eager to see a New Girl episode where the gang hunts the majestic Sasquatch, I was happy to make due with New Girl Season 3 Episode 12, which used the modern-classic sex strike trope to breathe life back into this show.

While I'm not going to pronounce New Girl Season 3 completely rehabilitated based solely on this episode, there were - in yet ANOTHER parallel to the hunt for Bigfoot - a lot of encouraging clues.

Jess and Nick's sex strike goofery harkened back to New Girl Season 2 Episode 19 in its quirky, silly sex jokes, delightful New Girl quotes and a vibe that recalled classic buddy-coms like Friends and That '70s Show (the latter being the purveyors of my personal favorite sex strike episode ).

Watch New Girl Season 3 Episode 12 Online

One solid and unique development for the episode was the development and refinement of Jess's contradictions.

Since New Girl Season 1 Episode 1, we've been told over and over that Jess is an annoying dork who we just can't help but love... but for me at least, she's slipped all over the map, from the pretty cool lady who just wore some questionable dresses in New Girl Season 2, to the just straight-up annoying dork of New Girl Season 1.

This was the first episode that seemed to really nail the multitudes Jess contains: she's bossy but adorable; emotionally needy but loving; dorky but horny. Just like all of us! (or at least, just like all of me.)

The only really disappointing element of this episode was Schmidt. After a season that has been aching from lack of the S-Man - -what, was Max Greenfield shooting a movie or something (oh, wait, Max Greenfield was totally shooting a movie or something) - Schmidt's subplot was weak, and his nemesis Ed a watered-down retread of Chevy Chase's demented senior par excellence, Pierce Hawthorne, from Community.

I hope the show can find a balance and that Schmidt doesn't have to sink so that Coach may rise.

And though his appearance was brief, Winston was, as he has been throughout New Girl Season 3, the highlight for me; his Training Day imitations made me wish for a webisode just of Winston doing Training Day imitations. Do it now, Fox, before Bigfoot beats us to it!

Are sex strikes a thing that actually happen in real life?

It was the Bulls against the Pistons on New Girl Season 3 Episode 12, as Jess tried to bond with Coach, only to irritate Nick to such an extend that he turned off his tap.

He took away her Vitamin D.

Oh, yes, he put a sex embargo on the relationship. That's just what happens you start cheering for your boyfriend's rival team, many male viewers were likely nodding along with Nick throughout.

This was definitely one of the more enjoyable installments of Season 3, with Jess trying to figure out basketball (or basketsball, as she calls It) and Schmidt dealing with an elderly co-worker.

As for Winston? He does a mean Denzel impression. Seriously! Watch New Girl online now and see what we mean:

Watch New Girl Season 3 Episode 12 Online

New Girl is getting set to party like it's 1999.

As previously announced, the Fox sitcom will welcome Prince on its special Super Bowl episode, which airs after the big game on February 2 and which will find Jess meeting the legendary artist at a part.

"She's goofy and out there, and he's this wise, quiet sort of oracle," creator Liz Meriwether teases to TV Guide Magazine, adding that Nick is a "huge" fan of the singer.

Check out the first photo of this unexpected trio now and note the color of Jess' coat: Purple. Well played, New Girl...

At long last, we've reached a happy medium.

New Girl Season 3 Episode 13 wasn't a mind-blower, but it also wasn't half bad. Sound your horns and raise your tiny, adorable cupcakes! New Girl is back-ish, and that is good enough for me.

And not only that - it actually did New Girl Season 2 one better in the realm of Jess's character development.

The moment where Jess mistook a child's birthday party set-up for her own was a great, quiet insight into the character, a sort of thing that the show has never really tried before. In New Girl Season 1, the show hit us over the head with Jess's Lady Urkel schtick, which made her seem less an adorable mess than an unlikeable space alien who learned about humanity from an Anthropologie catalog.

For much of New Girl Season 2, they dropped the issue of Jess's alleged "adorkability" entirely.

But in that moment - when a woman who must be celebrating her 30th birthday (at least) went crazy for a child's cupcake party, after spending a day humoring her boyfriend by taking a free diabetes test and looking for "the heaviest rock" - the show painted a real, vivid picture of a woman both sustained and cursed by her own child-like nature.

It was the first time, in three years of watching, that the character of Jess actually felt like a real human being to me (next up, I hope they finally explain why she has so many bathrobes).

Similarly, this episode finally warmed me up to Coach a bit--his statement of life purpose/ best New Girl quotes, "I'm the best at stuff!" maybe not the kind of thing that epic character motivations are made of, but it at least goes a little way towards letting us into his mind.

And I'm eager to see, eventually, what someone whose entire identity is built around winning actually feels about having roommates in his thirties and living oh-so alarmingly close to Schmidt's sex-tentacle mural. You may be the best at some stuff, Coach, but you're clearly the worst at a lot, too.

One thing that I never quite got a handle on, though, were the actual ins and outs of the plot. So Nick did plan a surprise birthday party in the movie theater, but he genuinely didn't think of anything to do all day? Or did he purposely plan a horrible day to get Jess frustrated enough to go to the movies and then be surprised? How long were those people waiting there, even? Couldn't he have, just, you know, taken her to the movies?

Am I just being nit-picky because I'm angry that no one ever plans a surprise party for me?

There is, of course, one question that I find more perplexing than any of the details regarding getting someone so angry that they run away to their own surprise birthday party:

Is Nick the Best Boyfriend... or the Worst Boyfriend?

Either the Denver Broncos or the Seattle Seahawks will win the Super Bowl on February 2.

But it's safe to say that New Girl Season 3 has already come out a winner in regard to the big game, considering it first landed the coveted Sunday night timeslot immediately following all the action...

... and then it booked Prince as a special guest star!

Look for Nick and Jess to actually attend a party thrown by the artist on the installment, during which Nick might make a fool out of himself. How so?

Perhaps this images will give you a hint:

New Girl Super Bowl Episode Photos

Open Slideshow

1. Four Hilarious Dudes

Nick leans on the guys for support in this New Girl scene. It is courtesy of the episode "Party Time."

View As List

1. Four Hilarious Dudes

Nick leans on the guys for support in this New Girl scene. It is courtesy of the episode "Party Time."

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2. Nick and Jess Scene

Nick and Jess share a heartfelt moment in this New Girl scene. It is from the special Super Bowl episode.

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3. At a Prince Party

Nick and Jess aren't just at a party in this New Girl scene. They are at a party thrown by Prince!

---

4. Men on New Girl

Whoa there! The guys walk in on an awkward moment in this New Girl scene.

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5. Prince on New Girl

Prince will guest star on the New Girl Super Bowl episode. Check out the artist on the Fox sitcom here.

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Remember: you can always watch New Girl online at TV Fanatic if you need to play catch up.

Jess turned 30 on New Girl Season 3 Episode 13, a funny installment of this Fox sitcom that started with the birthday girl mistaking a kid's party for her own.

Oops!

But, fret not, Nick made up for it from there, throwing his girlfriend an elaborate surprise party that should really be called an elaborate surprise "day."

Then there was Coach, who deemed himself "the best at stuff."

But how accurate can that statement be, considering his living situation?

Watch New Girl online now and decide for yourself:

Watch New Girl Season 3 Episode 13 Online

I like to keep an appropriate level of icy critical remove around here, but I feel like I must confess before we go any further: I am an amateur Prince-ologist.

I've seen Prince in concert, I can quote all of Purple Rain at will, and I once won a free pizza at a bowling alley for being able to name three of his female proteges from the '80s while simultaneously shot-gunning a beer.

New Girl Super Bowl Episode Photos

Open Slideshow

1. Four Hilarious Dudes

Nick leans on the guys for support in this New Girl scene. It is courtesy of the episode "Party Time."

View As List

1. Four Hilarious Dudes

Nick leans on the guys for support in this New Girl scene. It is courtesy of the episode "Party Time."

---

2. Nick and Jess Scene

Nick and Jess share a heartfelt moment in this New Girl scene. It is from the special Super Bowl episode.

---

3. At a Prince Party

Nick and Jess aren't just at a party in this New Girl scene. They are at a party thrown by Prince!

---

4. Men on New Girl

Whoa there! The guys walk in on an awkward moment in this New Girl scene.

---

5. Prince on New Girl

Prince will guest star on the New Girl Super Bowl episode. Check out the artist on the Fox sitcom here.

---

And so when I found out that my worlds would be colliding in New Girl Season 3 Episode 14, I braced myself for any possible number of outcomes.

Would it be good? Would it be bad? Would Prince be in on the joke? Would Prince even really be in the episode? Or would we just get a brief shot of the Purple One in the background, grooving around in an enormous hat, as the gang hashed out some problems, which is so often the case with celebrity guest stars?

I am pleased to report that:

1. Prince has a larger, and more unexpected, role in this episode than I could have ever anticipated - possibly a larger and more unexpected role than any rock star has ever taken on a major network sitcom
2. His work in this half hour is the probably best thing he's done since "Lovesexy." Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to celebrate this thing called Prince's excellent sense of humor!

"Unexpected" is a word that applies to a lot of different aspects of Prince's recent career -- perhaps most of all to the slow revelation that he seems to have a good sense of humor about himself (for further proof, please refer to the single he released with Dave Chapelle as "Purple Rain"-era Prince on the cover).

But on this episode, Prince raised the bar for himself - and for the celebrity sitcom guest spot in general - by doing some actual comedic heavy lifting and shooting off at least one of the night's best New Girl quotes, as a romantic Obi-Wan helping Jess learn to feel comfortable with admitting her love for Nick.

When you compare this to, say, that time Bob Dylan mumbled a line or two on Dharma and Greg back in the day, you see that the man has broken ground all over again.

Watch New Girl Season 3 Episode 14 Online

Since the episode was primarily structured as a Prince delivery system, the rest of it lacked a bit of momentum - after all, how much plot tension can you really develop when everyone is stopping every minute or two to talk about how cool Prince is? - but Prince's shockingly delightful self-parodying appearance was more than enough to earn this episode its stars, in my book.

I mean, Prince's best musical years may be done, but I think he might have a decent second act in him as a sitcom comedian. Do I smell a spin-off that has a down-on-his-luck Prince moving into Schmidt's loft? Fox executives, you can have that one for free! (not really for free)

But enough of my opinion. I own Under the Cherry Moon on DVD and Blu-Ray, so I'm hardly an impartial audience.

What did you think of Prince's appearance on New Girl?

Nick meant to just say goodbye, but instead, he told Jess he loved her. Winston and Coach developed a foolproof party-crashing plan.

And after some typical Schmidt show-boating, he and Cece seemed to rekindle their spark.

But in case all that wasn't enough for you, Prince - yes, the actual Prince! - showed up on New Girl Season 3 Episode 14, proving himself a surprisingly deft comedic talent with a good sense of humor about himself. He's also great at ping pong.

Can you believe that the man who wrote "Purple Rain" also has excellent comic timing? It's almost not fair.

But you don't have to take my word for it - watch New Girl online, and keep your eyes peeled for the episode's clever call-back to Chapelle's Show's infamous Prince skit.

Watch New Girl Season 3 Episode 14 Online

Max Greenfield is about to pull double duty on Fox.

The beloved New Girl star will appear on an episode of The Mindy Project Season 2 in April, network sources have confirmed, coming on board the comedy as a flirtatious single named Lee.

Not much is known about the character or how he'll fit into the episode. But he'll clearly be hilarious.

The Mindy Project is on hiatus until April 1, but you can catch up at any time when you watch The Mindy Project online.

And, what the heck, go ahead and watch New Girl online as well!