Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
“Simply Adorkable.” That was the slogan used to promote Zooey Deschanel’s Fox sitcom New Girl during its 2011 launch. Deschanel had recently catapulted to “It Girl” status with her engaging portrayal of Summer in the offbeat comedy 500 Days of Summer, and the Fox marketing department didn’t hesitate to put another dime in the promotional jukebox (baby) as ads showcasing Deschanel and the “Adorkable” tagline became as ubiquitous to New Yokers as spotting Sarah Jessica Parker in the West Village or bemoaning the reliability of that underground menace known as the MTA.
The series premiered and Deschanel not only flourished as quirky school teacher Jessica Day; she exceeded the hype. The pilot was a hit, but series creator Liz Meriwether was forced to deal with an unexpected development. Damon Wayans Jr., who portrayed the supporting character of Coach during the pilot episode, had to be written out of the show when his ABC series Happy Endings was picked up for a second season. But when television closes one door it opens another.
Enter Lamorne Morris as Winston Bishop.
Despite the critical and commercial success of the first season, Winston’s addition to the series was not a seamless transition. The writers were forced to adjust on the fly as the character cycled through a bevy of jobs as he went from temp to research assistant to a nanny. While Jake Johnson and Max Greenfield became the breakout stars of the series, fans were left to take a cue from the show’s theme song and wonder who exactly is this puzzle-loving enigma known as Winston Bishop.
Enter Ferguson, the most important television feline since Garfield. Adding Ferguson didn’t fundamentally change Winston, but it did provide the audience with something both substantial and relatable to latch onto about the character. Winston’s unconditional affection and delightfully bizarre kinship with Ferguson not only provided Winnie the Bish with some much-needed depth, but it also gave Morris more of an opportunity to display his impeccable comedic timing. Winston went from weird to winsomely eccentric, as he refused to pander to the traditional feline/human dynamic. Instead, he earnestly treats Ferguson like his peer, and that minor character trait has resulted in so many absurd, wonderful moments.
Key and Peele star Keegan-Michael Key once said “If you can find a character caring about something that nobody else cares about, and that they would go to their grave to fight for, that’s the anatomy of a good character.” That quote not only encapsulates the popularity of Winston but the series as a whole.
One of the many reasons New Girl is so fervently adored is because Liz Meriwether has created such a fun, realistic dynamic within this group of friends. Every character toggles between responsible adult and unmitigated dummy. At its core, New Girl is about a bunch of flawed, emotionally primitive knuckleheads who find comfort in a makeshift family of their own creation. Much like real life, each character vacillates between sage voice of reason and irresponsible goofball. In the most recent season premiere, it was Winston who was there to offer Jess some helpful advice regarding her resurgent feelings for Nick, because, well, that’s Winston. He also swallowed a few alligator teeth, because, well, that’s also Winston.
Ferguson was the gateway drug that paved the way for that addictive comedic narcotic known as Lamorne Morris. Winston went from perpetually single vocational drifter to becoming a police officer in a loving relationship. The most compelling romantic element of last season wasn’t Cece and Schmidt or Nick and Jess, it was Winston and Aly (Nasim Pedrad). Morris deserves as much acclaim as his costars because his endearing performance has transformed Winston into the heart and soul of New Girl.
