Rerun -124: See Ya with Elizabeth Meriwether
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And I'll see you next time.

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Welcome to our show.

I'm so good. Guys, it takes me like at least only 14 times to read something through to get it out properly. Okay, guys, she's a writer, producer, television showrunner, and as a screenwriter, she's known for No Strings Attached, ABC sitcom Single Parents, and Bless This Mess. And she was nominated for an Emmy for writing and producing the critically acclaimed Hulu drama The Dropout. She's also an accomplished playwright. And guys, she created...

new girl. Please welcome the one, the only, also the hottest writer I know, Liz Merriweather. You obviously don't know many writers. I am. I would just want to be clear because this is audio that I am not hot.

You are very hot. You are very hot. Very hot. What's up? Welcome to our show. I'm so excited to be here. This is amazing. I can't believe you guys are doing this. I mean, this is how much we love the show and love each other that we're all back still hanging out every week.

That's what you did. That's what you did. We miss you though, Liz. We miss you. I know. I miss you guys too. So nice to see your face. And it's really nice to be here talking to you guys about the show because it's like...

I don't know. It's such a crazy experience of being so close to so many people and then it just ending and you're having to move on with your life. No, we love it. And it's true. I feel like the only thing you can kind of compare it to is going to middle and high school with the same group of people that you get really close to and all of a sudden you graduate and you're like, wait, I don't get to see those people every day. It's so strange. It's very strange. And also, I think all of us were like, you know...

in our like twenties or early thirties. And then it's, it was just like a real like period of time in our lives. You know, that was like, sure. Okay. All right. Well, I was only 19. So it was kind of weird. We're babies. We're just babies. Well, we got you. We got you here. Um,

And we're very excited about it. We've been talking about it for a long time. I know fans have been talking about it for a long time. You know, and this won't be a traditional interview episode. We're not going to interview you. You know, you've answered so many questions. You've answered enough questions.

I might ask you a question here or there, but this won't be that typical interview episode of Welcome to Our Show. Instead, we're going to actually, you know, break down an episode with you. It's the finale of season one. We're just going to talk about it a little bit, maybe share some thoughts that we have on this episode, and just go through it a little bit and play some games, some weird games, which, you know, which we do so well here. I'm going to start by just giving a little quick recap of the episode for folks out there who maybe hadn't seen it in a while.

So here we go. On this week's episode, everyone is in love, but they're too afraid to say it. So Jess, she grows desperate to convince Nick to stay at the loft as his move out day is slowly, slowly approaching. So some of what Jess must what she said must have sunk in with Nick, obviously, because he starts to freak out.

Starts to go a little crazy on his way to Caroline's apartment and he ends up driving the guys to the desert. Now, for a second, it seems like Nick has calmed down a little bit. But when Winston mentions taking him to Caroline's, Nick tosses his keys off of a cliff. What a stupid move. Now, Jess arrives to save the day, obviously. But seeing Nick in a hurry to get to Caroline causes Jess to also, quote unquote, throw her keys into the wilderness as well. So stupid move. Now then,

Schmidt tells Jess he's breaking up with Cece because he doesn't think that he can make her happy, which he probably cannot. Now she begins to view her actions as selfish and encourages Nick to follow his heart, which he does right back to the loft.

Now, let's get back to the podcast and let's dive right on in. Do you remember this, guys? Yeah. Do you remember all this? I remember it because I just watched it. This was your story, right? Yeah, I just watched it. You came up with the story for this first season finale. Hearing the recap just tells you how convoluted this story is. I mean,

I mean, there were so many holes in this story. I mean, not to mention where we shot it, you could see cars going by in the distance. So it's like, clearly they could have gotten to civilization very easily. Also, anybody could have found anyone's keys within an hour. You know? It's not like... They're not throwing them into the ocean or anything. Yeah.

it's like one of those episodes that's I mean the finale it's like the first season is so exciting but we were also just all so wiped out we were so tired you could kind of like see that in the story breaking but I still love it so much and I have like a really deep love of it because I feel like

It was, you know, it was just such an accomplishment that first season. I just remember being like, I can't believe that, you know, we're doing a finale of this show. Where did that initial idea come from? Like, I saw that this story was by you, right? You are the one who came up with this season finale. And so where did that idea come from for Nick to just keep driving and end up in the desert? Yeah.

First of all, the credits aren't always exactly accurate in terms of who does what. And I don't honestly remember. I think it was probably...

I don't remember who came up with the specifics of the story. I remember being really excited about him having all of his stuff from his room and just being able to set up his room in the desert. And I really loved the visual of that and just kind of like all of you guys sitting out in the desert with his stuff and bundled up with his clothes. And I also loved the...

the mixtape and the like music and the kind of like that, that, that, that those crazy old songs. I love that. I love that frame of the mixtape is like one of my favorite things about this episode is that like the mixtape kind of like moves the story along. Like it bookends it. And then, you know, like it also makes like those moments memorable, like each moment, like kind of has a song associated with it. And then they're like, kind of,

A lot of them are from the 90s, and then there's obviously the ACDC song at the very end. But it's a fun way to kind of get that nice accompaniment to the emotional arc of the episode. Yeah, I really love that part. I love that part of the episode much more than...

The details of the plot. Which are not amazing. But, like, I think it's, like, really, I think, classic New Girl story in that, like I said, there's, like, problems with the structure, but...

And I love that sort of not a lot happens. Like, I think, like, what this story feels like, it's more of a almost a vibe, you know, where you're just like, okay, it's a bunch of people in the desert kind of freaking out about moving forward. And so they're just stuck there. And there's a literal moving van, you know. So it's just like, I thought that that was a kind of good thing.

feeling to the end of that play yeah yeah I really like that about it the other thing I say is like I I know you said in the recap which like I said was a difficult to follow but the um but you were saying in the recap that everyone was in love but I actually think that what was tricky about this this episode was that Jess couldn't realize that she was

wanting Nick to stay because she was in love with him. Like it, what that wasn't happening yet, you know? So I think there was a little bit of, and Nick couldn't also realize that he was,

it all had to be subtext between them but they had to kind of make these big decisions for some reason or another you know so I think that was really tricky everyone was just roaming around yeah I was gonna say that I was like I feel like you brought me on this podcast to like formally apologize to you let's start from the beginning for your story in this episode

Where is Winston at emotionally when he comes up the hill with pants tied around his head? That's what I want to know. If he's in love with an animal, he probably just spent the night with it. We definitely never revisited your fear of the dark on the show. That never resurfaced. Did we need to? He conquered it. That's what happened out there. He conquered it.

You know, one of the best things about the episode whenever you watched it, I realized, and it's kind of one of those like art blurring into life and vice versa things, is that we all were so tired. It was a long season and we did it and we were all literally in the desert. It was like, I feel like over an hour drive and we had to all be there all day. It was dusty and hot. And you just see moments, you genuinely see moments of...

instead of Nick. Like when he's doing Breakfast at Tiffany's, his character is supposed to be obsessed with that song. And he doesn't know the words. And it's just Jake being like, I'm just going to bop, bop, bop my way through it and just commit. And that's just Jake. And you see Max when he's trying to hold Jake back. When he kisses him on the mouth at the end. Oh, at the end, yeah. 100% Max Greenfield. No, this is...

This is in the desert. You see Max break out of the fight with the biggest smile on his face that he was just hugging Jake like that. And that's just pure Max. That was not a Schmidt moment. And it was just nice to see like all of these, I don't know, parts of ourselves just

We were all tired. We were all very tired. And it worked. I feel like it was the beginning of that. Yes. The fusing of the character with the actor. I feel like by the end of season one, it was like... I don't know about you guys, but I was shocked that it was that big of a hit. Yeah.

And I was exhausted and it felt like both exciting and like the end of a marathon. Like I just was, I was at that, I was running on fumes at that point. And I feel like everyone was. And so, you know, it's like at that, at that point, like,

I think we were all like a little bit giddy too. Like it was kind of like, oh my God, this is over. Yeah, that's right. It was the last night. We might have a break. It's a great like analogy because I don't know if anybody has ever been to like the end of a marathon. Like when you see people running off. I've done a few. It is insane because people like literally like just start crying.

collapse, like, are euphoric. There's so many different emotions, like, at the end of, like, a very, very long run. Like, I did feel like at the end, like, we had so many emotions. It was very satisfying. It was very, like, exciting to finish it. But we also, like, did 24 episodes. Like, I'd never done...

ever done even like, I mean, I think I'd done like a few episodes of TV, but I'd never done anything but movies before this. I hadn't done 24 episodes of TV is a lot. I could tell you for me that this is, I think it's because of the exhaustion was where I felt like this episode definitely helped me as far as character development. Prior to this episode, I know I was, I, I talk about all the time how in my head I was, um,

I was just trying to keep up with everyone and trying to figure out who this character was. And this episode, probably because of the exhaustion, you know, there was a lot of freedom for me to just say a bunch of silly shit. And I, you know, and it worked. And I thought, man, this is, so that's what everyone has been doing on this show. Everyone is just being silly.

And I don't have to be really good at basketball. Yeah. That makes sense to me. It's fine that I got small fingers. It's fine. And yeah, so I think that the exhaustion for sure definitely helped me. And the storyline obviously did. Silly shit. I'm afraid of the dark and then there were wolves. And I think that type of stuff definitely helps prepare you for...

for the future of the, of the, you know, a seven, a seven season run for sure. I want to ask a question to everybody. It's like, take a survey. Has anybody spent meaningful time with a coyote? Like before this experience, I've seen him down a road and I nod respectfully and I back away. Yeah. They run through my neighborhood, but that's about it.

Did you ever spend meaningful time with a coyote before this episode? Oh, my God. I was just going to say, like, I remember like that is what I remember. Like, so clearly was like because we were shooting. We were shooting nights.

But like the night was like we were shooting night at the end of the week. I think that because we would always schedule the nights for the end of the week. And that that was really when I was just like I was living in like a dream state. And then I was like, I think it was like one of the last things we shot. And there was like.

It was just the amount of, like, everyone has to be still and quiet and, like, standing up against the rock or something. And then, like, this, like, cage with a coyote came, like, was, like, walked down, like, past all of the crew members who were, like, standing quietly. And I was, like, terrified. Like when Prince was there. Yeah, I was, like, no comment. But, like, yeah, I think, like, I was, like...

so terrified it was just like oh my god what is this coyote gonna do and then like they open the cage and it's like this little guy it's like this little cute like like coyote that looks like really cute and well fed and like well taken care of and like all this stuff and then I was like oh my god we wrote this whole scene where

like nick and jess are so afraid of this coyote that they're frozen for like a really long time together like stuck there and then and then you would like cut over to the coyote and it was like the cutest little animal nothing about this episode makes any sense like story they obviously would have just like walked away from that like what was that like what

coyote gonna do to them like i was so that was like so and i also remember this like i don't remember the details but like we definitely couldn't get we couldn't get the coyote to like do anything we needed it to do and we definitely couldn't get the coyote to look scary at all and so it was just and we had like we were like running out of time and like you know so it's just like

putting a camera on this like poor sweet sweet little guy and like like trying to get him to like do anything that was at all menacing or like as if he were wanting to eat anybody hungry i don't know so his name was comanche do you remember this his name was comanche that's problematic that's problematic that's problematic

Great. Agree. But he was...

They were like, this was a lot of acting. Like there was a lot of acting because the coyote was scared of us. Like they were like, he's terrified of you. So we, like most of our side, there was like no coyote, obviously. The coyote wasn't doing off-camera acting for us. But the coyote, like whenever we were like all in a shot together, we'd

We basically couldn't move because the coyote would just literally run away. Because coyotes are scared. Coyotes are scared of humans. What I like the most about this coyote is that he kept...

It was like a little. That's probably added afterwards. That was added. That was added. That was added. That was probably you, Lamorne. They probably like, could you give us some few hisses? We just need them for the episode. Don't ask questions. No, I'm so glad you brought that up, Lamorne. I like totally forgot that we added that because we couldn't, because it wasn't scary. Like at all. Oh my God. I totally forgot that.

You may as well have added muahaha to his mask because it still wasn't scary. The coyote. There was a lot of editing. There was a lot of acting. There was a lot of editing that had to be done to like really lift the coyote up. I totally had forgotten that we added those hisses and I'm so glad that you brought it up because I was like, I feel like I was like,

Like, we... That was the main issue. It was, like, it was not scary at all. And so we, like, needed to, like, put little, like... I don't know, like...

As if that, that isn't scary. You're just like, what animal is that? Because coyotes don't. Maybe scary. Cause you're like, is that an actual, actually a coyote? Um, the other thing I remember, I feel like I actually watched that episode on television for some reason, which I never really had to, I usually would watch the episodes online. Um, but like they, on, on television, um,

They had put, it's so, I mean, it sounds, it's like so old. Like you actually watch it on television when it was airing. But like they put like a hashtag meet meep like over. Let's make meet meep go viral. Hashtag meet meep. It's trending. I remember it was just like, I was like such a like artiste. And I was like, they've ruined the scene. Meet meep.

oh my goodness one of my favorite things about that scene is that um nick is hiding behind jess the entire scene like really aggressively holding you zoe and and and trying to small his body behind you no he wasn't hiding he wasn't hiding he was trying to calm her down he was trying to get her to stop saying meet meep he was trying to protect her

She was using Jess as a human shield. That's what I would have done. Do you guys remember shooting the dancing? Yes, yes. I remember. You know, it's actually funny because watching it, I'm like, everybody's got some moves. There's some good moves. Did Max do a backflip onto the bed? He did a backflip. He looked like he was made out of paper. I was like, how did he do that?

Yeah, I did not dance because my character wouldn't do that in that moment because I was all about character. And so I just banged on the wall. I was watching the dancing and all I could think was, wow, that looks exhausting.

And cathartic, maybe? Just to go totally insane and get to do whatever you want feels good, but also exhausting. I feel like season one was the only time... Jake just got less and less enthusiastic about doing any dance scenes as the show went on. And I remember this season, he was like, up for anything! Like,

my question you're like get it in while you can yeah exactly we talked about and then we'll go to a break but we talked about a little bit about the the music a couple questions the budget must have been so high having you know unless these songs are just super cheap the music i don't think so the music budget acdc how bizarre breakfast at tiffany's that's insane i mean i know we were like

I think because the finale as a whole wasn't that expensive. I think it was like, okay, we're going to this

desert i mean i don't remember the details thank god but you know and i can't imagine that that comanche the coyote was that expensive i don't know but i also know that we'd like saved money for for the finale and that um you know at that point like like we were a big we were a big hit and they were kind of like okay like what do you you know like do you want to

I guess like being a big hit was like, we'll pay for how bizarre. So, you know, you made it when, um, so we had an amazing, uh, music supervisor. Uh, yes. Yeah, we did. So yeah.

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Liz. Yeah, Liz, Liz, Liz. So when we were talking about creating this podcast, it was really like spurred on, one, because we missed each other, but two, because we still all get approached, I'm sure you do, all the time by people who have these pretty involved questions usually about the show. And we do our best to answer them, but we are not the all-knowing like you are.

So we've been asking listeners to send in their questions. I very luckily don't get approached very much because nobody knows what I look like. So that's awesome. Thank you for taking the time. They will now because this is going online.

So we have had people sending in their questions, voice notes, emails throughout our season here on Welcome to Our Show and saving them up for you. Oh my gosh. So here are a couple for you to solve the mysteries of New Girl with. Here we go.

Hi all, my name is Lauren and I'm a huge New Girl fan as I'm sure many of your other listeners are. It's definitely a comfort show for me, especially as I enter my 20s and mid-20s.

But my question pertains to guest stars on the show. I've read on a couple places online that there were some guest stars that requested to be part of New Girl, whether it was for a quick episode or a recurring storyline. And I'm just wondering if that's true. And if it is true, which guest stars were ones that requested to be on the show rather than the crew proactively going out and seeking them to be guest stars? Thanks.

Well, I think Hannah, you know the answer to this. There was one big one that knocked on your door. That's for sure.

Well, it came to me first, guys. I got the weirdest email of all time. Like, I think, I mean, what was it? Season three that we had him on? Like season two, I got this email like, hello, I am manager for legendary artist Prince. And I'm like, this is a, somebody is pranking me. Like, this can't be real.

And so I called my agent and I was like, can you see if this is really Prince's manager? And he checked it out and he was like, it appears to actually be his manager. Yes.

at which point I was like okay um but the email is written in a ransom note it was cut out magazine it was a ransom note and and they said I have Prince I'm not letting him go until he gets to be on New Girl I like I like that the manager I like that the manager felt the need to put like legendary artist Prince yeah I was like oh I oh I know who he

know who he is. Oh, that old guy? Yeah, yeah. Oh, Purple Rain Prince. Was there anyone else, Liz, that came to you and said they'd love to be part of the show? That's honestly, I guess after that one, everything else kind of faded away. No, I don't remember that, but I remember like

you know i remember people being really excited to hear from us and i don't remember like other people did taylor swift want to be on i feel like taylor swift had watched liked the show and that's why she reached out to the show yeah i don't remember the details of like i remember that she had that she said that she watched it but where did we hear that yeah

I did. I was asked to give her an award. Okay. Yeah, it was probably for you. American. It was like one of these big music billboard awards maybe in Vegas. And they had asked me because they said she loved New Girl. And so maybe I kind of gave that info to casting. I remember being at a party, one of those fancy, I don't know, Emmy or something parties, Liz.

And you were there. Were you invited to that party or did you? No, I was working. He was working. A little side job. I was catering the party. And I remember speaking with Taye Diggs at the party. And him telling me how much he wanted to be on the show. And you were there. And I said, well, Liz Merriweather is right over there. And then I just remember him being on the show. I don't remember if you guys spoke. I don't remember.

What happened? I feel like if you'd been like Liz Mayweather's right over there, I would have like hid behind a bush or something. I don't know where she went. Like she was right there. That's crazy. Oh, yeah. I didn't remember that. I mean, the Taylor Swift thing was like I just like I was such a huge fan of hers. Like, obviously, because I think her music is on the show like multiple times. But like.

I remember like I, they introduced, someone introduced me to her on set and I, I just was like, hi. And then like, kind of like walked away. Cause I can't actually speak to you because I was in charge. Somehow I became in charge of like handling people that were too famous for everyone else to handle. Like, like Prince, no one wants to talk to him. And he was like sitting by himself and everyone's like, so we go sit next to him. So I was like, okay, Hey Prince, how,

how you doing? You having fun? You want some snacks or something? Same with Taylor. Like everyone was too scared to talk to her. So I was like, all right. I sat with her while she got her makeup done. I'm pretty sure I like got her some snacks. She was so low maintenance and low key. She was like,

I remember Georgie, our makeup artist, gave her, she said, I liked this lip gloss thing and Georgie let her have it. And she was like, oh my God, thank you so much. I've never had lip gloss before. It was so sweet. She's just a normal gal. But yeah, somehow I ended up spending these long periods of time with people because everyone else was afraid of them.

Zoe, I feel like that's technically like should have been my job, but I'm like too awkward. I'm too nervous and awkward to like do that. So thank God we had you. So honestly, that was like my, when I was like a kid, I was like the friendly kid that would be like when there'd be a new kid in class, they'd be like,

So we go sit next to them. So I'd always be like the person like, hi, welcome to our class. So maybe I was prepped for it, you know.

Yeah, Lamorne. Lamorne, we had a handler that was like, keep Lamorne away from Taylor Swift. No, I'm just joking. That's what it felt like. That's what it felt like. I never met her. I think the schedule was actually changed. I was supposed to be working that day and then all of a sudden that wasn't and I was like, oh, okay, cool. And then the next day I come back into work, everyone was like, man,

man, how crazy was Taylor Swift? Oh man, that was wild. And I was like, a couple of questions. One, who is that? And then two, did I miss her? At the time, I don't think I knew who she was. It is like really wild. I mean, I know we should probably do another question, but it's wild. Like the, like,

guest stars that became famous like after the show you know what i mean yeah olivia rodrigo like i was like did you guys already talk about that like i was like i couldn't believe yeah you know just like some of the people i was like i like joey daddario tiffany haddish oh my gosh

Yeah, Tiffany Haddish. Oh, my God. Wait, was Tiffany on the show? Yes. Did I work with her? No, I don't think I worked with her. Me, Damon, and Max, I want to say. Oh, my God. Randall? That's incredible. Who's had that one line? Oh, yeah, Randall Park. On this show? Yeah. Quinta. Quinta.

Yep. Yes. Yes. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Quinta Brunson. Oh, Sarah Baker. Guys, Sarah Baker. She's so funny. She was on the Kaminsky Method. She's like one of the leads on that show. She's really, really funny. She played the person with the dog like in one of the final episodes.

Here's the thing. I feel like everyone talks about, what was it, NCIS or whatever? Oh, no, Law and Order. Sorry, that shoots in New York. Everyone talks about Law and Order in New York and how it's like a rite of passage and every actor passes through it at some point. I feel like that's the conversations I have around New Girl now, which is that everybody was at some point on the show or, and I'm sure, Liz, you hear this too, is that they were almost there.

on the show that's how people like oh my god i loved you a new girl i was almost on that show i was almost on that show we're like law and order of la every black everybody tested for it everyone tested for it everyone guest starred or almost guest starred they were like this close to playing winston everyone every actor samuel jackson motherfucker i was this close

Oh, yeah, yeah. I forgot. I never told you Samuel L. Jackson. We tested him. We didn't offer. We tested him. Yeah, no, it really was. I really feel like we got so lucky. We had so many amazing people. Because the tone is weird. It's not...

I think it's less weird now, but I remember just being like, we need actors who can do a dramatic scene and then also like do the stupidest, silliest, goofiest thing that you can imagine. Like at the same time. And like, we, I like, we managed to like find those people, which was like, great. I mean, the other, the funny thing was like, also, you know, this, the network, like,

at that time was just so crazy about ratings and like they were always like big guest stars big guest stars because i guess britney spears had done an episode of how i met your mother and they kept using that as an example of like it turned it turned the show around and suddenly everybody was watching it because britney it was like so we were like that was i think part of the like get taylor swift kind of like thing so i mean that it was you know and i

obviously that's not how TV works and like it's actually about like fans loving loving the show and like loving the actual characters but at the time it was like that was this this big kind of edict from the network was like the big get a big star to be on it you know it's just I feel like it's such a like old old idea of what television is but

It makes for fun viewing. I remember running into Rob Reiner, like before he, and I was like, and my mom went to college with him and they were, they did improv like troop together. And, and he was like, Oh,

He was aware of the show and he was like, oh, they were asking me if maybe I could come and direct some. And I was like, oh my God, that would be amazing. But then when it came up that we were looking for my dad, I just feel like the fact that he just knew of the show and was aware of it, it kind of maybe gave us a little bit of an edge to get a legend cast.

If we had, I think, like, if he said that they approached me about directing it, it was, he definitely passed. Because we would have... Because we definitely would have hired him to direct it. Yeah. Yeah.

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Copyright 2024, The Coca-Cola Company. Great question, by the way, Lauren. Thank you for that. All right, next up we have Paris. Hello, Hannah, Lamorne, and Zoe. I hope y'all are doing good. My name is Paris and I am from Texas. I have a fun question to ask all of you guys, but a little context. I found out recently that Jennifer Aniston ate the exact same salad for lunch on the set of Friends.

pretty much every single time she filmed an episode which is just crazy because that is a lot of salads over the years so i wanted to ask you guys was there a favorite snack or a meal that you ate when you were filming new girl did you always have the snacker meal on hand was it in your trailer you know give me little details i would love to know thanks i just want to say this just to jump right in okay is i remember ordering lunch

And then watching just bags of delicious food being delivered to Video Village. So Liz, what were you eating? What delicious food? From what restaurants were you eating? The writers had the best food. Yeah, you guys had the best food. Break it down. Which restaurants were you ordering from? I don't even know how to answer this question. I think the better question is, what didn't I eat while I was in this room? Yeah, here we go.

food was like my only like happy place it's just like no no no I was just like so I was like so yeah when you're a writer on a tv show

the studio pays for your lunch. So you order to a local restaurant and they bring lunch to you. And so the writer who was on set would often order lunch with the other writers as opposed to eating the lunch on set. And I guess apparently that created just years of resentment from...

Well, the food that we got was way not, you guys always ordered from way better places than the like actors and crew were offered. I had a lot of IHOP orders. A lot of IHOP.

I remember being like, you guys ordered from where? It was like some like very fancy. We were right by Beverly Hills. So there was like a lot of very nice restaurants nearby. I feel like we were mainly like ordering like salads from the commissary. My food came from Sixth Street downtown. No, but there was a shift around season three or four. I think all of a sudden the menus got circulated to us. And that was a big day.

And I will say there was a lot of salads then. A lot of very delicious salads that started to turn up. Yeah, but I did my own lunch. I feel like food just becomes like this comfort thing. I mean, it's definitely been said before, but it's really...

It's really exhausting making a network show and the hours are very long. And like at least, you know, as a showrunner, there really wasn't a moment when I wasn't supposed to be working or like supposed to be in some kind of meeting. You deserved it. You were sleeping on your couch in your office many nights. I don't think I've ever met a person that works harder than you, Liz.

True. Yeah, I used to. But I guess I do feel like the food kind of became...

I believe that about Jennifer Aniston. I don't know. Like it just like the food kind of becomes your like connection to like some sort of home or like routine where you're like, oh, like it's like, I don't, I don't know. That was my feeling was like, it was my one moment a day to like stop and actually like, like sit and, and eat and not work, which sounds so depressing. Sorry. But yeah, I mean,

But I definitely remember being really grateful to be able to at least get some good food in the middle of all the stress and chaos. It's so interesting on set because I think there's craft service. I think everyone has a favorite...

in from craft service that they go, you know, go to for those moments. Yeah. What's everybody's favorite crafty snack? Cashews. Really? And those little Snickers. Salted? I remember when you were getting shredded up for something, Lamorne, and then you realized that the like pounds of cashews you were eating were maybe not the healthiest thing.

Because you're like, I'm just going to eat all these nuts. And you're like, I'm eating 9,000 calories a day. I didn't realize cashews were doing me like that. Because here's what they don't tell you about cashews. Okay. They're so tiny and they're so delicious, but they pack so much fat. You know what I mean? And you think, oh, I'm going to have a couple handfuls a day. That should do it. No, but if you're trying to reduce calories, your caloric intake, it's not happening. The cashews will really fuck you up. Abs are made in the kitchen. Abs are made in the kitchen. Definitely.

do tell you that about cashews they do they do tell you it's like one of the little chart it's in the marketing package they're so tiny they're so tiny the cashews they're like this they're like this you know what i mean they are tiny but there's so much fat in there you were so sad you were like nuts have betrayed me yeah what's your what was your favorite snack hannah oh i think initially uh i remember rolling up to crafty and i

I must have eaten 10,000 bags of Cheez-Its that first year. But then it shifted into realizing that we could get apples and peanut butter. And then I realized that I'm just a little kid when I go to set. All I want is apples and peanut butter and Martinelli's apple juice.

That's it. I don't want the apple juice, but I would have, I like a green apple with like natural peanut butter. And I like just a little bit of peanut butter and you like dip the apples in. And then, you know, it's like kind of filling and satisfying. Here's what I discovered later. I discovered apples and cashew butter. You gotta let go of the damn nuts.

You're a cashew fiend. Anybody knows me? You know I love nuts if anybody who knows me. That's just been my thing. Stop it, Hannah. That's your thing. Shut up. I said nothing. Hannah, shut up. You said it all with your own mouth and face.

You and those nuts. All right, Liz, what did you use to get? I like how you're like, cashew butter, as if that changes the fact that they're full of butter. It's on an apple, right? It's on an apple, so I figured the acidicness of the... It's healthy. Chemical reaction happen in your belly to make it less fattening? I am not a smart man. Never said I was. Liz, what was yours when you would sneak over to Crafty?

I mean, I don't know. I definitely feel like I just ate endless amounts of snacks, so I don't even remember. But I just remember a lot of coffee and just pounding coffee and trying to stay awake. We're trying to get a Snickers sponsor. Just say Snickers. Snickers.

Oh my god, I love stickers. I do. I genuinely love stickers. I mean, who doesn't?

I like to dip some Snickers into some cashew butter. That's my way of losing. That's how I lose weight is just Snickers and cashew butter. Thank you. Secured that one. Secured the bag on that. Thank you very much, Liz. Now Snickers is sponsoring us. I would say we all agree, right? We would all read ads for Snickers. Ooh, yeah. I think

I think we basically just did. That was totally fine. The cashew Snickers. We didn't even get paid for that. I need to ask you, Liz, one question before we end this very detailed recap of our season finale. Who came up... You might not remember, but try. Who came up with this idea to put me on a rocket with that man? Oh, my God. I mean...

Like, was that okay? Like, I'm so sorry. I don't know. Like, the reason that we really went for it was because we wanted...

Schmidt to be we needed something that would really like make Schmidt feel insecure so it was like how do we kind of you know I don't know a lot of those like jokes in the early seasons I think they were like supposed to be making fun of of you know over sexualized ads but then at the but then you're like then you're just like on a rocket Hannah so like then I'm making an over sexualized scene on TV yeah yeah so it's like I don't know I don't know if we like

post post post post feminist take on that actually came through but yeah I mean it was like we needed like we needed to make Schmidt feel really insecure so that was like I don't remember I don't think I came up with it but I maybe I'm like passing the buck off to like somebody else but

Yeah, I mean, obviously it looks like a dick and I'm sorry about that. You know what? I didn't even clock that in the rewatch. I just remember being like, what?

bizarre there were so many bizarre photo shoots that cc had to do especially in those first couple years that they were um a wild experience to do let's just put it that way i was like wow because you really have to do it but the good thing was because it could have gone another way of like trying to make schmidt jealous which would be to have no right goggles mick hard body like these you know what i mean do something or be weird and that's where i would say

It's so important to have women who create shows and run shows

and be at the top because I was never put in a position where it felt weird like that. - Yeah, I love that you pivoted from you had to sit on a rocket to like, thank God we have women in positions. - I'm pivoting, I'm taking this couch and I'm getting it down the stairs, Liz, I'm taking you with me. - Thank you for saying that. I'm like, I don't know if I would do that now, but thank you for saying that.

I had a big, big problem with it. In a later season, we probably would have put Lamorne on the rocket. Yes. You did have Lamorne say he has thick thighs and a fat ass, though, way out in the desert. I made that up. Did you really? Yeah. Oh, my gosh. That made me laugh so hard. I definitely don't think we would have put that in a script. That really made me laugh. And now that I know that it's you, it's going to make me laugh harder.

I was like, my first thing was, no, he doesn't. I do. I definitely do. That's something I've always known about myself. I got cakes. I wanted to say that something that we didn't talk about in the recap that I feel like I have to talk about is the white fang. The Schmitz. Yes. Let's talk about white fang. We like, I don't.

Yeah. Yeah.

which I got like a little bit like crazy but then I'm like I don't know it was one of those things on set that just made me laugh like it through all throughout the process it made me laugh so so so hard and I don't know if it like if it translates like years later but I what gave you the most anxiety on set like because I I you were saying like you were worried it wasn't gonna get a translate would you say that like

that was like a consistent worry or were there certain things that like gave you anxiety like over the course of the show? I mean, as a showrunner, I was like, my job was often to like be the, the,

the negative Nelly sometimes, you know, it was just like things in the writer's room where writers are suddenly like laughing so hard. And like, I kind of have to be the one who's like, wait, is that like true to character? Is like true to story? Or like, is that something that like we think is really funny that is actually not funny? And I just like always had to kind of like make those calls and like, you know, was definitely wrong sometimes. Like, I don't know, but like, it was one of those like,

just like, are people, do people know what white fang is? Like what's like, you know, just like, like what is the sort of, you know, are they going to get it? Like, is it too broad? This is like a really emotional moment for him. Is it too silly for that moment? You know, just those were the kinds of things that I was like constantly like trying to, a lot of the times it was like, how can we make sure that the emotion lands, but then push it further,

Push it to a place of comedy, but not lose the emotion. I think that was one. That's one thing, like one thing magic superpower you have, like as a writer is being able to have an emotional moment play that is very, you know, true and sincere. And then you'll like,

kind of undercut any any if it was going to maybe be too sweet you you always just undercut it with like a little joke afterwards that makes it like that balances it out like there's always just a really great balance of the emotional and uh and the humor in the show and i i i

Definitely credit your sensibility. I think that's like something you do just incredibly well. And so it takes so much skill to do that.

It does take a lot of skill. I'm very talented. No, thank you. You are very talented. I appreciate it. That's so sweet to hear. We had such amazing writers and obviously like you guys were, you guys were improvving like so much in it. But I think like the, like I, that particular moment I had that, that I just had that worry that I was like, this is too crazy. He's like saying he's, he's calling after her. Like she's a dog. And like, this is the love of his life. And like, is this too crazy? Like,

Hannah, do you remember that? Here's my memory of it. So it was a long, dusty day in the desert. And I had a bit to do, but not a ton to do. And that white fang, you won't get seen was the last thing that we shot. And it was just Max and I. So I think I honestly had gone back to my trailer and we had to wait for nightfall. Then we did the coyote thing first. I was just and I wasn't in any of that. So I was sitting in the trailer and

for hours and hours and hours and hours. And I think Jake must have not been in something either. And so I remember going to sit in his trailer and we were chatting and he had a bottle of Southern Comfort. Of course he did. Of course he did. It was actually Johnny Walker Blue. And I had a shot, I think, and we were just talking. And it was just so weird because it was that night it was going to be over and it was like a...

Still felt like a total dream that I was somehow on this big American network TV show. And I was trying to think of this white fang scene, which felt really silly and fun. But then he said something really casually, kind of like, well, you know, hope to see you in a few months and we get to do this again. And I went back to my trailer and then I went, oh, my God, it just hit me for the first time.

we, this might be it. This could get canceled and we never do it again. Like, I don't know. It happens all the time to really good shows and you just don't know. And then I had to wait another hour or two by myself. And then I came out and there was Max, who I think is such a phenomenal actor. And he just knows how to ride that line of being so real in his hurt and

Um, but also, and while he's saying silly stuff, but he can just do it. And it was so late and I was so exhausted and it was cold and out there. And I just kept thinking I could get this call saying that, you know, it's over and it's done. And I started to cry.

And I remember shooting that scene and it felt so real. Somebody just being like, it's over. Like, get out of here. We don't need you anymore. It's done. And that's how I truly, genuinely felt in it. When I watched it last night, like it just reminded me of standing there really feeling like the depth of somebody ending something with you when you're not ready yet.

And I don't know. It's funny that you have this anxiety of like, was it going to land? And was it going to have the emotion behind it? And it was perfect. I was going to say, watching it, I was so impressed by how silly the performance was of Max.

And yet you managed to channel Denzel Washington from Glory. With that one single tear. Two different circumstances for sure. But, you know, we all seen Glory. It wasn't an ugly cry. It was a very pretty cry. Pretty cry. A Denzel pretty cry. Yeah, one tear. I mean, Hannah, like, Lamorne is a...

Josh and you, but I really... I think, unless you were thinking about Denzel Washington, I think about Denzel Washington and Gloria and I cry all the time. That is an iconic moment when Denzel's just standing there and he has one tear right in that moment and Hannah does it in the music time perfectly and then she walks up. I said, I could never get one tear. I was going to say, I was going to say, like, I think, Hannah, you, in that scene, were...

were the reason that, like, it could work, you know what I mean? Because it was, like, you gave this, you know, it's less, obviously, like, less flashy than, like, Max, like, screaming git and stuff, but, like, the re- like, you're, like, you're grounding, and you did that so many times on the show, but, like, you're grounding kind of, like, emotional presence allowed, like, allowed him to kind of, like, be silly in this way that, like, kept the tone going and kept it real, and I really felt

That was such a beautiful performance in that moment. And like, obviously it's like,

Like I said, it's not the, it's not the, the actor who gets to kind of like do the, the, the silly thing, but it's like the, it's the balance that makes the comedy work, you know? So I just, I don't know. That was a, that was a great moment. Yeah. I loved it. I loved it. And it's where I found like a real rhythm. I feel like with Max too, right. To kind of like, you could just like sit in it with them. And it set us up for the fact that we did get to come back again and again and again and again.

This has been really fun recapping this episode. Maybe when we finish season two, Liz, we're going to bug you again. Absolutely. Oh, yeah. Yeah, we would take you out for ice cream, Liz. This time we'd owe you a real nice soft serve. A real treat.

Really quick, did you find a bear, Hannah? And Liz, is that a real thing? Oh yes, I have to ask you, Liz. Oh my gosh, I have to ask you. So every single episode, I've been doing Where's the Bear? Where's the Bear? Where's the Bear?

There is this big rumor going around. I know you know. Saying that there is a bear intentionally put somehow in every single episode and there are websites dedicated to it and Reddit threads. And I have hunted it. I will say about like what? 65% of the time there is some sneaky ass bear there. Yeah.

So you have to now address this here on the spot. Tell me, am I on a fool's errand? What's up with the bear? I mean, look, it's never a fool's errand to look for a bear in a...

In every episode. You're going to keep me hunting. Yeah, no, I definitely wasn't intentional. I do love, I do think that bears are like very funny. I think it's a very funny word. And I think it like, I just remember in the pilot Damon being like bears and like that. I just remember like, that was like a really funny moment in the pilot. Yeah.

yeah I it's it was you know I hate to disappoint you it definitely wasn't intentional but if I think that like like subconsciously there are probably like a million bears in the show because like you know like

When you think something's funny or like a funny word, I think you just keep going for it. I always thought pants was a funny word. So I feel like there's like a lot of like pants. Well, don't do that. Now, season two, I got to look for bears and pants. You got to do that right now. You could just switch. Change the course now. Season two is I'm hunting for pants. I'm going to say confidently there are pants in every episode. Yes, ma'am.

I can't believe we never put Lamar in like bear pants. Yeah. Well, if you would have had me with no pants, you would have seen how hairy I am. And then it would look like bear pants for sure. I do not shave.

Liz, thank you very much. Thank you so much for coming on. Please come back. Please play True American with us next time. Of course. Thank you guys so much. Will you come back? For doing this. Yes, of course. And thank you for doing this. And also thank you for, you know, obviously all the work you guys did on this show because it's the reason that anyone is still interested in this because of you guys. I just like, thank you so much for everything. And you.

We love you. Bears. Bears. You've been listening to Welcome to Our Show, a New Girl Recap podcast. Welcome to Our Show is a production of iHeartRadio, hosted by Zooey Deschanel, Lamorne Morris, and Hannah Simone. Our executive producer is Joelle Monique. Our engineer and editor is Danil Goodman. The Welcome to Our Show theme song was written by Zooey Deschanel.

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