While the Season 6 finale of New Girl felt like it could serve as a series finale, Fox has not made an announcement either way about the sitcom's renewal. It may be time to move on, and we just don't know it yet. In an interview with Bustle, actor Jake Johnson talked about the future of New Girl, and how the most important thing is that the audience be happy with how it ends as opposed to when it ends.
"I deeply don’t have an opinion of what should happen," he says. "I will tell you what I’ve kinda figured out, what I feel about it. For the core fanbase, which we have on New Girl, who have been loyal through the good episodes and the bad episodes — and I know it, because they let me know on social media when they do like things and when they don’t like things — I want them to be really satisfied."
Earlier this year, while promoting his new film Win It All, Johnson expressed doubts that New Girl would continue much longer — but later clarified that these doubts were not based on inside information.
While we'd all love to see more of the loft gang on New Girl and I'm always in favor of actors having gainful employment, the most recent finale is a good finale, and sometimes you need to know when to say goodbye. It feels like there's nothing worse than a show ending before you were ready, but a show ending after it was ready can be so much more painful for everyone involved.
"I’m kind of at this phase in my life," Johnson says, "where the movies and TV that I want to make... people have so many options now. So if you’re going to commit to something that I’m in, I want you to be happy that you spent time on this project. You don’t regret the six years of watching it or regret the hour and a half after watching Win It All. That it was worth you time, which is valuable."
Personally, I think that's a lot of pressure to put on yourself as an artist, but I understand the sentiment. We are choosier with our media thanks to streaming platforms and an abundance of content.
"I want people," Johnson continues, "when this show ends, whether it's this season or next season, I want them to think this show was worth the time and commitment they spent." New Girl has been on the air since 2011. Fans have grown with these characters and deserve a satisfying ending — according to this fan, at least, the Season 6 finale delivers just that.
Additional reporting by Allie Gemmill
