The New Girl pilot avoided the "mean-spirited" trap many 2011 comedies fell into. It wasn't about the guys making fun of the weird girl; it was about the weird girl inadvertently teaching three stuck-in-their-ways men how to actually feel something again.
The episode finds its heart when the guys ditch a high-end party to rescue Jess at a restaurant after she gets stood up. When they start singing "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" to stop her from crying, the show shifts from a "man vs. woman" sitcom to a story about a found family. It proved that while they didn't understand her, they were willing to protect her. Why It Still Holds Up PilotNew Girl : Season 1 Episode 1
What’s fascinating about the pilot is how much of the DNA was already there. The New Girl pilot avoided the "mean-spirited" trap