The upcoming fifth season of "New Girl" will no longer focus on Zooey Deschanel's character Jess and her onscreen partner Nick (Jake Johnson). Rather, the new season will focus more on Schmidt and Cece's relationship.
According to Movie News Guide, the creators of the series decided to shift its focus in Season 5 because Deschanel was still on maternity leave at the time of the filming.
Meanwhile, "New Girl" creator Elizabeth Meriweather also revealed that Deschanel will not be part of the premiere episode for Season 5. She added that the episode will be titled, "No Girl," which signifies Jess' absence.
According to Venture Capital Post, the first episode for Season 5 will open with Schmidt and Cece's engagement party. Max Greenfield, who plays the role of Schmidt, also confirmed that Cece's onscreen mother will appear in the said episode.
Unfortunately, there is a chance that Cece's mother will not approve of her daughter's relationship with Schmidt. However, the actor said that regardless if they will have Cece's mother's blessing or not, the couple will continue to make their relationship work.
The entire season will also feature countless roadblocks in the relationship of the couple. Hannah Simone, the actress who plays the role of Cece, said that she's looking forward to what lies ahead for the onscreen couple. The actress added that she's also happy to know that Cece's character will become more important this season.
"I think what's really great is that so much of Cece's and Schmidt's characters on the show have been part of this will they, won't they. And now that they're together, we can start exploring their family and their personal history and who they are as individuals," she said.
"New Girl" Season 5 airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET on Fox. Deschanel will appear on the show starting episode 2.
