New Girl is built on character dynamics, on the shifting relationships between people and the everlasting bonds the loft members share. At its peaks, it can deliver some of the sharpest comedy on TV, but even at its lows, it’s still extremely entertaining to watch these people hang out and navigate their lives. “Clean Break” is a fantastic finale that brings it all back around to the history these characters share, and it’s a lovely, lovely way to close out season four.

The through line of the episode revolves around making a “clean break”, around looking forward, not back. This idea manifests itself in Coach’s packing process, and as the episode progresses, it becomes clearer and clearer that it’s going to be tough to simply throw out much of his recent history. In fact, for all the loft members, it’s not a very easy task to part with sunglasses or with a sex mug or with a Regis Philbin crepe pan. These objects are parts of who they are, and they’re representative of a fun, wacky, and unforgettable history.

And so, the message the finale leaves with us is that you can make a “clean break” without completely changing who you are. Nick and Jess make a mutual agreement to throw away the sex mug, Coach decides to take along a few things, Schmidt proposes to Cece, and Winston continues being good ‘ol Winston. Changes happen in your life, and there’s no use dwelling on broken hearts or missed chances; what matters is moving forward with your head held high. If the new post-it note on the refrigerator is any indication, there are quite a few things to look forward to in the future. This is a fitting, emotional, and wonderfully written ending, and I’m excited for season five.

GRADE: A-

SEASON GRADE: B/B+

OTHER THOUGHTS:

-What I want from next season: Don’t try to replace Coach. Focus on the characters that you have left, show, and let these wonderful actors do what they do.

– “I’m going to get hard and fix myself.”

-Can we please have the old title sequence back?

-Nick trying to do burpees is hilarious. I want an episode of him learning various exercises, then attempting to teach other people how to do them. Maybe a workout video.

-Winston’s voicemail.

-That final song: giving me some Chuck flashbacks.

-Jack McBrayer makes a very welcome cameo in this episode.

-I feel like this season was a bit more stable than season 3, but there weren’t as many standout episodes as there were last year. The main episode I will come back to, however, is “Background Check”, which was phenomenal.

-Any hopes/predictions for next season? The ratings for the show haven’t been great recently, but syndication’s a big deal. Anyway, I’m not sure I see this going beyond six seasons, and I wouldn’t be shocked if next season were the last. I feel like the show’s beginning to wind down now, and I sure hope that it goes out on top, a la 30 Rock or Parks and Recreation. It definitely deserves to.

Photo credit: FOX, New Girl