When "New Girl" returns next year, fans are in for a big change as series star Zooey Deschanel won't be appearing in the first few episodes of season 5 as she is currently on maternity leave following the birth of her baby daughter.
As previously reported, Megan Fox will be filling in for Deschanel and will play the role of Reagan, described as a beautiful, straight-shooting pharmaceutical rep who comes to town on business and rents Jess's (Deschanel) room.
Since Fox's casting was reported, many fans of the series have taken to social media to air their displeasure for the "Transformers" star joining the series. One Facebook user wrote, "Hurry up and get the season going…except for one little detail I'm not pleased about…Megan Fox!" A Twitter user hoped that executives would "rethink and immediately kill this idea," while another one protested, "But she can't act!"
Meanwhile, Deschanel was more enthusiastic about Fox joining the show as she tweeted on Sept. 19, "The lovely and amazing @meganfox will be on #NewGirl season 5!"
Many feared that Deschanel would be leaving the show for good, but show creator Liz Meriwether said that the actress will only be absent for four episodes when the show returns. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the star has already filmed several episodes of the fifth season.
Meriwether told THR that Jess's absence will be due to the character being sequestered in a jury.
"The idea behind it was to be able to do those pastel courtroom sketches, so you could still see her in jury," the show creator said. "It's a way to have all of the guys check in with her. They watch the news reports on the trial."
In the first episode of the new season, Meriwether revealed that it will be titled "No Girl", and that this will be "a guy's episode." She admitted that while it's a challenge for them to write an episode without the show's titular character, the show creator said that it was an opportunity for them to "stretch themselves" with the new premise.
"New Girl" season 5 premieres in January 2016 on FOX.
