When Zooey Deschanel had to go on maternity leave during her pregnancy when season five of New Girl was being filmed, Megan Fox was written into the show in order to fill the space. Zooey Deschanel's character, Jess, was always known for being lovable, quirky, awkward, and endearing. In comparison, Megan Fox’s character, Reagan, was always super confident, self-assured, nonchalant, and poised.
Some fans of the show are convinced that Megan Fox was a better fit for New Girl than Zooey Deschanel was, while other fans missed Zooey Deschanel the entire time she was gone. Some fans liked the overlapping episodes where both actresses were together in shared scenes dealing with Nick and the other friends they had in the loft. At the end of the day, Megan Fox and Zooey Deschanel are both great!
15 Reagan’s Job As A Traveling Pharmaceutical Rep Was Cooler Than Jess’ Teaching Job
Reagan had one of the coolest jobs ever during her character arc on New Girl. Her job was working as a traveling pharmaceutical rep. She had the freedom to move from city to city. In comparison to Jess’ teaching job (that ended up firing her anyway,) Reagan’s job was a lot cooler.
14 Reagan Hooked Up With Cece… Jess Never Did
At one point in time, Reagan hooked up with Cece! That is something that Jess never did. Jess and Cece were always best friends but they never crossed that line. Reagan and Cece had an interesting dynamic because they actually hooked up with each other and were able to maintain a friendship with each other years later.
13 Jess Was Better When She Flew Reagan In As A Christmas Gift To Nick
Jess was better than Reagan when she offered to fly Reagan in as a Christmas gift to Nick. It was super thoughtful and selfless of her to do that when she already knew that her feelings for Nick were still as strong and deep as ever. She just wanted Nick and Reagan to be happy.
12 Reagan Was Always Confident And Sure Of Herself… Jess Was Often Insecure
Another reason why Reagan is better than Jess is the fact that Reagan always seemed to be so confident and sure of herself. She was fine with embracing her sexuality whereas Jess was always insecure and awkward. Reagan knew that she looked good and was not scared to show it.
11 Reagan Thoughtfully Booked Nick A Book Reading For His Novel
Reagan is better than Jess because she thoughtfully booked a book reading for Nick and his new novel. She found a bookstore that was willing to sell his novel and moved forward in supporting his dream of becoming an author. This was something super considerate and loving.
10 Jess Was Better When We Saw Reagan With Camilla
Jess was better than Reagan when we witnessed Reagan acting shady with Camilla. Reagan was ready to end her relationship with Camilla but instead of having a direct conversation with Camilla about it, she tried to avoid Camilla and simply ghost her. Reagan’s behavior was super shady at that moment. She ultimately did do the right thing.
9 Reagan Was The One Who Invited Jess Out For Girls' Night
Reagan was cooler than Jess when she invited Jess out for girls' night. They both were obviously feeling a bit of tension since they both clearly had feelings for Nick and were all living in the same loft together. Reagan was still willing to invite Jess out for a social evening out on the town.
8 Reagan Maintained Her Physique With Her Fitness Routine
Reagan was spotted going out for jogs on various episodes of New Girl. It was obvious to us as viewers that she cared a lot about her body, health, and physical look. The fact that she dedicated so much time and energy to her fitness goals is commendable and impressive.
7 Jess Was Better When We Saw Reagan Procrastinate On Reading Nick’s Novel
We noticed that Reagan actually procrastinated with reading Nick's book... the book he spent such a long time working on. She chalked it up to the fact that she simply wasn't a big fan of reading fiction but honestly, as Nick's girlfriend, she should have just buckled down and read the book when he gave it to her.
6 Reagan Was Willing To Change Her Flighty Ways For Nick
Reagan was a flighty character when she first met Nick. Her job allowed her to move around all the time, enjoy new cities, and meet new people. That being said, she never felt the need to settle down in a relationship with anyone! She was willing to change that and settle down with Nick.
5 Reagan Showed Off Impressive Bartender Skills
In one episode, Reagan showed off her bartending skills and she looked extremely beautiful doing it! The guys could not stop staring at her because she was moving so gracefully and confidently. Reagan's confidence was probably one of the most attractive things about her as a New Girl character.
4 Jess Was Better When She Acted As Nick And Reagan’s Middleman
Jess stepped up as a friend and played middleman for Nick and Reagan when their relationship needed help. They were heavily struggling with communication but Jess was able to help them talk things through by giving messages to each person whenever they needed her to do so.
3 Reagan Always Dressed Super Fashionable And Stylish... Jess Was A Dorky Dresser
One of Reagan's winning traits would have to be her fashion sense. In every episode, she was dressed amazingly. She always looked well put together and stylish. Jess, on the other hand, often looked super dorky and weird in the outfits she would throw together. It was an obvious contrast.
2 Reagan Showed Up And Filled In When Jess Had To Disappear
Reagan was a great character on New Girl because she was able to fill the empty space Jess left behind when she left for jury duty. Reagan fit right in with the boys of the loft, rekindled her friendship with Cece, and became an instant hit! (In real life, Zooey Deschanel needed time off the show for maternity leave.)
1 Jess Was Better When Nick Finally Realized She Was His Match
Ultimately, we found out that Jess and Nick were actually meant to be together. The union between Nick and Reagan simply was not built to last... they were too much alike. Nick and Jess were opposites in all the right ways and were able to "complete" each other. They finally figured it out in the show's finale episode.