What Does Nasim Pedrad’s New Gig On ‘People Of Earth’ Mean For ‘New Girl’?

One of the more entertaining, though underappreciated new comedies of 2016 was the alien abduction farce People of Earth. Executive produced by Greg Daniels (The Office, Parks and Recreation) and starring Wyatt Cenac (The Daily Show), Ana Gasteyer (Saturday Night Live) and Oscar Nuñez (The Office), the TBS original comedy was renewed for a second season that will probe your television sometime this summer. And when it does, New Girl alum Nasim Pedrad will be there to inject yet another layer of X-Files parody into the show.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, the SNL alum has joined creator David Jenkins’ brainchild as “special agent Alex Foster, a smart, dedicated FBI investigator getting a second chance after recently being disgraced.” FBI credentials notwithstanding, however, Foster isn’t actually in People of Earth to pursue the same strange leads that led Ozzie Graham (Cenac) to quit his reporting gig in New York City and move to the quaint little town of New York. (Aliens, basically.) Instead, she’s “hunting” for Jonathan Walsh (Michael Cassidy), Graham’s former boss who just so happens to be a Reptilian, for white collar crimes.

Since Pedrad’s role on New Girl as Winston Bishop’s (Lamorne Morris) fiancee Aly Nelson was a recurring one, her People of Earth gig probably wouldn’t conflict with a potential renewal, if it comes to that. Seeing as how the season finale neatly wrapped up many of the show’s loose ends, and co-star Jake Johnson seems to think it’s done, however, her casting may signal the improbability of a seventh season. Which would be sad, since watching her try not to beat the life out of Nick brought endless joy to the world.