# Best TV Kisses Ranked: New Girl, Parks & Rec & The Female Gaze Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/wonder-in-the-weeds-6683721/best-tv-kisses-ranked-new-girl-parks-rec-the-female-gaze Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/wonder-in-the-weeds-6683721/best-tv-kisses-ranked-new-girl-parks-rec-the-female-gaze.md Podcast: [Wonder In The Weeds](https://stenobird.com/podcast/wonder-in-the-weeds-6683721) Published: 2026-02-18T07:00:00+00:00 Episode link: https://critzking.substack.com/p/best-tv-kisses-ranked-new-girl-parks-249 Audio file: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/196158358/a6892da4b6cee3697e511ffb317bd08a.mp3 Processing state: not_requested JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/wonder-in-the-weeds-6683721/episodes/best-tv-kisses-ranked-new-girl-parks-rec-the-female-gaze Duration seconds: 3298 ## Resource In this special Valentine's Day episode of Wonder in the Weeds , we take a brief pause from the heavy news cycle in Minneapolis to find a little joy in the fire. We’re breaking down our favorite on-screen romances, analyzing why mutual respect creates the best chemistry, and discussing the "female gaze" in media. Finally, we end with The Wonder : a spotlight on the incredible resilience of the Minneapolis community, including how neighbors and businesses like the Modern Times Cafe are organizing to support one another. In This Episode: Favorite Kisses: We break down the famous "trench coat" kiss between Nick and Jess in New Girl and why it remains the gold standard for on-screen chemistry. Parks and Recreation: Why Ben and Leslie represent a "meeting of the minds" and true partnership. Rivals to Lovers: Discussing the dynamic in Red, White & Royal Blue and the concept of "competition" as a form of intimacy. The "Female Gaze": A look at why characters written by women feel more respectful and genuine. The Wonder: An update on Minneapolis mutual aid, where neighbors are feeding neighbors and the Modern Times Cafe is providing free food to the community. Timestamps: 0:00 - Intro: Life in Minneapolis & The PSA 04:01 - Valentine's Special: Our Favorite Movie & TV Kisses 05:16 - New Girl: The Nick & Jess "Trench Coat" Kiss 16:32 - Parks & Rec: Ben & Leslie’s mutual respect 22:28 - The "Female Gaze" & Writing Men with Respect 44:10 - Moonstruck & My Lady Jane 51:52 - The Wonder: Minneapolis Mutual Aid & Modern Times Cafe Let's Connect: Website: TheWonder.Life Get full access to Cristie Ritz-King, PsyD at critzking.substack.com/subscribe ## Actions - request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/wonder-in-the-weeds-6683721/episodes/best-tv-kisses-ranked-new-girl-parks-rec-the-female-gaze/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode. - read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/wonder-in-the-weeds-6683721/best-tv-kisses-ranked-new-girl-parks-rec-the-female-gaze.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource. A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed. ## Transcript Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.