Damon Wayans Jr.'s New Sitcom Just Gave Us A New Girl Reunion But With A Twist

Warning! Spoilers ahead for Poppa’s House.Damon Wayans Jr. stars with his father Damon Wayans Sr. in Poppa’s House, where they play father and son living next door to each other. Best known for his role as Coach on New Girl, Wayans Jr. shares a reunion with former co-star Lamorne Morris, who guest stars in episode 10. Wayans Jr. reunited with New Girl costar Jake Johnson in the cop buddy comedy Let’s Be Cops, this marks his first on-screen appearance with Morris since New Girl‘s finale in 2018.

Continuing the Wayans family history in show business, Wayans Jr.’s character, Junior, is an aspiring movie director who works at his father-in-law’s sales company to support his wife and two children. Morris’s character is Junior’s best friend from film school, Todd, now a rising director who has pretentiously rebranded himself as Prescott Valentine. This character is the antithesis of Morris’s sweet, quirky Winston Bishop from New Girl, making it interesting to see Wayans Jr. and Morris portray an almost inverted dynamic from their previous roles.

Winston Bishop Actor Lamorne Morris Reunites With Coach Actor Damon Wayans Jr. In Poppa’s House Episode 4

Prescott Valentine Is A Film School Friend Jealous Of Junior’s Wife

In Poppa’s House episode 10, Wayans Jr.’s character Junior is excited to reconnect over dinner with Morris’s Prescott Valentine, since the latter just wrapped filming his alien invasion movie for Paramount. Junior’s wife Nina hopes Prescott has stopped blaming her for being the “Yoko Ono” that broke up her husband and his friend’s dream team. Prescott arrives with copies of the script for his sequel film, which he eagerly pushes Junior and Nina to act out.

Damon Wayans Jr. & Lamorne Morris Major Filmography Since New Girl
Project	Medium	Role	Notes
Damon Wayans Jr.
Happy Together (2018-2019)	TV Show	Jake Davis (main cast)
Poppa’s House (2024-)	TV Show	Junior (main cast)	Executive Producer
Shrinking (2024-)	TV Show	Derrick #2 (recurring)
Lamorne Morris
Game Night	Movie	Kevin Sterling (supporting)
Yesterday	Movie	Head of Marketing
Woke (2020-2022)	TV Show	Keef Knight (lead)
Call Me Kat (2021)	TV Show	Daniel (recurring – 4 episodes)
Fargo (Season 5, 2023)	TV Show	Trooper Witt Farr (main cast)	Won an Emmy for his role
Saturday Night	Movie	Garrett Morris

Junior’s excitement for Prescott blinds him to the fact that the script is a thinly veiled metaphor about how he would be better off without his family. Prescott offers his former partner a job working on the sequel as his second unit director, but with one condition: Junior needs to be fully focused, which means leaving his family behind. Prescott selfishly tells Junior that Nina has always held him back from achieving his dreams, but he defends his wife and the life they share, saying that his friend has “a nice house but not a home” before kicking him out.

Lamorne Morris’s Character In Poppa’s House Is Nothing Like Winston Bishop In New Girl

Prescott Valentine Is A Possessive, Condescending Friend

Winston Bishop is a proudly eccentric character, but Prescott Valentine has the cocky slickness of a Hollywood director. Coach was the cooler character in New Girl, so it is interesting to see that dynamic reversed in Poppa’s House. Winston believed that relationships enrich rather than hinder personal growth—an outlook opposite to Prescott’s, who views Junior’s family as an obstacle holding him back. Winston’s friendships were rooted in genuine support, as shown in some of Coach’s best episodes in New Girl, whereas Prescott’s friendship with Junior in Poppa’s House is toxic and possessive.

Before he found his calling as a police officer, Winston had a variety of odd jobs — from sports radio station intern to nanny to parking lot attendant. Given this, he would never belittle someone for taking a less-than-dream job. Winston is crucial to helping Jessica Day find her way back to teaching when she was floundering in New Girl season 2. Conversely, Prescott is condescending about Junior’s job as a foam roller salesman in Poppa’s House. While Winston appreciates the importance of family, Prescott sees it as a burden, highlighting the stark difference in how each character values personal connections.

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