New Girlinitially aired on Fox garnered a large cult following during its time on. Spanning seven seasons and 146 episodes through the lives of Jess (Zooey Deschanel), Nick (Jake Johnson), Winston (Lamorne Morris), and Schmidt (Max Greenfield) as they come to terms with their early thirties in Apartment 4D.
New Girlmanaged to progress the storylines of each character through the seasons while continuing to evolve them:many guest stars would appearon the show like many other great sitcoms. Since the show’s end, it has remained popular onstreaming platforms like Netflix and Hulu. With many memorable episodes,IMDbhas rated these to be the best.
10“Birthday” — Season 3, Episode 13
IMDb Rating 8.3/10
Jess, known for setting her expectations too high on her birthday, is thrown into a haphazard plan Nick conjured up on the morning of. In the end, we discover Nick had a plan all along that worked out in his favor.
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The third season is the prime Nick and Jess relationship era. Episodes of them together are some of the best that comes from the series as they navigate being roommates and in a relationship together. The first relationship stint is wholesome, as Nick often tries to prove himself to Jess.
9“Virgins” — Season 2, Episode 23
IMDb Rating 8.4/10
In this flashback episode, the gang tells the tales of their first time after Jess gets a text from her first. This episode takes place in the aftermath of the awkward first date between Nick and Jess.
Nick becomes insecure when he has to hear about the person Jess’s first time was with. “Virgins” is another step in the roommates' attempts at figuring out a relationship as the seemingly innocent stories turn into fuel for Nick and Jess to get together.
8“Quick Hardening Caulk” — Season 2, Episode 19
When Schmidt gets in a funk after Cece’s (Hannah Simone) proposal, Winston helps him to get over it by taking him to the Aquarium. Schmidt becomes obsessed after seeing a lionfish which he decides he must have.
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Schmidt clings on to the lionfish because he can’t have Cece. Even Schmidt figures it out as a metaphor at the end for something that he can’t have but so desperately wants, and the only thing he can do is let it go away.
7“Prince” — Season 3, Episode 14
IMDb Rating 8.5/10
Princewas a huge fan of New Girl. His only stipulation for coming on was to help the progression of Nick and Jess’s relationship. In the episode, Nick says, “I love you” to Jess but, in a panicked state, only responds with finger guns.
Prince helps Jess come to terms with where they are at in their relationship as well as helping Jess find the perfect way to say she loves Nick back. Scared from her previous relationships and Nick’s constant falters that make her anxious to say it.
Whether the man was magical or not, he is clearly a love doctor; even birds follow him.
6“Elaine’s Big Day” - Season 2, Episode 25
IMDb Rating 8.6/10
Cece’s wedding day is full of surprises, as Schmidt is willing to do anything to sabotage the big day. Meanwhile, Nick is pulled in two directions as he tries to be the right person for Jess and stop Schmidt.
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After a painstaking amount of episodes of “will they won’t they,” Nick and Jess come to a spearhead as they have to make a final call on their relationship. The wedding is a perfect setting as Nick and Jess decide not to run from the feelings that make them happy but to take a chance on each other.
5“Background Check” — Season 4, Episode 6
IMDb Rating 8.7/10
As Winston gears up to join the police, an agent comes to the house to interview the roommates. What seems like an innocuous visit turns into a nightmare when Jess thinks she has illegal drugs in her closet.
Consolidated to the apartment, “Background Check” provides the cast the ability to do what they do best, which is to play off each other. Some of the funniest moments onNew Girlare based on the cast’s amazing chemistry that brings out comedic character quirks in ordinary situations.
4“Landing Gear” — Season 5, Episode 22
IMDb Rating 8.8/10
On the day of Schmidt and Cece’s wedding, he travels to Portland to convince Cece’s mom to attend. The only thing is that he may not make it back on time for the big day.
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Acting on his impulsive thoughts, Schmidt may not have made the smartest move, but it is a show of his affection for Cece that he has shown time and time again by this point. Schmidt has turned from someone egotistical and arrogant into a selfless husband who will do anything to make his wife happy.
3“Clean Break” — Season 4, Episode 22
IMDb Rating 9.0/10
The gang says farewell to Coach, who leaves to be with his girlfriend in New York. Coach wants a clean break with no feelings attached, triggeringWinston to take Coach down memory lane.
The episode is about old feelings and leaving the things we love behind. Coach doesn’t want to feel the sadness, so he chooses not to acknowledge the remnants of his time in Apartment 4D. Re-experiencing these memories makes Coach realize he should be grateful for the time together.
2“Cooler” — Season 2, Episode 15
Nick and Jess are forced to kiss each other during a game of True American. Nick’s refusal puts him on the edge as he escapes from Jess on the balcony.
The kiss is a big deal for Nick because it indicates that he may have feelings for Jess, though he can’t admit it. After all, she is in a relationship. Jess is Nick’s “cooler” because the emotions they have for each other are deeper than what they realize.
1“Five Stars for Beezus” — Season 6, Episode 22
IMDb Rating 9.1/10
The last episode of the sixth season tied all loose ends, as the show’s future was not clear at that time. In the episode, Jess comes home from Portland to tell Nick how she feels, but after hearing Nick speak at his book signing has second thoughts.
“Five Stars for Beezus” revolves around the last efforts for Nick and Jess to be together, going back to the “will they won’t they” of the early seasons. In typicalNew Girlfashion, the eccentric characters can’t talk their feelings out, leaving a displacement of emotions. This episode shows some of the show’s best physical comedy as Jess slinks away from Nick every chance she gets.
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