Title First Date

Two-Sentence Summary As Nick and Jess go on their first date (but does Jess really know it’s a date?), Winston and Schmidt enlist the help of Outside Dave to sabotage the romance before it ruins the loft dynamic forever. However, Nick and Jess do a good enough job of sabotaging themselves, especially when Jess’s ex-boyfriend Russell forces them to confront (or not confront) the truth about what their relationship really is.

Favorite Line “Jessica, you are a beautiful woman, and my life has not been the same since I met you. And it would mean the world to me if you would go on a date with me.” (Nick, to Tran)

Episode M.V.P. This week’s episode M.V.P. is a beautiful, intangible little thing called chemistry. There was no one character that stood out above the pack this week. Rather, it was the ease and rapport between the characters that made the episode work. Without sparks—of both comedic and romantic varieties—“First Date” would have fallen flat.

In terms of comedic chemistry, I’m not sure it gets better than Schmidt and Winston trying to come up with ideas to ruin Nick and Jess’s date. Winston’s inability to find a good middle ground for a prank is one of my favorite of his character quirks. Lamorne Morris excels when Winston is being “Prank Sinatra,” and Max Greenfield has such a hilariously deadpan way of shooting down his ideas. I laughed until I wanted to cry when Winston suggested killing Jess with a knife and releasing a bear full of “Hep C” into the restaurant. And I actually did cry tears of laughter when Schmidt and Winston both offered their own guesses as to why Nick was being secretive about his date (“Male escort!”). These two characters have been on fire lately, and they’ve been excelling at quieter moments of friendship, too—mainly because they balance those with sharp humor right away.

Speaking of balance, I’m not sure any pair of actors is better at balancing comedy, angst, and sexual tension than Zooey Deschanel and Jake Johnson are right now. Their chemistry in this episode was nothing short of extraordinary. It ranged from painfully realistically awkward (Jess asking Nick if they were on a date) and equally realistically easy (sharing their turn-ons) to heartbreaking (agreeing on “middle school dance rules”) and just plain HOT (Nick opening the jar and gargling his beer). Everything worked because Johnson and Deschanel remained true to their characters through it all. So, despite the frustration of watching them get in their own way, you can feel how much they want each other—and you can feel that this new arrangement won’t last very long. That last goodnight by their bedroom doors was filled with more longing and sexual tension than I’ve seen on TV in years. You know two actors have amazing chemistry when you’re literally yelling at the TV for them to kiss, and I will totally admit to doing that on multiple occasions during “First Date.”

Favorite Moment For as much as I adored the rampant sexual tension in the last scene (and the almost uncontrollable hotness of Nick opening the jar), my favorite moment was a little less tense. The best thing about Nick and Jess’s relationship is how real it feels, and it’s never felt more real than when Nick and Jess were sitting at the bar, talking about the weird things the other does that turns them on.

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Title Chicago

Two-Sentence Summary The sudden death of Nick’s father brings all four roommates to Chicago, where Jess meets the Miller clan for the first time. As Nick takes on the responsibilities of planning an Elvis-themed funeral, Jess tries to support him in any way possible, while Winston helps Schmidt deal with his intense fear of death.

Favorite Line “I really feel transported to the ghetto.” (Schmidt)

Episode M.V.P. You know a television show has really hit its stride when the whole cast is so good on such a consistent basis that you begin to hate the idea of singling one of them out every week for being better than the rest. “Chicago” provided memorable moments for all of the major characters, and every actor brought their A-game to the table once again.

Although Winston and Schmidt had less emotionally intense storylines than Nick and Jess, they both had standout moments of comedy. Winston’s complete breakdown as he attempted to eulogize Walt was hilarious, and Schmidt’s “butt-ton”-induced panic attack was yet another scene for the Max Greenfield highlight reel. (Why are his strange pronunciations of words so funny?) One more potential addition to that reel: the way Schmidt faced his funeral fears (“All day, son!). But because New Girl is becoming the best show on TV at mixing comedy and emotional sincerity, Schmidt and Winston also had a genuinely sweet moment with Schmidt giving a fake (but very heartfelt) eulogy for his friend. I definitely “awww’ed” when he called Winston “the brother I always had.”

While Winston and Schmidt brought the laughs for the majority of the episode, Jess brought the heart. This was some of Zooey Deschanel’s best and most nuanced work to date. Yes, her Elvis impression was hilarious, but it was the way she played the quieter moments of the episode that had me really admiring her talent as an actress and her understanding of this character. I loved the way Jess interacted with Nick throughout the episode. I’m not sure if it was written as such or if it was a decision made by Deschanel, but from the softness in her voice to the gentle way she held Nick’s hand, it was clear that Jess knew how hard this was for Nick, even when he didn’t want to admit it. The scene between the two of them in the bathroom felt real—there was no other way to describe it—and so much of that came from the honesty of Deschanel’s performance. For so long we’ve all been swooning over how much Nick loves Jess, but that scene made it clear that Jess loves him just as much as he loves her. And yes, I am throwing around “the L-word” because if you didn’t get that feeling from watching Jess tell Nick she’s going to be there holding his hand no matter what (and from watching Nick’s reaction to that promise), then I’m not sure we’re watching the same show.

All three of these actors may have been amazing, but this episode once again belonged to Nick Miller. It’s getting to the point where Jake Johnson not getting an Emmy nomination this year just seems ridiculous. The range he had to exhibit this week was truly impressive. I loved what we learned about Nick through what this episode showed us rather than told us. Nick grew up with way too much responsibility thrust upon him at a young age, so his hatred of responsibility suddenly made complete sense. It’s not that Nick doesn’t know how to function as an adult; it’s that he doesn’t want to because once he escaped that house he didn’t have to be responsible for anything anymore—not even himself. Of course Nick doesn’t take care of himself; he was always too busy taking care of his family. Of course Nick is angry all the time; the burden of high expectations, a strained relationship with your father, and being asked to do too much for your family for too long will do that to a person. It’s amazing how one episode can flesh out a character so fully and in such a believable way.

Anytime I talk about Nick, I have to take a moment to mention Johnson’s incredible nonverbal acting. There were so many subtle moments in this episode where a look from Johnson took a scene from good to great or great to exceptional. I especially loved the way his eyes widened with admiration for his dad when he talked about how Walt was never scared, and my heart broke when his eyes closed as he tried to gather his emotions at the end of his eulogy. But the best of Johnson’s facial expressions in this episode were directed towards Deschanel. Please tell me I’m not the only person who just wants someone to look at her the way Nick looked at Jess throughout this episode. That’s love—pure and simple.

Favorite Moment Nick’s eulogy was such a real moment, and each actor gave subtle and perfect reactions to the situation, making it feel grounded in the kind of genuine emotion that makes New Girl such a unique sitcom. For me, the moment really began with Nick watching Jess try her best at being an Elvis impersonator. It was as if you could see him finally accepting that he’s head-over-heels in love with this woman, and he’s done trying to fight it. I’ve spoken volumes already about the magical powers of Jake Johnson’s face, but it can’t be said enough: The man can make me melt into a big, happy puddle like no one else on TV right now.

The eulogy itself was beautiful—sweet without being saccharine, both funny and heartbreaking in a very genuine way. You could feel Nick’s loss, but you could also sense the complex relationship he had with his father. That strained relationship wasn’t lost just to deliver a big dramatic moment. However, we still got an incredibly poignant moment of grief in Nick’s struggle to maintain composure at the end of the eulogy. The tension visible in just his hands was such a perfect detail, and it made the moment Jess reached for his hand all the sweeter.

When Jess took Nick’s hand, his face both broke my heart and made me smile at the same time. He looked so vulnerable but so happy to have her next to him, and it looked like it was taking everything in him not to kiss her right then.

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Title Quick Hardening Caulk

Two Sentence Summary Nick’s newfound sense of responsibility makes Jess more attracted to him than ever, leading to a pain-pills-induced confession of lust after a trip to the hardware store goes awry. Meanwhile, in the aftermath of Cece’s engagement, Schmidt becomes obsessed with acquiring a rare tropical fish, and Winston helps him on his quest.

Favorite Line “I know this is a dumb question—but will a number two help?” (Winston to Schmidt, after he’s unable to pee on Schmidt’s jellyfish-stung face)

Episode M.V.P. This was an incredibly hard choice this week. Every member of the cast turned in solid performances, and every character had their chance (or chances) to shine. Schmidt’s storyline was full of laugh-out-loud moments (his temper tantrum at the aquarium and his reaction to getting stung—“IT BURNS!”—were two of my favorites), but, once again, Max Greenfield was able to ground the moments of broad comedy with a feeling that Schmidt’s antics were coming from a place of really genuine (and therefore really heartbreaking) pain. Schmidt’s fish quest also showcased the friendship between him and Winston in a way we haven’t seen before. Winston’s scene with Cece was a standout moment for me because it felt so real, and that’s a credit to the poignantly direct writing and honest performances.

Zooey Deschanel perfectly played Jess’s growing attraction to Nick spilling over into unbearable sexual frustration (I was especially fond of her bolting from the room when Nick complimented her dress and her yelling at him to leave when he started to talk about wanting to iron his shirts). From her medication-induced Judy Garland impression to her priceless reading of Nick’s hardware store shopping list, Deschanel’s performance was a true highlight.

However, this episode belonged to Nick. In order for this episode to work, Nick Miller had to be more attractive than ever, and that was accomplished on so many levels. Jake Johnson is on fire this season, and his balance of adorable enthusiasm for self-improvement, genuine confusion over how to handle Jess’s high-as-a-kite proposition, and raw desire finally set free was nothing short of perfect. Nick may be a terminal adolescent in a lot of ways, but there’s no question that he’s a man when it comes to his relationship with Jess. The way Nick refused to do anything with Jess while she was on her pain meds was both surprising and not surprising at all. Like their first kiss, Nick wants their relationship—every bit of it—to be real. You could almost see an echo of his “Not like this” confession on his face as Jess told him she wanted to sleep with him. That facial expression was beautifully contrasted with the hope and happiness on his face when Jess finally tells him that she wants him for real. Johnson is so good at using his facial expressions to both make the audience laugh and make us forget how to breathe. That last scene, with him running the gamut from longing to passion (I might just be a little obsessed with the vein in his neck popping out as they’re kissing and fighting) to comedy, was some of his best work in a season that has mentions of Emmy nominations being thrown his way (as they should be).

Also, the man is just really attractive…I dare anyone to disagree after watching this episode.

Favorite Moment The final scene between Nick and Jess demonstrated what New Girl does better than any show on TV: mixing the broadly comedic with the genuinely emotional. Everything about that scene felt true to the characters and their relationship as we’ve seen it develop. There was something so deliciously exciting about watching the two of them playfully argue about Jess being a gold-digger as she stepped closer to Nick, and I actually held my breath when Nick told her to prove that she wasn’t. (Like I said, I’m finding Jake Johnson incredibly attractive right now.) And I loved that what followed was like a powder keg of sexual tension exploding. It was messy, it was full of arguing over random annoyances (Nick’s anger over Jess’s shorts was my favorite), and it was the only way a scene like that between Nick and Jess should be at this point. New Girl is special because it manages to find moments of realism amid comedy, and that’s exactly what happened in this scene. The comedy that was there was perfect, and the realism was…Well there’s no other word to describe it except HOT. I can’t be the only girl who finally understood what it means to swoon when Nick told Jess to take off her damn clothes (His voice!) and when he kissed her “like a man” (Now that is a “damn fairytale” kiss, Nick Miller.) I don’t know how this show has been able to hit every beat between Nick and Jess in a way that is both creative and simply right for the show and the characters. But they’re doing it. And I can’t wait to see where it leads.

A New Girl GIF* For My New Girl Feelings

I agree, Jess. Everything about this episode worked: the jokes, the friendships, the tension, and the payoff. But the thing that worked most of all is Jake Johnson. Who would have thought that Nick Miller would be known as the best kisser and one of the most swoon-worthy characters on TV back when this show started? Things have certainly changed…and it’s definitely a change for the better.

*I have no talent for GIF-making. Thankfully, I am highly skilled at searching Tumblr for the best GIFs. I take no credit for this beauty.