The New Girl tv series (2011-2018) may have been over for a few years now, but these episodes still remain as iconic as ever; most notably, for how progressive and feminist the male characters tend to act. Please note that there are spoilers ahead.
- Season 1, Episode 1 – “Pilot”
Considering that this is one of the episodes that follow the entire group dynamic and the friends’ devotion to one another, it’s shocking how underrated it is. Jessica Day is fresh off a breakup and in desperate need of a new place to live. She finds an apartment on Craigslist and ends up moving in with three other guys: Schmidt, Nick, and Coach. Jess has an instant connection with the guys, and they quickly help her rebuild her social life. Easily the best moment in this episode is when Jess is stood up on a date, and instead of the guys going to a party, they all go to the restaurant Jess is at, and they serenade her. Talk about your friends having your back!
2. Season 6, Episode 1 – “House Hunt”
I adore this episode because of one underrated scene: Winston coming to Jess’s aid and Nick dedicating his book after Jess. When Jess realizes she has feelings for Nick, she doesn’t know how to act around him. Winston immediately senses that Jess is troubled and offers to help. What follows is a beautiful conversation between the pair, who we rarely see interact together. Winston reassures Jess that he is always here if she needs to talk, and yes, that’s the sound of my heart-melting.
3. Season 5, Episode 5 – “Bob & Carol & Nick & Schmidt”
In this episode, Cece is planning her wedding and comes to Winston with a truly unexpected offer. Cece and Winston have always had a weirdly adorable friendship between planning pranks and going off on adventures together, but this episode really shows off their special bond. Winston is of course already going to be one of Schmidt’s groomsmen, but Cece asks Winston if he’d want to be a member of her bridal party as well. Where most guys would scoff at this offer, Winston is genuinely excited to be asked and accepts. This episode definitely redefines the parameters of male and female friendships on sitcoms.
4. Season 2, Episode 14 – “Pepperwood”
In this episode, you really see Nick and Jess’s friendship shine. When Jess tells the gang about the creative writing class she is teaching to adults, Nick becomes concerned that one of the men in the class is dangerous for Jess to be around. While Nick definitely goes overboard in trying to protect Jess, i.e. signing up for her class, sneaking into her student’s backyard, and making up a fake alias, his intentions were purely selfless. Most of us would expect a boyfriend to be this protective, but Nick taking it upon himself to look out for Jess? That’s friendship right there.
5. Season 5, Episode 15 – “Jeff Day”
The reason this episode doesn’t rank higher on the list is because of how competitive and ridiculous Sam and Nick act, but otherwise, this episode touches on some important societal issues. When Jess believes that a man at a car dealership is sexist, Sam and Nick go with her to make sure she gets a fair deal on a car. As usual, Nick takes the plan way too far. Sam and Nick turn the situation into an argument that displays their toxic masculinity, but the fact that they are aware of their boorish behavior speaks volumes.
6. Season 3, Episode 13 – “Birthday”
This episode is just so wholesome! The gang goes all out to celebrate Jess’s birthday. Between Nick planning the whole day, including renting out a movie theater, and Coach and Winston baking a cake, this episode proves just how much Jess’s male friends care about her. Specifically, Coach and Winston, who usually take pride in fulfilling traditional masculine roles, offering to bake their friend a cake is very significant.
7. Season 4, Episode 11 – “LAXmas”
This episode has all the traditional silly dynamics of the gang hanging out, but with a heartwarming twist. Due to it being Christmas time, the gang struggles to get airplane tickets in time to return home for the holidays. Nick and Winston actually give up their first-class seats so that Jess can travel to London to see her boyfriend. Talk about friendship goals!
8. Season 6, Episode 9 – “Es Good”
This episode is one of many that break the boundaries of male friendships, particularly when it comes to toxic masculinity. Schmidt is having trouble dealing with the hypermasculine contractor working on Schmidt’s house. Nick offers to step in and help with the situation. First, Nick offers to teach Schmidt to act more “tough” but then realizes that that’s problematic. Instead, Nick steps up and deals with the contractor on Schmidt’s behalf. I love this episode because Nick realizes that Schmidt doesn’t need to change, and there’s nothing wrong with Schmidt’s definition of “acting like a man.”
9. Season 6, Episode 17 – “Rumspringa”
When Jess is going through a stressful time, Schmidt and Nick take their friend to spa to relax and unwind. This isn’t out of character for Schmidt, who despite working out and engaging in traditionally masculine activities, also likes to pamper himself too. Usually, spas are stereotyped as a “feminine” activity, but Schmidt has no qualms about going there to spend time with his friends.
10. Season 2, Episode 3 – “Fluffer”
This episode deals with friendship boundaries. When Jess is trying out the concept of casual dating, Nick still offers to help Jess with an endless list of favors. When Winston tells off Nick for allowing Jess to treat him like a “boyfriend without the rewards,” Nick reacts differently than how the tv viewer would expect. He shuts down Winston’s comments and later tells Jess that their friendship boundaries are no one else’s business. Right on Nick!
