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The 10 Most OMG Nick and Jess Moments from New Girl
From roommates to best friends and beyond, we're looking at some of the best moments from their iconic love story.
If you’re a fan of New Girl, then there may be no question that Jess and Nick‘s relationship is one the best slow burn romances in all of sitcom history. The road to true love, however, can be as ambiguous as the rules to True American — the house-made drinking game with so many rules and physical requirements it's almost a sport. With every episode of New Girl now streaming on Peacock, we’re looking at some of the most memorable moments of Jess and Nick’s journey to each other-from their first meeting to their final goodbye-to show why they continue to be the prime example of relationship goals.
Best Nick and Jess Moments on New Girl
SPOILERS AHEAD!
1. The First Kiss — Episode 2S15E
After accusing Jess (Zooey Deschanel) of inadvertently ruining their chances with women, Winston (Lamorne Morris), Schmidt (Max Greenfield), and Nick (Jake Johnson) ditch her for what they hope will be a hot night on the town. Eager to prove she’s not the “cooler” her friends claim her to be, Jess attempts to help the guys out by inviting them and their dates home for a round of True American. But when the game leads to Nick and Jess having to kiss one another, the cooler finds herself sparking the fuse of a flaming hot passion.
2. The Parking Lot Confession — Episode 2S16E
Still reeling from their kiss, Nick and Jess find themselves going to increasingly immature lengths to keep from having to process it. With Jess in a serious relationship with the handsome dentist Dr. Sam (David Walton), she begins to wonder how – and even if – she should let him know. On the other hand, Nick, desperate not to feel anything romantic for Jess, attempts to push her away, lying that their kiss was “like kissing a cousin.” But when his nonchalance leads Dr. Sam to overhear (and subsequently punch) him, Nick and Jess are forced to contend with the fact that they may feel something a bit deeper for one another.
3. The Elevator Kiss — Episode 2S23E
After breaking up with Dr. Sam, Jess receives a message from the guy she lost her virginity to. Jealous and incapable of dealing with the full scope of his emotions, Nick digs for information about the guy and discovers that, for Jess, he may be the one who got away. Though Jess is obviously into Nick by this point, his reluctance to be honest about his emotions almost pushes her back to the guy. That is, until Nick finally swallows his self-loathing and catches her in the elevator. Finally, and without his normal weird conditional mannerisms, kissing her.
4. Thanksgiving The Third — Episode3S10E
Recently coupled Nick and Jess would do anything for each other. So, when Nick suggests they replace their traditional Thanksgiving plans with an old-fashioned camping trip, she enlists the other roommates and rushes off to the woods with no hesitation. The only problem? Nick is a terrible outdoorsman whose plans for natural living keep almost getting her killed. After an ill-placed bear trap causes Jess to go to the hospital, an apologetic Nick seems convinced she’ll leave him. A sentiment Jess responds to by looking at him and lovingly remarking: “you’re the man I want.”
5. The Birthday Surprise — Episode 3S13E
When it comes to planning things, Nick is probably the last person you should depend on. But when Jess’s birthday comes, he and the gang go out of their way to provide her with the best surprise party she’s ever had. Jess, however, begins to suspect that Nick hasn’t done anything for her birthday, causing her to be upset. Doing everything in his power to track her down, Nick eventually reveals his present: a coin from the first time they met, and a documentary he made featuring all her loved ones saying things they loved about her.
6. The Breakup — Episode 3S15E
Though they’ve been dating for a while, Nick and Jess find themselves at odds when a conversation about their causes Nick to freak out. When one tiny disagreement leads to a massive fight, the two break up under the assumption that their lives are just too incompatible. While this would prove to be the end of Nick and Jess for the moment, their love would continue to develop over the next few years.
7. The Reunion — Episode 4S01E
After a summer of romance, the roommates gather to plot their final round of hookups at the last wedding of the season. Firm friends by this point, Nick and Jess set out on their separate plots to find people to seduce. But when Jess loses her self-esteem, Nick comes in to deliver one of the most romantic lines he’ll ever say: “If he’s not into Jessica Day, there’s something wrong with him.”
8. The Return (and Subsequent Departure) of Dr. Sam — Episode 5S13E
Jess has just reignited her romance with Dr. Sam when she accidentally gets her head caught in one of Nick’s prized football helmets. Terrified of Sam finding out and punching Nick (again), Jess and Nick try everything to remove it from her head. To her surprise, however, Dr. Sam finds out and is quite calm, commenting that he understands it was an accident and offering to break the helmet off. But when Jess expresses reluctance at ruining an object that means so much to Nick, she and Sam both realize that her feelings for the relationship between the two may not simply be platonic.
9. The Marriage — Episode 7S07E
After struggling to find the right way to propose, Nick and Jess are finally engaged. But when the biggest day in Winston’s life presents to opportunity to take their biggest leap as a couple, the two best friends who are also exes and current fiancés find the courage to finally and officially become husband and wife.
10. The Goodbye — Episode 7S08E
When their apartment building is bought by new owners, Nick and Jess are forced to move out and into a place of their own. Luckily their friends are there to help them say goodbye. Though the finale is undoubtedly bittersweet, the end montage offers conclusions for the separate love stories of each of the roommates, plus a flash forward into the future where the children of Schmidt, Cici, Winston, Jess, and Nick play a game of True American with their parents. A true love story, extending out towards eternity.