The relationship between Nick and Jess became the center of New Girl, but pairing them up was a mistake, for both the characters and the show.
The main couple in New Girl was Jess and Nick, who first got together in season 2, but their relationship was a mistake. Created by Elizabeth Meriwether, the series debuted on Fox in 2011 and was so well-received from the beginning that it lived on for six more seasons, with New Girl ending in 2018. The hit show was praised for its sense of humor and the performances of its main characters, particularly those of Max Greenfield and Jake Johnson.
New Girl followed young and bubbly teacher Jessica Day (Zooey Deschanel), who moved into a loft with three strangers she found on the internet after finding out that her boyfriend had been cheating on her. After a period of adjustment that wasn’t easy for everyone, Jess ended up becoming very close to her loft roommates Schmidt (Greenfield), Nick Miller (Johnson), and Winston (Lamorne Morris). The bond between Jess and Nick was much stronger right from the get-go, and although Jess had several boyfriends in New Girl, she and Nick ended up getting married in the final season. A flashforward in the season finale revealed they had started their own family and remained close to Schmidt and Cece, and Winston and Ally.
Despite how popular and beloved Jess and Nick's relationship became, getting together wasn’t the best idea for New Girl. Many fans have criticized New Girl for various reasons. Audiences point out its “adorkable” concept, the characters receiving little to no growth throughout the show, Jess’ personality, the jokes, and the relationship between Jess and Nick as reasons for changing the channel. While the two have a Sam and Diane will-they-or-won't-they rapport, their chemistry alone isn't reason enough for the relationship to continue as it did.
New Girl: Jess & Nick's Relationship Timeline
In New Girl season 2, Jess and Nick kissed for the first time after being sent “behind the Iron Curtain” during a game of True American, and that was the beginning of a roller-coaster attraction between them. Jess was dating Sam (David Walton) at the time, but they broke up shortly after, and Jess and Nick gave their relationship a chance. Their relationship timeline becomes a little murky during seasons 2 and 3. That being said, the couple experiences their first break up in the season 3 episode "Mars Landing" when the two realize their personal goals don't match up. Jess and Nick dance around their obvious feelings for far too long, and after Jess left New Girl temporarily in season 5 the two finally reconcile at the very end of season 6. New Girl's final season leaps three years into the future, and Nick marries Jess.
Why Jess & Nick Getting Together Was A Mistake
Unlike Schmidt and Cece, who also had a tumultuous relationship before finally accepting their flaws and love for each other, the Jess and Nick relationship left zero space for these New Girl characters to develop. Cece went from being a model with no intentions of settling down to accepting an arranged marriage, then later becoming a working mom; meanwhile, Schmidt went from being a ladies' man with no respect for women to a stay-at-home father. The same can’t be said about Jess and Nick, who stayed the same through their relationship and its break-ups. Though, it should be noted that Nick at least managed to finally finish his book and became a best-selling author thanks to The Pepperwood Chronicles. While the chemistry between Deschanel and Johnson is undeniable, pairing up Jess and Nick wasn’t a good idea, or at least it shouldn’t have happened so early in the series. Jumping the gun with their relationship took the wind out of the series' sails, and their nearly 3 season hesitation about getting back together left viewers a little fatigued over the subject.
The “will-they-won’t-they” side of Nick and Jess’ story, unfortunately, ended up being the core of the series. Truthfully there were a lot more interesting and fun events (and changes) that were happening around them, like Schmidt and Cece’s relationship or Winston’s quest to become a police officer. The writers failed to develop Jess and Nick outside their relationship because it happened too soon and then was messily repaired during New Girl season 7. While to many New Girl fans they are a favorite pair, some believe that they are the reason why the show “turned bad”; some have even wondered who could have been a better match for Jess and Nick.
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