On this episode of New Girl, Schmidt continues to battle with choosing between Cece and Elizabeth, and makes a lucky getaway at his office party when both ladies show up. Winston cat-sits for Daisy, even though he knows she is cheating on him – he debates with himself whether or not he should kill the cat, but ends up keeping the cat instead. Jess tries to fit in with the other teachers at her school, resorting to drinking and pranks to try to fit in with the popular crowd. Nick stands by Jess through it all as he's still getting used to being her boyfriend. Jess tells Nick that if she met him in high school, he never would have noticed her.
This subject has come up before on the show. In Season 2's “Models,” Cece and Jess wonder if they would be friends if they would have met when they were older. They finally determine that it doesn't matter, the only important thing is that they are friends now. And that's what it's all about. When it comes down to it, all that really matters is the present. It's not about how a relationship formed, but how the relationship endures.
When Jess tries to fit in with the popular teachers, she tries to be someone that she isn't, and she thinks that will impress Nick. She wants to be the girl he would have noticed back in high school. But who's to say he wouldn't have noticed her?
It's silly for Jess to say that Nick wouldn't have looked twice at her back in high school, because her whole “nerd” status when she was younger made her into the crazy girl she is today – the girl that Nick fell for. And besides, Nick is such a goofy nerd now anyways.
The thing is, you really can't wonder “what if” you had met at a different time, because then the relationship wouldn't be the same. If you're happy, don't question those things.
At the episode's conclusion, Nick says, “Hey, I just wanted to say, I would have noticed you.” It's such an adorable moment, that even if it isn't completely true, you can feel the honesty in the way he says it.
The bottom line is that it's all about the timing – will Jess and Nick's timing continue to be perfect?
New episodes of New Girl premiere every Tuesday on FOX.
Image courtesy of FOX