Nick Miller's 7 Best And 7 Worst Episodes Of New Girl

It's almost impossible to identify Nick Miller's best and worst episodes of "New Girl." He has at least one killer gag in every episode of the show, and when he doesn't have any important character development in the A plot, he's usually leading an exceptional, hilarious B plot. Jake Johnson is an impeccable comedic actor and the kind of star that has charisma with almost any scene partner. As such, Nick's adventures with his various friends and acquaintances in "New Girl" always feel unique.

In any given episode of the Emmy-nominated sitcom, Nick is petulant and raucous with Cece, authentic and silly with Jess, snarky and reactive with Winston, and wacky and emotional with Schmidt. He has some of the best lines in the show and also arguably goes through the most effective and consistent growth. After a careful assessment of all seven seasons, we've identified Nick Miller's best and worst episodes of "New Girl."

Nick has a pretty excellent arc throughout Season 1 of "New Girl." He recovers from a painful breakup only to find devastation at the end of his relationship with Julia, dates a series of young women about whom he is not serious, deals with his loneliness next to the romantic successes of his two best friends, and gets back together with his emotionally abusive ex, Caroline. The only thing that consistently serves as a positive part of Nick's life is his group of friends, with an emphasis on the deep relationship he quickly builds with Jess.

In "See Ya," we see Nick grapple with what he expects to make him happy and what actually does make him happy, especially when he gets frustrated after having tons of fun with his friends despite being stranded in the desert and apart from Caroline. The cherry on top of the episode is definitely the glimpse we get of '90's college Nick when the gang plays his fun mixtape out of the moving truck.

Nick's contribution to the A plot in this episode is solid. He provides excellent comedic relief during a dinner with Cece, Jess, Sadie, and Sadie's wife, and later on gives classic Nick Miller attitude to Jess when she tries to dispose of the loft's microwave (how else is Nick going to make his burritos?!) in a panic about the viability of her eggs. It's a strong episode for Jess, but Nick's B plot with Winston is both hilarious and an important set-up for one of his most significant story threads throughout the show.

After seeing how passionate Winston is about his job, Nick decides to buckle down and finally write his zombie novel. Of course, Nick is a notorious procrastinator, and he does just about everything he can to avoid actually writing (Jess and Cece have some of the best lines upon observing Nick, including Jess' "I just lost another one of my eggs while you were comparing yourself to the greatest writer of all time," and Cece's "Are you just drunk at the zoo right now?"). As Zooey Deschanel has said many times on the podcast Welcome to Our Show, Jake Johnson is very good at acting drunk and the entire sequence at the zoo with his flask is hilarious. In the end, he does manage to finish his novel, which includes a wordless word search. 

One of Nick's finest outings (and one of the best "New Girl" episodes, period), "Pepperwood" is the next step in the journey Nick begins in "Eggs." In "Pepperwood," Nick becomes suspicious of a violent story written by one of Jess' adult creative writing students and takes it upon himself to investigate. He adopts the alias Julius Pepperwood in order to go undercover in Jess' class and hijinks ensue. Julius Pepperwood will stick with Nick for the rest of the show, eventually becoming the name of the protagonist in his hugely successful series of YA mystery novels known as "The Pepperwood Chronicles," but the most important thing about this episode is how Nick is inspired by his adventures with Jess.

There's a reason Nick and Jess begin dating in Season 3 — their chemistry is so strong in Season 1 and Season 2 that any other outcome after two years would feel contrived. As investigative partners in "Pepperwood," Jess and Nick showcase brilliant physical comedy and a vibrant stream of dialogue that can still provide a new laugh even when watching the episode for the tenth time. Nick's Chicago accent is perfect and his fight with Jess over an appropriate code-word for danger is a particularly excellent case of Nick and Jess arguing seriously about something entirely unserious.

"The Box" is all about Nick's main coping skill in life — specifically, his well-practiced urge to shove things into a box and forget they're there. Not only is this a metaphor for a lot of the emotions with which he often wrestles, but it's also a literal box in his closet where he keeps anything he hasn't wanted to deal with over the past fifteen or so years of his life. Jess is horrified upon being shown Nick's box and takes the opportunity to secretly pay many of his overdue bills with the inheritance he recently received following his father's death.

When Nick finds out about Jess' interference in his box, he is apoplectic, and somehow ends up throwing many of her purses out the window. The biggest source of tension between them has always been the fact that Nick seeks to ignore reality as much as possible whereas Jess is always trying to conquer it. In the end, Nick chooses his relationship with Jess over the coping mechanisms that have kept him sane and alive, and "The Box" is an important step in both his individual growth and his relationship with Jess.

"Oregon" is subtly one of the best Nick Miller episodes of the whole show. Based on the synopsis, you might not expect it to be such a good vehicle for him — the episode centers around Jess and her father's Oregon wedding, as well as Jess' failing relationship with Ryan, Cece's secret feelings for Schmidt, and Coach's insistence on acting like a Portland native. Nick quietly takes care of Jess for the entire episode, rallying the gang to take a tour of Portland with her and attempting to keep her positive even as her boyfriend Ryan continually disappoints her.

Nick is so incredibly sweet when he makes a "not!" joke after she points out where she learned how to make one, and his frustrated outburst at Ryan's failure to show up for Jess later in the episode comes from a totally selfless desire to see her as happy as possible. In this episode, Nick proves that he will always be the guy that shows up for Jess without expecting or wanting anything in return except to see her smile.

Nick and Reagan's relationship is at its best in the Season 5 episode "Heat Wave." On the outside, they seem like two strong personalities butting heads over who's right and who's wrong. What makes their dynamic especially interesting is Nick's unspoken-but-obvious crush on Reagan (and subsequent desire to impress her) and Reagan's reluctant fondness for Nick. Nick is very funny as he attempts to find a solution to the loft's heat wave temperatures, and his madness escalates as he is faced with another "fancy fix," this time in the form of an air conditioner rather aggressively purchased by Reagan.

Nick refuses to enjoy Reagan's air conditioner and Reagan is unable to stop trying to prove him wrong, mostly because she can't seem to stop thinking about him. They knock out the power in the entire apartment building fighting over the outlet keeping Nick's cool ranch alive and then find themselves bantering over mice and cables in the basement. The episode finishes with an endearing admission of romantic interest from Nick and a surprising, matter-of-fact reciprocation from Reagan.

Nick is very funny in the Season 6 episode "Glue." From running and eating healthy foods as a sign of his emotional implosion to his ridiculous behavior while high on Jess' industrial book-making glue, the episode is scene after scene of great comedic work from Jake Johnson. What's more important about the episode in terms of Nick's character is that he reaches a real milestone in his journey to find success and satisfaction on his own terms.

Nick is really brave in this episode, and bravery isn't always his strong suit. Despite the fact that it is Reagan and not Jess who encourages him to make the final leap and give a reading of his novel at the local bookstore, it's still a great moment for him, and this episode is a reminder that Reagan and Nick's relationship was still significant despite not being the endgame. This episode also kicks off the perfect final piece of his persona as a writer — specifically that his ideal audience turns out to be middle-grade and high school YA readers.