New Girl 1x07: Bells

Original Air Date: 29 November 2011

Storyline: Jess gets jealous when Winston joins her troubled-youth handbell quartet and instantly becomes a natural. Meanwhile, Nick and Schmidt engage in class warfare when the toilet breaks and they each have their own idea of how to get it fixed.Best Quote:

Nick: Unlike you, Schmidt, I don't just throw my money at problems!
Schmidt: All I'm hearing is I can't use my bathroom because you're poor.
The Douche Factor: A little fatty toon... little yellow T... Cali roll. Samurai snack. So scrummy.

Review: Friendships are tested in this new episode of New Girl, as Winston makes it about himself when Jess enlists his help with her troubled kids' bell band; also, Schmidt and Nick argue about money due to the poor state of their plumbing, which Nick thinks he can repair himself.

For once, the focus was not on Jess and I found that refreshing. I love Zoey Deschanel to death, which is why I started watching this show in the first place, but it's nice to see that the guys get as much air time as she does from time to time. I'm also pretty excited to see Winston's character pick up and get some really good storylines; I was afraid he was going to be the weak link, especially after the stellar performance of Damon Wayans Jr. in the pilot (I keep turning back to him but really can't help it), but Lamorne Morris is starting to become an integral part of the cast.
Winston got quite a bit of air time this week. As it turns out, he's a very talented guy who picks up different skills quickly - and he did just that with Jess' bells. The only problem is, he doesn't know when to pass the ball. Let me just say that I usually hate episodes with a moral, but this one, despite the life lesson to be learned, was funny in contributing to the character's development. Learning how not to make everything about himself was a hilarious journey for Winston.
As for the war between Nick and Schmidt, that was about character growth as well. There's always banter between roommates, but this one - started because of Nick's determination to fix everything himself because he doesn't like spending money he doesn't have on plumbers and other specialists in home improvement - gave away his feelings of inadequacy because of the choice he made to drop out of law school and work as a bartender, especially when he compares his life to Schmidt's, one of professional and financial accomplishments. Nick is my favorite male character of the show, but by the end of the fight with Schmidt, I also almost called him a loser myself. But I'm still on team Nick all the way. 
Random highlights: Winston practicing "Eye of the Tiger" with paper cups at his menial temp job. Schmidt's "cardie" talk. Jess' non-dorky outfits that made her look extra cute tonight. Nick's realization that he prefers his friends not to tell him the truth.New Girl 1x06: Thanksgiving Back to Season 1