New Girl 1x10: The Story of the 50

Original Air Date: 17 January 2012

Storyline: When Schmidt's plans for his 29th birthday fall apart, Jess takes charge and enlists the help of her school's party hungry vice-principal. Meanwhile, Nick begrudgingly brings his new girlfriend at Schmidt's party, feeling embarrassed by his friends, but he doesn't know she harbors a secret of her own.Best Quote:

Nick: Schmidt's world is different than ours. They speak a different language. They shorten every word to one syllable. Last month, he went to a party called "Bros Before Hos on the Moon". What does that even mean!?


The Douche Factor: Damn it! I can't find my driving moccasins anywhere!

Review: Apparently some people have driving moccasins. And sharkskin laptop covers. And croquet cleats. If you ever wondered what kind of person owns all that stuff, the answer is easy - a douchebag. And the biggest douchebag of them all - and also the cutest - must be Schmidt. I'll make you a prediction here and now: Schmidt will be as big as Barney Stinson after a couple of more seasons. And if you're one of those who don't believe in this show's success just yet, may I remind you that New Girl was among the five comedies nominated to the Golden Globes this year, something The Big Bang Theory (my favorite sitcom ever) hasn't managed to do.

"The Story of the 50" gives us the reason why Schmidt is forced to put $50 in the Douchebag Jar (welcome back, dear dear friend!), and it all comes down to his 29th birthday party. And saying this was probably the best episode since the pilot doesn't seem to much to me. After all, you really can't get it wrong when you focus most of the action on Schmidt and even more so when the entire half hour is an homage of sorts to his douchiness. My personal favorite is above, though I have to put the dumb hat in there too. And let's not forget about the reason he had to up his contribution to the jar: trying to kiss Jess! It's clear this guy will try it with any woman who shows him any sort of attention. And it's his issues that make his character so funny, much like another "bro" I've grown to love over the years, though this particular season I kind of hate him.
Despite being a Schmidt's 29th episode, everyone had their chance to shine - even Winston, though his screen time was somewhat limited. The loft dynamics are getting better and better, with Jess taking a more prominent role in the guys' lives and convincing everyone to throw Schmidt a party. And how cool was that bus? I totally want one for my 29th, which is not all that far away. If my friends are reading this, please take notes!
Lizzy Caplan guest stars as Nick's new romantic interest and I'm glad the Jess/Nick paring has been left aside for the moment, though I really really really want them to get together in the end, if she can't be with Justin Long's character. And the first thought I had when she popped on the screen next to Nick's jury duty pants was man, this girl looks a lot like Zooey Deschanel! Maybe they're trying to point out Nick's feelings for Jess by having him hook up with a replica of hers.
And what about "We Built This Schmidty", huh? Do we think it's going to become a hit?New Girl 1x09: The 23rd Back to Season 1