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The friendships on New Girl are just as important to the series as the romantic relationships. The show wouldn’t be what it is without the unique dynamics of the central friend group, both as a whole and within different pairings. Some friendships on the show are more expected, like Cece (Hannah Simone) and Jess (Zooey Deschanel), and are there from the beginning to the end of the series. Others kind of appear out of nowhere, like Nick (Jake Johnson) and Tran (Ralph Ahn), and yet it’s hard to imagine the show without them.
New Girl is a great reminder at how important it is to let comedies explore relationships both within and outside of the core friend group. It’s one thing to see how the characters get along as a whole, but pairing people off who may or may not have much in common initially is an entirely different beast – how else would we get the classic Winston and Cece mess around?
Looking back at the memorable friendships found in New Girl, here are some of the series’ best pairings.
Nick and Tran
Though they may not always speak with words, the friendship between Nick and Tran transcends the need for verbal communication. Somehow, against all odds, these two found each other and forged a bond so deep that they’re able to understand each other on a spiritual level. Tran may not be a regular member of the larger friend group, but he and Nick complement each other so well that it’s such a joy to see him the few times he appears throughout the series. Even though Tran doesn’t consider Nick to be his best friend, at least according to his granddaughter, Tran is still there to help Nick whenever he needs him.
Cece and Winston
Cece and Winston’s (Lamorne Morris) friendship isn’t one that you’d expect – if Jess had never answered that Craigslist ad, Winston and Cece likely would have never even crossed paths with each other. But that’s why this friendship is one of the series’ best. Winston’s name for their hangouts, the “Winston and Cece mess around,” was first coined in the season 4 episode “Micro,” but hints of their budding friendship can be found in earlier seasons. Winston and Cece become such close friends over the course of the series that he becomes one of her bridesmaids rather than a groomsman for Schmidt (Max Greenfield), who he’s arguably known for way longer.
Their friendship began as a random C-plot of an episode, but evolved into so much more because the series had room to explore it. The odds of a friendship like theirs happening in a comedy today isn’t super high, which makes it all the more special.
Nick and Schmidt
Nick and Schmidt’s bromance is one of the major friendships that holds this show together, despite the fact that they are almost total opposites. Nick is chaos personified while Schmidt is extremely Type A – but that’s part of why their friendship works so well. The former college roommates have been through a lot together, and understand each other on a deeper level than most. They may not always be the best at communicating how they feel to each other (ex. The cookie incident), but even as they find partners, get married, and move away from each other over the course of the series, it’s clear that they’ll be friends for life.
Jess and Cece
Jess and Cece’s friendship is one of the oldest and deepest in the series – they grew up in Portland together and have been friends since they were kids. Even though their lives take greatly diverging paths after they move to LA, with Cece becoming a model and Jess becoming a teacher, there’s not much that can get in the way of their friendship. After Jess moves into the loft, Cece is a much needed voice of reason at times as Jess gets pulled further and further into their shenanigans, but at the same time, they all help Cece loosen up and have fun outside of her more uptight model friends. Jess and Cece are the true definition of ride or die, and the series wouldn’t be the same without them.
Winston and Furguson
There’s no way to make a list about the friendships on New Girl without mentioning Winston and Furguson (as himself). Winston and Furguson didn’t always get along. The cat began as a reminder of his cheating girlfriend, who would often leave the cat in Winston’s care while she was seeing other guys. But after growing close to Furguson, Winston insists on keeping him in the breakup, and even treats the cat like his son. Winston takes his duties as cat dad a little too seriously at times, which makes for some hilarious moments throughout the series, such as Winston trying to set Furguson up on a date with another cat before getting neutered and trying to get him into acting.
There’s no way to gauge exactly how Furguson feels about this friendship, he is a cat after all, but considering the fact that Winston throws an entire funeral for him after his passing, it’s clear that Winston really cared for his furry pal.
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