Alright, I’ll admit it — no one knows how to throw a better Thanksgiving dinner party than Schmidt. Tuesday night’s episode of New Girl “Thanksgiving IV” saw these merry band of loftmates (and Cece) come together for what has to be the greatest fictional holiday I’ve ever heard of outside of Galentine’s Day, of course. Schmidt figured that since everyone was currently single, it seemed appropriate to turn Thanksgiving into Bangsgiving. (And no, I’m not referring to a Jessica Day-themed haircut.) Basically, the gang was instructed to draw one another's names out of a Pilgrim hat (aka the only logical way for decisions to ever be made) and whoever's name they picked, is who they needed to bring a date for in order to get laid. A little bang to go with your bird, if you catch my drift. Like I said, best fictional holiday ever.
Obviously, in true Turkey Day fashion, complete chaos ensued. Cece accidentally brought an old flame of Nick’s to be Schmidt’s date, which fell under a direct violation of the bro statute of limitations they set up because apparently Nick has not showered a thousand times in three years. (Can't say I'm that surprised.) So, in retaliation, Nick did the unthinkable: he flirted with Cece, which led to a full-on Nick and Schmidt brawl. Did I mention that Bangsgiving is the greatest fictional holiday ever? Because I really can’t stress that enough.
Seriously though, this episode packed a comedic punch that I haven’t seen from New Girl in quite some time. Sure, it’s always pretty entertaining given that these characters are downright lovable, and Season 4 has certainly improved on its numerous Season 3 flaws. But this week the show really upped its game and I honestly think it had to do with the fact that everyone was really taking the chance to revel in the single life.
I mean, most of the time we get so caught up in their love lives that we rarely get to fully appreciate their unique individualities that make them the comedic gold that they are. Like using a historic holiday to hook up with strangers — that's classic New Girl hijinks and I've missed it. But just like all great things, it must come to an end — a fact that was made abundantly clear when both Nick and Jess took a big step in a relationship direction… just not with each other, unfortunately.
Jess finally had sex with Ryan, which will inevitably lead to a full scale relationship, while Nick laid eyes on his buddy Tran's granddaughter, who looked more than interested in catching a ride on the Miller express. (We've all been there.) And then there's Schmidt and Cece, who spent the evening playing board games with each other right after revealing that they're on each other's "never" list, meaning they will never give their friends permission to hook up with either of them, statute of limitations rule be damned.
So yeah, the single life may always just be temporary with these characters, but it sure is fun to watch those rare moments play out on-screen. Because, in my opinion, this show is at its best when it focuses more on the friendships and less on the flames.
Images: Ray Mickshaw/FOX; a-little-blonde-distraction/Tumblr
