Here comes the bride… and the season 5 finale of New Girl—which sees Schmidt and Cece finally getting married. The day is full of mishaps—it wouldn't be the show we've come to know and love without them — but the couple do make it to the altar and it's VERY emotional. "Can we get married?" Cece asks her to-be after a whirlwind day, to which Schmidt responds, "I don't think that I can wait another second." (Grab some tissues, everyone.)
The two concluding episodes are very much about the wedding, but there's plenty that happens beyond the couple and their nuptials. Namely, True American makes a comeback, as do familiar faces like Coach (Damon Wayans Jr.), Big Mama P (Anna George), and Reagan (Megan Fox). There's also a ton of romantic developments (there were in the last couple episodes but this is a whole other level!), and so much more, in true finale fashion.
Here are the top 5 "loft"-iest moments from "Wedding Eve" and "Landing Gear".
True American. It's been too long since we've seen the loftees play True American, the drinking game loosely about American politics that doesn't seem to have any clear rules. This go around is First Ladies edition, so shouts of "Mary Todd Lincoln's sanitarium" and "Nancy Reagan's gun closet" soon followed. It was, perhaps, a bit reckless for the group to get hammered the night before the wedding, as indicated by Schmidt's inability to spell his own name. He starts with "S" then goes to "jeans," but soon notes "jeans" is not a letter; "jeans" are pants. (Though, in his extreme inebriation, he spoke of how all he wants to do is make Cece happy, an idea that helped him rewrite his wedding vows, which were goners after Schmidt's wedding flash drive was stepped on.) The game was proposed when a panicky Jess thought Sam was actually going to propose—and the game officially kicked off when Cece pulled her "Bride Card." You have to do what the bride says. The game eventually brings Sam and Jess into a room alone, and he tells her "I want to break up" just as she says "I can't marry you." YIKES. But the breakup ends up being a good thing because it helps Jess face her feelings about Nick.
The return of Coach, Big Mama P, and Reagan. Mid-True American, Coach appears! There'd been a good amount of jokes and references made about him throughout the season (like when Jess and Cece got really high and couldn't remember where he'd gone), but there's nothing like having him actually there, especially while donning a beer can crown and pillows on his shoes. Then there was the return of Big Mama P, Cece's mother. At the beginning of the season, she said she wouldn't support Schmidt and Cece's marriage so it was really looking like she wouldn't show up for the wedding, which is why Schmidt took off on a plane to convince her to come (mind you, he did this ON THE DAY OF THEIR WEDDING!!). Turns out, Big Mama P didn't need more convincing. Schmidt had been leaving her messages every Monday for the past year, talking about how much and why he loves Cece, so she shows up and announces that she's "delighted" by the marriage. Lastly, there's Reagan, whom Nick invited as his guest, but she declined the invite—she clearly changed her mind about attending, and has a new perspective about a future with Nick as well. But it's not all fun reunions, as Schmidt is stuck on a plane, so Cece, Jess, and the crew need to entertain the guests…
Another Winston prank gone wrong. The group keeps the champagne flowing and flowing and flowing, but the crowd can only drink for so long—they need a new diversion, and Jess decides it's got to be a good ol' Winston prank. "Listen to me you bird-shirted puzzle baby, you get out there and do something totally idiotic," she demands. Earlier in the episode, Winston announced there'd be no prank. Coach asked if something would be going down, but Winston said he's more serious now, a changed man because of Aly. No prank is probably for the best—you'll recall the badger incident at Cece's previous nuptials, and that time Winston got married as a joke… But as a viewer, the pranks are great, so what a relief it was to hear Winston cave to Jess. He decides to take it ALL off and streak through the crowd. He gets the call that the prank is off when Big Mama P arrives, but he's already stark naked in the porta-potty and then accidentally drops his clothes and phone in the toilet. What follows is Winston going through the crowd wearing a toilet paper diaper of sorts, hiding out in the photobooth and mooning the camera, and eventually wearing the photobooth curtain as a kind of toga, because as a bridesman and groomsman, he had to be there for the big day.
Schmidt and Cece's wedding. So we've gotten to a lot of the crazy things that went down at and surrounding the wedding. To add to that, Schmidt never actually made it. He was stuck on the tarmac for hours, so he told Cece to party without him, which she did but she video-chatted him into the festivities—and he, simultaneously, partied on the plane. When he finally made it back to the loft, a small ceremony awaited him, and the pair actually tied the knot. How perfect is it that they got married in the loft, and that the glass Schmidt broke is the douchebag jar? I definitely shed a tear (okay, blubbered—I won't lie), and I doubt I'm alone in that because the moment was so sweet and such a long time coming. The wedding had its imperfections, sure, but those imperfections made the day memorable, and everything came together in the end. It was perfect (and shoutout to Cece's dress).
New feelings realized, and some confessed. Let's start with Winston and Aly, who admitted they love each other, which was so sweet even if it happened while Aly was very sick with food poisoning. Then there's Schmidt's mom, Louise (Nora Dunn), and "her friend," Susan (Kim Wayans). Schmidt has a hard time accepting the pair as a couple, but does once he discovers that his mom intends on proposing to Susan—he sees, now, that she is going to stick around. But it is this proposal, precisely that led to the trouble with Sam and Jess. Jess found Susan's engagement ring and assumed it was from Sam for her, but it turns out the ring accidentally ended up in his pocket. Anyway, they break up because Sam wants to be with Diane, and Sam tells Jess that Nick is why she couldn't marry him; Jess disregards the theory from "Dr. Dick" at first, but does later realize it to be true just as Reagan and Nick decide to give "the big 'R,'" otherwise known as a relationship, a try. Even worse, Nick is heading to New Orleans for three months to be with Reagan while she's there for a job. So outlook not so good for the fan-favorite couple, but creator Liz Meriwether did say that "the door is not totally shut" on Jess and Nick, and the show was recently renewed for a sixth season…
Honorable Mentions:
- Tran's return for Schmidt and Cece's rehearsal dinner.
- Winston talking about "dead tongues" to get Schmidt and Cece to stop kissing.
- Jess' kit to help Cece with wedding eve emotions, which includes Xanax and a picture of a cat riding a dog like a horse.
- "You've got power," Jess says of Cece's final hours as a bride, suggesting she milk it while she can. "Wield it."
- Schmidt's tan from wearing his wedding flash drive around his neck.
- The "Bride or Die" blanket that Jess knitted for Cece.
- EVERYONE has hooked up in Jess' room, including Louise and Susan.
- Nick's inability to lie about Schmidt's whereabouts; his inflections are all over the place.
- Schmidt threatening to sing Les Miz to get off the plane.
- "That's a working class butt," May says, looking at one of Winston's photobooth pics. "Nothing wrong with that."
- Winston pranking Schmidt and Cece by hiding in the sand in between their chairs on the beach, and popping out to scare them. Finally, a prank gone right.
Well readers, that's a wrap on season 5. Hit us with your thoughts on the finale, and expectations for what's ahead (it's just a matter of time before Jess and Nick get back together, right?). Until season 6…
