There's no question that New Girl is a comedy. The sitcom produces a lot of laughs in its 146 episodes. One of the hallmarks of the series, however, is that underneath all of the pranks, jokes, and outlandish situations is a lot of heart.
That very real heart can lead to a lot of emotional storylines in the series. Characters take breakups and goodbyes hard, and that came make for some surprisingly emotional episodes as well.
S1E15 Injured
This season one episode is one of the earliest times in the show that a serious topic gets tackled. In this case, there's a real possibility that Nick Miller has cancer, and it's not something he wants to deal with, despite the worry of his friends.
The circumstances force the characters to get real with one another, prompted by Nick snapping at Jess and the gang's rendition of "The Saddest Song In The World." There are plenty of great-one liners to balance out the worry and sadness of Nick potentially being sick, and in the end, everything, of course, turns out okay.
S1E24 See Ya
The season finale of the very first season has all of the elements that make New Girl great: humor, heart, hints at where different relationships are going, and a little bit of dancing. It follows the roommates when Nick decides to move in with his old girlfriend Caroline, prompting all of his friends to try to convince him that it's a bad idea.
While Schmidt and Winston eventually come around and decide to let him make his own mistake, Jess properly freaks out about it in much the same way Nick does, forcing them all to spend a night in the desert with his moving truck. This episode isn't a tear-jerker, but it's the kind of episode that leaves the audience with those warm and fuzzy feelings when Nick does return to the loft at the end after all, announcing his arrival with a mix tape he made as a teenager.
S2E20 Chicago
Nick and his father have a horrible relationship. In fact, Nick's relationship with his father is part of what defines his relationships with everyone around him. Though he and his dad attempt to reconnect earlier in the series, Nick is left without any sort of closure when his father dies, which is part of what makes this episode so emotional.
Nick and all of his roommates go to Chicago for Walt's funeral, but Nick also has to plan the funeral, leaving his friends to worry about him. When he goes missing right before the service, drinking himself into an unintelligible state and picking up another barfly to impersonate Elvis, Jake Johnson does some of his best work as Nick Miller. The audience's heart really breaks for Nick when he tries to eulogize the father he couldn't get along with, but also soars when Jess dons the Elvis costume to give Walt his proper musical send-off.
S3E03 Double Date
While Nick and Jess are dating, they try to go on a double date with Cece and Schmidt. Things take a turn for the worse when Nick finds out Schmidt never broke up with Elizabeth and immediately tells Jess.
Despite the episode being hilarious when Winston attempts to save them all a table at a trendy new restaurant and the couples try to race to the venue before one another, it's the anticipation of Cece finally getting the truth from her boyfriend that leaves the audience on the edge of their seats. When Schmidt struggles to tell her the truth in the middle of the restaurant, the audience empathizes with Cece's heartbreak, but still can't help but feel badly for Schmidt.
S3E20 Mars Landing
An epic game of True American occurs, but it's too bad that the audience doesn't get to see more than 60 seconds of it. It would have tempered the emotional blow of this episode. Hungover from the night before, and struggling to get ready for a toddler's birthday, Nick and Jess argue about every little thing until they realize they just can't stay together anymore.
In the world of sitcoms, fans know that couples will likely break up and make up more than once in the lifetime of the show. That doesn't make it any easier to watch when Jess and Nick struggle to say goodbye to one another and come together for one last hug at the end of the 22 minutes.
S3E21 Big News
"Big News" and "Mars Landing" are really best watched back-t0-back in the age of binging. It's just as heartbreaking watching Nick and Jess struggle to pretend they're fine while Cece and Schmidt cover for them as it is to watch them break up. Top it off with everyone trying to get through a honey roast for Winston when he officially becomes a police officer, and you have a recipe for laughs and tears.
It's, again, the final scenes of the episode that break the audience's heart. Jess sobs on the couch watching Dirty Dancing and Nick calls to check on her from their formerly shared bedroom before tossing her a box of tissues from the hall.
S4E22 Clean Break
Since Coach spends less time in apartment 4D, he doesn't often get the spotlight. When he does here, it's because he's leaving for good, moving to New York to be with his girlfriend May.
Coach intends to make a "clean break," not taking anything of emotional significance with him. Eventually, he breaks down to Winston when he realizes how hard it is to leave all of his friends again. Coach's leaving also prompts Schmidt to evaluate the mementos he keeps of his relationship with Cece, which leads to a very different emotional scene in the episode. The two don't even officially get back together before he proposes to her, giving the audience just as many happy tears as sad ones for this finale.
S5E22 Landing Gear
"Landing Gear" is bittersweet. There are just as many happy tears as there are heart stopping moments to set up the next season.
It's in this finale that Cece and Schmidt are finally going to walk down the aisle - except for the fact that Schmidt gets stuck on a plane trying to get Cece's mother to come to the wedding. He doesn't get to have the wedding of his dreams, but he and Cece do get married in the loft where their whole relationship started.
At the other end of the relationship spectrum, Jess admits to herself that she still has feelings for Nick, but he's ready to be in a relationship with Reagan. Jess becomes instrumental in making that happen, even though she breaks her own heart in the process.
S6E22 Five Stars For Beezus
The season six finale could have worked as the series finale. This is the episode where we really know the characters have grown up as Cece finds out she's going to have a baby (something she spent all of the second season wanting) and Jess prepares to leave the loft for good to give Nick the space to have a real relationship with Reagan.
It's also the episode, however, in which Nick gets a book deal and realizes that what he wants in life is to spend it with Jess. The final moments of the episode pay off their relationship struggles for six seasons as Nick admits that he's been in love with her from the moment he first saw her.
S7E08 Engram Pattersky
It's true that most series finales are emotional for fans. They're saying goodbye to the characters they've grown to love over several years. New Girl allows fans to say goodbye as Jess and Nick, with the help of all of their friends and a game of True American, pack up the loft for the last time.
There are flashbacks to Schmidt and Nick first moving into the apartment and flash forwards to the families the characters will have in the future. Of course, the ending also provides a nice laugh for the audience as Winston pulls off one truly perfect prank.