Winston Schmidt from New Girl is all that a roommate shouldn’t be, but he’s also fiercely loyal to his friends. It’s hard to describe Schmidt’s oddities and quirks, simply because there are a lot of them. While he is too picky about some aspects of lifestyle and hygiene, he’s also the least self-aware person on the show.
Schmidt is also especially bad with women, which is hysterical only because he has too much unearned confidence and may just be too delusional for his own good. But despite all his awkwardness, he is still one of the most reliable friends and a loving partner, although he has had some really bad moments. Here are all the times fans felt sorry for Schmidt and all the times they hated him.
Felt Sorry: When He Couldn’t Fit In With A Younger Crowd
Schmidt’s new neighbors are a group of young polyamorous youngsters and he desperately wants to fit into their friend circle. Not only does he try too hard, but he also tags Jess along and makes a fool out of himself. Funnily enough, they end up getting along with Jess but do not warm up to Schmidt. It’s particularly hard on Schmidt who’s not too comfortable with the idea of getting older and actually thinks he is in poor health, owing to some cleverly timed, elaborate pranks orchestrated by Nick to make him feel old.
Hated Him: His Day 1 Behavior
Any woman would dread having Schmidt as a roommate and what’s weird is that Schmidt made no effort to hide his obnoxiousness when Jess met him and the guys for the first time. Jess was in a really vulnerable space as she had just been through a nasty breakup and was about to move in with three strangers. Schmidt not only made her feel uncomfortable, but also took his shirt off to flirt with her. He also did the same thing when he met Cece for the first time, and when it comes to first impressions, Schmidt really has no chill.
Felt Sorry: When Cece Was Embarrassed Of Him
Cece had made it very obvious that she was embarrassed of being seen with Schmidt, let alone actually dating him. It’s possible that Cece believed that she was out of his league and her attraction to Schmidt stemmed from a sense of self-loathing.
But none of that makes up for how she treated Schmidt initially. She would make him wait in her car when she would go to a party, and would drop him blocks away from his apartment just so none of their friends would catch them together, and for Schmidt, it was very humiliating.
Hated Him: He Had The Weirdest Pick-Up Lines
Schmidt’s pick-up lines are borderline sexist and also really weird. Not only do they not help him out with women but they actually alienate him, and it’s a wonder he never picked up on the clues. In fact, his attempts to flatter his partners are also quite ill-conceived. Remember when he said, 'I’m a squirrel. You’re my nut. Winter’s coming. I’m gonna store you in my cheek girl!”? Or when he actually referred to his relationship with Cece as having ‘Indian food every night’? Cringe!
Felt Sorry: When He Wanted A Birthday Party Bus
Hiring a party bus unironically, for a 29th birthday may be deemed as pathetic or even quite juvenile, but this was obviously Schmidt’s attempt at clinging to his sense of youth.
And fans related to this phase of his life since everyone dreads turning 30, and Schmidt even opened up about how it was his last hurrah and once he turns 30, it’s going to be ‘all darkness.’ It was obvious that the party bus was more of a statement for him and his way of coping with the fact that he was growing older.
Hated Him: His Outrageous Styling Habits
Schmidt clearly had the wildest and the most colorful closet in the entire apartment, but sometimes his rants about his sculpting chutney and his ‘good peacoat’ were too much. Schmidt’s take on manhood was definitely refreshing, and fans connected with him when he said, “Manhood today is about exfoliation, cheese courses, emotional honesty, and Paxil.” But he also had some really outrageous numbers in his closet and beauty cabinet, like a shark-skin laptop sleeve, croquette cleats, a kimono robe, personalized condoms.
Felt Sorry: When He Realized he Had Been Sharing A Towel With Nick
Schmidt and Nick may be BFFs, but they are on the opposite ends of the hygiene spectrum. Nick barely changes his clothes while Schmidt has a different kind of hair conditioner for each day. So, it was a personal horror for Schmidt when it found out that he and Nick had been sharing a towel for many months. To make things worse, Nick revealed that he didn’t believe in the idea of ‘washing’ towels. Moreover, Nick also revealed to Schmidt that he often borrows underwear from his roommates without asking.
Hated Him: When He Flashed Jess And Her Friends
Schmidt majorly lacks self-awareness, and that often makes people around him uncomfortable. To top it off, he is too proud of his body and given a choice would probably live to choose without his clothes in his apartment.
Once when Cece and Sadie were visiting Jess in her apartment, and Schmidt was just coming out of a shower, he flashed the women. And though he covered himself up, he was obviously not sorry as he ranted to them saying, “I thought getting a girl roommate would mean sex all the time.”
Felt Sorry: When He Broke Jess’ Hutch
Schmidt can be quite territorial and he’s very particular about the way he wants things. Nick and Winston have always let him have his way since he does the majority of the chores anyway, but Jess obviously wanted things to be a little different. So, when she brings home a pinewood hutch home, Schmidt is livid, especially since she found it on the street. As a way of getting even with Jess for the changes she’s making in the apartment, Schmidt actually pushes the hutch, so it falls and breaks.
Hated Him: Inappropriate With His Boss
Schmidt has had a complicated relationship with each of his female bosses, be it Kim, Gina or Emma. Besides being involved in inappropriate workplace romances which could definitely get him in trouble, Schmidt has also had a hard time reading the vibe of each of his bosses. Like that time when Kim asked him to sort her files and he thought she was using this as a metaphor and actually wanted him to make a move. His behavior stems from the fact that Schmidt problematically believes that almost every woman is attracted to him.