New Girl introduced viewers to Nick Miller, who went from being a bartender and the laziest resident of the loft to a best-selling author ready to settle down – but how old was he through the series? New Girl is a sitcom created by Elizabeth Meriwether and which made its debut on Fox in 2011, coming to an end in 2018 after seven seasons. The series was very well received from the beginning, with critics praising the performances of the main cast, particularly those of Max Greenfield and Jake Johnson.
New Girl followed Jess Day (Zooey Deschanel), a young, bubbly teacher who after discovering her boyfriend cheating on her, moved into a loft with three strangers she found on the internet. After a period of adjustment with many ups and downs, Jess ended up being very close to her roommates Schmidt (Greenfield), Nick Miller (Johnson), and Winston (Lamorne Morris), with her best friend Cece (Hannah Simone) also joining the fun. Jess grew especially close to Nick, with whom she had an on-again, off-again relationship throughout the series, but ultimately married him and had a family with him, as shown in the series finale’s flash-forward. Nick changed a lot throughout the show, and by the end of New Girl, he was a lot more mature than in the first season but without losing his sarcastic personality.
Nick became a fan favorite thanks to his realistic and wisecracking personality, which many viewers found to be relatable. The characters in New Girl resonated with the audience thanks to them going through all types of obstacles in their personal and professional lives and the series being focused on young adults rather than on teenagers, unlike most sitcoms at the time. In Nick Miller’s case, his birthday is listed as September 29, 1981, and as each season of New Girl is set on the year it was released (except season 7, which had a time jump of three years), Nick was 30 years old at the beginning of the series, and by the end of it, he was 39. While this fits the character’s development and the series in general, there’s one detail that created a plot hole in Nick’s history: Schmidt’s age.
In New Girl season 1, Nick told Paul (Jess’ boyfriend at the time, played by Justin Long) that he was 30 years old, which matches the year the season is set in and the above mentioned birth date, and a few episodes later Schmidt turned 29. In season 2, however, Nick claimed Schmidt is six months older than him, which completely messes with his age, as it would be impossible for him to be 30 before Schmidt even turned 29. Now, Schmidt’s birthday is listed as July 17, 1982, meaning he’s younger than Nick, just like in season 1, and thus making their ages all the more confusing. In terms of personality, it makes more sense that Schmidt is the oldest, even if just by six months, as he’s the most responsible one not only between him and Nick but out of everyone in the loft, and was often looking to motivate Nick and help him become a much more productive and responsible person.
Thankfully, and though it seemed like he was going to be stuck like that forever, Nick went through some much-needed character development and finally overcame his laziness, becoming a best-selling author and a family man. The plot hole created by Nick’s age is not one that affects New Girl nor the character’s arcs, but it can be confusing when taking a closer look at the lives of the residents of the famous apartment 4D.