Love them or hate them, Nick Miller and Jessica Day are one of the character pairings that drive the storylines of New Girl. Before they ever get together, it's their growing friendship that makes a lot of the storylines really soar.
For those who examine the couple closely, however, it's evident that Nick and Jess were always going to end up together. From the chemistry between the actors to the hints of how much they care about one another from the very start of the show, Nick and Jess fans can point to plenty of scenes - and entire episodes - that telegraphed their fate.
Nick Helps Her Get Over Spencer
By the time the second episode of the series airs, Jess has been living with Cece, and then at the loft, for weeks. She's too apprehensive to return to the house she shared with Spencer to get the rest of her belongings. Though Cece has clearly encouraged her to move on, and the guys encourage her in the pilot as well, it's not until Nick helps Jess tap into her anger that she's able to return to the scene of the breakup.
Audience members will catch the surprise and interest in Cece's expression when she watches Nick Miller of all people figure out a way to motivate Jess to return to Spencer's house. To be fair, Nick wants a working television and Jess broke it, but he's also the only one who is able to get through to her.
Nick Is The First To Sing To Her
Music becomes a big part of New Girl. From Jess making up her own theme song to Darlene Love appearing for a Christmas musical number, the show has fun with music. That all starts in the first episode.
Also in the first episode is Jess' new roommates realizing that she's getting stood up on her first date since Spencer cheated on her. It's Nick who decides they need to go tell her and cheer her up. It's also Nick who breaks into song with "(I've Had) The Time Of My Life" from Jess' favorite movie in the middle of the restaurant - and gets Coach and Schmidt to sing along. If fans hadn't already picked up on their chemistry at that point, that scene might have clued them in.
Julia Feels Threatened By Jess
In the first season, it takes some struggles before Nick is ready to start dating again after Caroline and Jess is ready to start dating again after Spencer. Both of them see some tension in their first significant relationships.
In Nick's case, he starts dating a lawyer named Julia who Jess thinks just doesn't like her. Though the two become friendly eventually, it's made clear during one of their chats that it's not that Julia doesn't like Jess; it's that Julia thinks her relationship is threatened by Jess. When she tells Jess about the differences between the two of them during an argument, she also mentions that Nick will "go back" to Jess, even though Nick and Jess have never dated. Whether consciously or not, Julia worries that there's something between the two of them not too long after meeting Jess.
Paul Feels Threatened By Nick
Just like the situation with Julia, when Jess invites her coworker (and crush) Paul to spend Thanksgiving at the loft, there's definitely some tension between Nick and Paul. The difference is that Nick makes it very obvious that he doesn't like Paul, and Jess desperately wants Nick to approve of Paul for a reason she can't identify, and Nick calls her out on it.
Of course, Paul also comes straight out and asks Jess if she and Nick ever dated. She acts like she finds the question ridiculous, but it's also not the first time someone has brought up the idea, so her surprise is a little unwarranted. Paul becomes her first significant boyfriend in a post-Spencer world, but Nick never warms up to him the way the other roommates do.
Jess Impersonates Elvis For Nick
Jess is the kind of person who will do just about anything for the people she cares about. In this instance, however, she goes above and beyond. She's only known Nick and their other roommates for about a year and only meets Nick's father once before Walt Miller dies. Not only does she accompany Nick and their roommates to Chicago for Walt's funeral, but she becomes actively involved in making sure the service is perfect in an emotional episode.
Winston and Schmidt are too caught up in their own issues at the funeral to notice how hard of a time Nick and his mother are having. When Nick doesn't get the Elvis impersonator his mom thinks is needed for the service, but a drunk man from the bar, Jess steps in. She suits up and sings, giving Nick time to sober up and Nick's family a moment to remember Walt for the man he was.
Nick Resists Jess Moving In
Going way back to the pilot episode again, Nick is on the fence about Jess moving in. He's not sure it's a good idea, which might not seem like evidence in the couple's favor but it is when changes made to the pilot episode are taken into account. In the original script, Nick had no problem with her moving in at all, so his resistance has to be for a reason.
Of course, later in the series, it's also revealed that Nick's reluctance is because he's attracted to him from the first time he sees her.
They Accidentally Go On A Date
When Jess starts a relationship with Sam, it's supposed to be a purely physical one. He doesn't want to go on dates, so she calls on her roommates to help her have date nights without actually dating Sam.
That results in all of them agreeing to go to dinner with Jess, but Winston and Schmidt backing out at the last minute. Jess and Nick enjoy overpriced dinner and her thermos of white wine alone, and it definitely looks like a date, though neither of them acknowledges it at the time. Nick eventually has to tell Jess he can't be her surrogate boyfriend.
Nick Pushes Himself To Be Better For Jess
Nick easily confesses that he's a mess - that he's not dependable in relationships. In fact, he once tells Jess that he's the kind of guy a woman finds herself spending more time with until she meets the person she should spend the rest of her life with. That's not entirely true when he's with Jess.
Nick, "not a planner," plans a massive birthday surprise for Jess because he knows how much expectation she has about the day. He opens a bank account after their argument about his finances. Nick takes several small steps, when they're dating and when they're not, to be more of a grown-up because of her influence.
Schmidt Tries To Break Them Up
When Nick and Jess first get together in the second season, their relationship seems ill-conceived. They're roommates who could ruin their friendship - and the friendships they have with their other roommates if their relationship ends poorly. In fact, it seems like it's only a matter of time before their relationship will end since they can't agree on anything.
That's why it's significant that Schmidt tries to break up his best friends. Even though he's unhappy, and he claims that they'll eventually crash and burn, he still actively tries to sabotage their relationship. Schmidt believes that they're strong enough together that he'll have to actually force a break-up.
The Events Of Cece Crashes
The season one episode "Cece Crashes" might as well be 22 minutes of foreshadowing. When Jess brings Cece back to the loft to stay, Cece immediately takes over. When Cece's been drinking, it's clear that Jess is jealous of the attention that Cece pays Nick, but also clear that Nick isn't interested.
When Cece reveals to Jess that she thinks Nick is interested in Jess as more than a roommate, it messes with Jess' head, but it's a sign of things to come. She's also spot on by labeling Nick as Jess's ideal man - a young Walter Matthau type from Grumpy Old Men.