Though he's more of a supporting player than a main character in a lot of New Girl episodes, Winston Bishop is definitely a fan favorite. That's partly because in a program where the characters get into increasingly ridiculous situations, Winston is usually the most level-headed, and one of the most relatable of the group.
Winston enters the series looking for a stable job, reunites with his oldest friends, and finds love. His arc is the path many adults hope to have, so it's no wonder that so many fans appreciate him. These particular moments are some of his most relatable.
Winston Wonders If He And Schmidt Are Even Friends
Winston becomes friends with Nick as a young child in Chicago. When Nick goes to college, he becomes friends with Schmidt. The two only initially interact because of Nick.
That causes Winston and Schmidt to wonder, many years later, if they're even really friends. It's a valid question to have for two people when they think the only thing they have in common is a common acquaintance. Of course, Schmidt and Winston do discover that they're friends, even if they've never really acknowledged it in the past.
He Is Initially Startled By Jess
When Winston first meets Jess Day, it's not under the best circumstances, and he doesn't understand her. In fact, he doesn't really want anything to do with her and doesn't understand why Schmidt and Nick both seem so attached to her already.
Of course, Winston has a perfectly good reason to not be charmed by Jess. She barges into his bedroom after his first night back in the loft with breakfast and a loud song. That would be nice if Winston wasn't suffering from jet lag and a hangover after flying in the night before and drinking until early in the morning with Nick.
He Tries To Impress His Boss
When Winston first moves back to the U.S., it's because his basketball is over. He needs a new job, and he goes through a lot of temporary occupations before he starts working as an assistant for a sports radio host. Unfortunately, the radio host is not the boss Winston thinks he'll be and Winston has a really rough time.
He goes out of his way to impress the other man, no matter how bad his job gets. The job really isn't a good fit for him, but who hasn't tried to impress their boss in an effort to stay in their good graces? When Winston finally stands up for himself and goes after a different position at the radio station, he grows up a little bit.
Winston Is Terrible At Puzzles
Everyone can't be good at everything. That doesn't mean they can't love things, or have hobbies, and not be great at them.
For Winston, that hobby is puzzles. He is truly terrible at them, not even realizing that the picture he's putting together is already on the box. That doesn't stop him from enjoying the process of putting the pieces together. Everyone needs a hobby they can just enjoy.
He Falls For Aly After Being Told Not To
When Winston and Aly become partners on the police force, Aly is a little standoffish with him, and he can't stand it. Winston discovers that's because her last partner had feelings for her and it didn't work out. The two agree that they shouldn't be anything more than partners. Winston even promises as much.
Of course, as soon as he does, Winston starts noticing all of the things he really likes about Aly. It's human nature that as soon as someone's told they can't have or do something, it tempts them more. Luckily for Winston, it turns out Aly has feelings for him too.
Winston Has Trouble Finding A Job He Loves
When Winston jumps from job to job throughout the show, it's not because he's bad at the jobs, or even because he gets fired. It's because he wants to do something he loves.
No one wants to be unfulfilled in their career. Winston doesn't just want to work to pay his bills, but to truly enjoy it. It takes him a while to find his calling, but when he does, he's all in on becoming a police officer.
He Just Wants To Sleep In On A Saturday
When Winston gets his own radio show for a while, he works late nights and sleeps during the day. He just wants the chance to sleep in on the one day of the week when no one has to be up early. He doesn't get that chance when Cece and Jess are fighting and Nick is busy trying to keep two of his recent overnight guests away from one another.
In one of Winston's best bits of dialogue in the series, he takes control of the situation and gives a speech in character as his imaginary self, Theodore K. Mullins. It's dramatic and a little ridiculous, but it gets his point across and gets him so quiet.
Winston Doesn't Want Schmidt To Date His Sister
One thing that is common in relationships in sitcoms (and young adult novels) is that if a character has a sibling near their age, someone in their friend group will date them. It's not the most original of ideas, and if one of the characters' friends is someone like Schmidt, who hooks up with everyone, it's probably not an idea that character would like.
That's why the audience can't fault Winston for attempting to block Schmidt's every effort to get close to his sister. Winston's sister only makes a single appearance in the series, and the audience, like Winston, is glad Schmidt doesn't end up dating her.
He Wants His Proposal To Be Perfect
In real life, as in the sitcom world, wedding proposals are a big deal. The person doing the proposing wants them to be memorable. Winston is no exception.
He plans an epic series of events that will lead up to his proposal to Aly. Unfortunately, his plan gets a little derailed when Aly comes right out and tells him she thinks they should get married. Winston ends up having to skip several steps in his plan, but he still manages to make the proposal memorable for her.
Winston Is Very Competitive
Winston loves to win. There can be a downside to this, like Winston treating Jess' students badly when he helps them with their bell concert. There is also a more entertaining and fun side to this for Winston though.
Winston's competitive nature means he's all in on playing True American. It also means that no matter how bad he is at pranking, he never gives up. Even the least competitive audience members can understand Winston wanting to one-up his roommates once in a while.