Top 10 Times Nick and Schmidt Were BFF Goals

What pair of friends HASN’T had the idea of some dumb business venture/band/insert usually unattainable, thing here? For Nick and Schmidt, it was the Swuit, a formal suit made out of sweat suit material. The two are so committed to the idea that they bring it before “Shark Tank’s” Lori Greiner, only for the pitch to go disastrously (and predictably) wrong. But it’s the idea and ambition that count, and like Jess says, the swuit encompasses Nick’s wacky creativity and Schmidt’s penchant for numbers and business. Who cares that Lori hated the idea? The fact that they made the swuit is adorable.

In order to impress his fiancée and future mother-in-law, Schmidt performs an elaborate Indian dance at his engagement party. Despite Priyanka’s reservations, the dance is quite a success, as evident by everyone’s glowing faces. And just when you think it couldn’t get any better, Nick stumbles into the clearly-choreographed routine and joins along. It’s just amazing to see Nick so supportive and full of love for Schmidt, and the dance highlights their comradery and chemistry. Cece says it all when she puts her hands in front of her mouth – we can’t handle the cuteness, either.

A lot of adult friendships start in college, but the foundation of Nick and Schmidt’s friendship is…a little different. For example, they met when Schmidt seemingly snuck into Nick’s room and watched him sleep while snacking on dry ramen. And while Nick was initially weirded out, all it took was a goofy dance from Schmidt for him to fall in love. They then bonded with drinks and by being EQUALS with the ladies. It’s definitely an odd story, but then again, this is Nick and Schmidt we’re talking about here, so it’s not like we can expect normalcy. It’s such a fitting origin story for their weird relationship.

There’s nothing like a good road trip to strengthen the bond between friends. Or to cause frustration and the total collapse of the friendship. Either way. Of course, Schmidt’s bachelor party doesn’t just involve Nick and Schmidt, but they’re certainly at the heart of it. It all starts when Schmidt feels emasculated after a traffic confrontation, which leads him into thinking that he won’t be a good husband to Cece. And while the road trip hilariously veers off the rails, Nick uses the opportunity to remind Schmidt what a loving and helpful man he really is, which gives him the confidence to marry Cece. And that’s just good friendship, right there.

Despite being a very odd man, Schmidt certainly has a tender side. This is on full display in “Five Stars for Beezus”, when Schmidt rightfully tells Nick to smarten up and get with Jess. But, this being Schmidt, he has to insinuate that Nick sometimes looks at him with loving attraction as well, which of course Nick denies. Just as Nick gave Schmidt the confidence to go after Cece, here Schmidt is doing the same for Nick in return. It serves as a brilliant and touching bookend and shows that Schmidt cares about Nick just as much as he cares about himself (which is a lot).

One of the cardinal rules of a male friendship is that you do not cry in front of each other. Unfortunately, Nick and Schmidt found themselves in just such a predicament. After Schmidt thanks Nick for being there for him, he begins to tear up, prompting Nick to ask him what he’s doing. This leads to a great bit of comedy, from Nick clearing his throat to talking about red meat and sexy ladies. We all need a person who is there for us, and for Schmidt, that person is his buddy Nick. You just can’t cry in front him, that’s all.

Schmidt is quite the romantic. Not only does he propose to Cece, but he gets on one knee (in the bathroom, no less) to ask Nick to be his best man. Now how many people can say that they proposed to their best man!? To make the story even cuter, Nick jokingly shows hesitation, which nearly brings Schmidt to tears and into a hilarious mixture of sadness, confusion, and frustration. The fact that Schmidt so desperately needs Nick to be his best man is charming, and how cute is the ring he made for Nick?

Only the truest of buddies celebrate their ten-year anniversary. Not only do Schmidt and Nick, you know, do that, but they also go all out with a massive party. The party itself is a fascinating tribute to friendship, but it also highlights why Schmidt and Nick work so well together. Nick practically has an anxiety attack over having responsibilities, but gets a port-a-potty anyway because he loves Schmidt so much. And Schmidt knows Nick so well that he gets a back-up. And when Schmidt is crushed over Cece’s engagement, Nick rushes to him and cheers him up with a parked hot air balloon. And with that, you realize why they have spent ten years together.

When it comes to Schmidt and Nick’s friendship, few episodes can stand up to the famous cookie debacle. It all starts when Schmidt buys Nick a cookie, which only makes Nick confused. Of course, Schmidt just wants to do something nice for his friend, and this leads to a massive fight when Schmidt realizes that Nick doesn’t think about him. The whole thing starts as a fun little sitcom storyline, but it eventually finds deeper meaning by exploring male friendship and Nick’s insecurity. We’re left legitimately heartbroken when Nick tells Schmidt that he picked the wrong guy. Few sitcoms use a cookie as a plot device to explore character, but hey, that’s “New Girl” for you.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Fashion Advice
“First Date”

Schmidt Fredo Kisses Nick
“Injured”

Give Me a Hug!
“Bathtub”

Nick Teaches Schmidt How to Be Tough
“Es Good”

Schmidt Gives Nick a Lap Dance
“Santa”

Sometimes you just need a good friend to pretend to be a major Hollywood star for you. The third season sees Schmidt in a bit of a rut, so Nick dons the Michael Keaton persona to help get him out of it. Like the best Nick and Schmidt episodes, this is a bizarre and outlandish plot built around a touching foundation. Yes, Nick is technically lying to his best friend, but it’s for a greater purpose, and it shows the lengths that Nick will go in order to make Schmidt feel better and more confident in himself. Like the real Batman, Nick doesn’t need credit to save the day, and that makes him a real hero.