Nick and Schmidt help Jess get her stuff out of her ex-boyfriend's apartment. Jess also meets her new roommate Winston, who he tries to get his old room back from Schmidt.
The guys are invited to a wedding and Nick, fearing to run into his ex, asks Jess to be his date to the wedding. Meanwhile, Winston takes his role as an usher too seriously and gets competitive on the dance floor. Schmidt catches the eye of a lady and also of his frenemy Gretchen, whom he sleeps with at every wedding reception.
Nick suffers a blow to his self-esteem when Jess walks in on him naked, before his date with his coworker. Meanwhile, Winston gets obsessed with learning pop-culture references online.
Jess wants to do a Thanksgiving dinner because she invited another teacher (Justin Long) she likes but her roommates just want to watch the game and drink beer.
Jess gets jealous when Winston joins her troubled-youth handbell quartet and instantly becomes a natural. Meanwhile Nick and Schmidt engage in class warfare when the toilet breaks and they each have their own idea of how to get it fixed.
Jess asks the guys for advice on how to approach her first night with Paul, leading to messy results. Meanwhile, Schmidt tries to fit in at his Boss's baby shower and Nick gets a new haircut.
The Story of the 50 follows the series of events that leaves to someone anonymously leaving a fifty dollar bill in the d-bag jar. Schmidt is coming up on his 29th birthday, but plans for his party start to erode. Jess moves in to save him by soliciting help from her school's vice-principal, who, it turns out, is starved for a good party.
Nick asks his new girlfriend Julia to help out when Jess gets a traffic ticket. However, it does more harm than good when the two girls get in a fight.
Jess convinces Schmidt to help her land a stranger on her first Valentine's day without a date. Nick spends more time with Julia's assistant than Julia herself, ruining his special plans for the day.
Jess tries to help out one of her students who is being bullied but she ultimately becomes the next target of the class bully. Schmidt wants to tell the world about his sexcapades with Cece but she wants to keep it a secret. Nick and Julia's relationship is on the rocks after she sends him a cactus.
Feeling Schmidt is too stressed, Jess teaches him how to relax, but trouble quickly arises in the loft. Meanwhile, Winston and Nick argue over money and who owes who what.
Jess is bewildered when Russell leaves in the middle of their second date, Nick's friend, Dirk, shows him that college girls are interested in him, and Winston frets after he tells Shelby they both need "space."
Despite Jess's misgivings, Russell spends a weekend at the loft hanging out with the guys. Winston's new radio job allows him to meet Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Nick takes a page from his idea notebook and tries to bring it to life.
Nick tries to give up dating but he fails to do so. He starts growing tomatoes. Schmidt ends up hospitalized after a sexual encounter with Cece's flatmate. Cece reveals her feelings to Schmidt. Russell and Jess come to the realization that they are not looking for the same thing in a relationship.
Jess is still broken up over her sad breakup with Russell; Paul reveals to Jess that he has a girlfriend after they spend the night together; Nick makes a big decision to move in with Caroline; Schmidt meets Cece's grandma and Winston has a wild night out with his boss.
Nick can't handle the pressure of his new move in with Caroline and proceeds to get everyone stuck in the desert; Cece makes Schmidt jealous when they talk about the men from her work; Jess and Nick share an adventure with a Coyote.