When Jess and Nick run into their exes Paul and Caroline, the gang fears they both may "backslide" into romantic relationships. Meanwhile, Schmidt desperately tries not to get aroused as he deals with a delicate medical issue, Winston suffers the consequences of a wild night out with his boss and Cece brings Schmidt to a nursing home to meet her grandmother.
Jess gets a job as a zombie at a haunted house, but is more frightened of her changing feelings towards Sam. Schmidt and Cece are perfectly matched in the costumes they're wearing, while Winston and Shelby are worlds apart in theirs. Nick gets a visit from a former college crush who shows her affection in a scary way.
As Jess' job search kicks into high gear, the guys fear her time of the month is also affecting their physical and psychological well-being. Meanwhile, Schmidt begins a "50 Shades of Grey"-type of relationship with his corporate boss, and Nick gains wisdom from an unlikely, hands-on (and mute) source.
Nick and Schmidt go out on a "bro's night," but quickly become infatuated with, and highly competitive over, a beautiful woman attracted to sadness. Meanwhile, Winston falls for a girl with absolutely no interest in him, which only makes him more attracted to her. Then, Jess' decision to have a night alone in the loft doesn't go as planned and involves another round of the drinking game "True American," and a surprising development in her relationship with one of the loft mates.
Jess comes to a conclusion about her romantic feelings for Nick and she struggles to tell him - until she's hopped up on pain medication. But after admitting her feelings, she finds out he may have been keeping something from her. Meanwhile, Schmidt becomes obsessed with buying a fish, which Winston sees as a metaphor for Schmidt's unresolved feelings toward Cece and Nick plans a bar promotion to impress the bar owner.
Jess decides to throw Cece a surprise bachelorette party while Nick and Winston awkwardly take her fiancé, Shivrang, out for the night. Then, as Schmidt desperately tries to find a real girlfriend in time for the wedding in order to get a “plus one,” he is forced to seek out his old girlfriend from his “fat Schmidt” college days.
Jess' dad chooses the worst day to pay the loft an unexpected visit, forcing a nervous Nick to spend the day alone with him. Jess finds herself with huge opportunity for a new job on the day before Cece's wedding. Schmidt must take a look in the mirror and confront his real feelings about Elizabeth. Meanwhile, Winston psyches himself up for his huge surprise birthday celebration, which no one seemed to remember to throw for him.
Picking up immediately after the events of the Season Two finale, Nick and Jess decide to go "all in" on their romantic relationship - which leads them to run away to a Mexican beach town. But when Nick runs into trouble with the authorities, it's Schmidt and Winston to the (possible) rescue, which may land Nick into even deeper trouble. Meanwhile, Schmidt makes a decision regarding Cece and Elizabeth, and Winston becomes obsessed with completing a puzzle
When Jess desperately tries to fit in with a clique of "mean girl" teachers at her new school, she (mistakenly) turns to Nick for advice on how to deal with them. Meanwhile, an office party is anything but fun for Schmidt, and Winston plots revenge while cat-sitting for Daisy, whom he suspects is cheating on him.
Thinking Schmidt has chosen to be with Cece, Jess and Nick invite him to go on a double date with them. Nick is caught between loyalty to his friend and loyalty to his girlfriend when he finds out a shocking secret. Meanwhile, Winston promises to get the foursome a table at an ultra-exclusive restaurant that doesn’t take reservations.
In an effort to reconnect with Cece, Jess throws a Halloween party at the loft. In an effort to change Schmidt's sullen behavior, the loftmates resort to "catfishing" him by pretending to be his childhood idol - actor Michael Keaton. Then, Schmidt makes a decision that could change the loft forever.
Jess is ready to paint the town purple when a chance encounter finds her and best friend Cece invited to a once-in-a-lifetime mansion party thrown by music legend Prince. Not wanting to miss out on the fun, Nick, Schmidt, Winston and Coach are determined to crash the festivities, building toward an Unforgettable ending.
When Nick has an awkward run-in with his ex, Caroline, Jessica tries to convince him he can still be friends with her, by introducing him to her former boyfriend, Berkley. Meanwhile, Coach uses Schmidt's loft to impress a date, but things turn farcically disastrous when Schmidt arrives home with his own potential bedmate.
At the last wedding of the summer, the gang makes a pact: Each of them will get lucky by night's end. Jess sets her sights on the best man, who also has caught the eye of a beautiful scientist. Meanwhile, Schmidt and Nick get an indecent proposal. Winston recovers from his police academy training, and Coach panics when he realizes he already has hooked up with every woman at the party.
When Coach's liaison with the school nurse gets messy, vice principal Jess must enforce a new, "no fraternization" policy among the teachers. But the tables soon get turned when she finds herself attracted to the hot new science teacher. Meanwhile, Nick is enjoying being Schmidt and Winston's secretary, after the loft gets a new home phone.
Jess invents a male alter ego, “Jeff Day” in order to buy a new car from a sexist salesman, but her plan backfires when both Nick and Sam arrive at the dealership pretending to be him. Meanwhile, Schmidt and Cece panic when Winston decides to bring his new prankster girlfriend, Rhonda as his plus one to their wedding.
Part 2 of a crossover with Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Jess and the gang head to New York, where Schmidt believes he is being honored at his high school. Jess meets Det. Jake Peralta and helps him on a case, which leads her to Brooklyn’s 99th Precinct and a fateful encounter with Gina Linetti and Capt. Raymond Holt. Meanwhile, Nick and Winston scramble to make subway fare, while trying to impress Det. Charles Boyle, and Cece faces off with her new mother-in-law. The crossover starts on Brooklyn Nine-Nine S04E04: The Night Shift (1).
It's Thanksgiving and Jess and the gang are determined to make this year's festivities a success. However, things don't go according to plan when Robby surprisingly shows up and Schmidt's dad arrives heartbroken. Meanwhile, Nick finds out that Regan is postponing her move-in date and Winston deals with his heroic injury.
When Jess insists on covering Robby's medical bill, she is stunned after finding out the total and goes to extremes to find a way to help pay. With Schmidt and Winston's help, Cece attempts to get her new modeling agency off the ground (and out of the loft), but is discouraged when her first client is inspired to change career paths. Meanwhile, Reagan puts off reading Nick's new novel.
When Jess gets nervous about starting her new position as principal, Nick and Schmidt decide to take her on a relaxing day trip to Solvang, which quickly goes "sideways." Meanwhile, with Cece’s help, Winston tries to finalize his divorce from Rhonda, but finds that he and Aly are caught in a series of never-ending pranks.
Picking up approximately three years after the Season Six finale, Jess and Nick return from a European book tour for "The Pepperwood Chronicles." Schmidt and Cece celebrate their daughter, Ruth’s, birthday with a party, where Jess runs into her ex, Russell. Meanwhile, Winston and Aly try to pick a pregnancy photo.