Thanksgiving is the sixth episode of the first season of "New Girl".
Summary
Jess wants to do a Thanksgiving dinner because she invited another teacher she likes but her roommates just want to watch the game and drink beer.
Plot
Jess watches kids practice for the Thanksgiving pageant. Paul (Justin Long) says hi and casually asks how her boyfriend is doing. She asks what he's doing for Thanksgiving.
Cut to Jess returning home with a giant turkey.
The guys are disappointed. They just want to watch football and drink beer and head to Best Buy for "Black Friday," or as Winston calls it "Friday." Schmidt is trying to call it "Dudesgiving."
She tells them Paul will be joining them. Schmidt makes sure Paul isn't the turkey's name. (It's name is "Hank," for Hanksigivng.)
Jess assures them Paul is a "guy's guy." Winston thinks they have to figure out whether Paul is the right guy for them, they deserve to be happy.
Jess wants to know if anyone knows anything about cooking. Schmidt suggests maybe she shouldn't ask a guy out on the least sexy holiday of the year. Schmidt gets dragged into helping when Jess promises to invite CeCe. Schmidt says he'll only cook if he's allowed to run the kitchen.
The turkey is frozen solid. Jess wonders if it'll be thawed. Cut to three hours before dinner, Jess hugging it to her body to melt it with her warmth. Next it goes into the dryer. "I put it on permanent press," she says. "Good, you don't have to iron it," Nick says.
Paul arrives in a suit and tie. Jess bursts into a Thanksgiving verse. After an awkward pause, Paul finishes it up, even posing with her. "Oh my god, there's two of them," marvels Nick.
Jess gets Paul a beer and tells the guys that Paul brought his violin and might play later but, Paul says, only if they don't mind being enchanted.
Jess talks to Nick privately, telling him not to do that thing that he does. She tells him not to be mean or make his turtle face or talk about small business loans. She really wants to get to know Paul outside of school.
Paul sits on the couch with Winston. He compares their living situation to "Goldilocks and the Three Bears." Winston suggests a game. He'll say a word, Paul will say the first thing that pops into his head. Paul starts with kazoo. Winston hasn't started the game. He tries boundaries (important), other people's stuff (private) and loud early morning sex (nice work if you can get it).
Nick joins and asks what they're up to. "Just two dudes, playing word association games, kicking back a couple of pumpkin ales," Paul says.
Nick turns on football. Paul thinks the Lions play in Des Moines.
In the kitchen, CeCe horrifies Schmidt by touching food without watching her hands. He tosses out an entire bowl of walnuts she tainted.
Paul remembers his grandmother and shows Jess a picture of her, saying they used to get in funny arm wrestling matches. Winston shares photos of his grandfather, including the day he tried to quit drinking and when he tried gelato.
Schmidt needs walnuts. Paul can't drive because he's had two pumpkin ales (even though Nick says they're lagers). Nick drives. Paul asks about law school, then says it's OK Nick dropped out because that's what your 20s are for. Nick's in his 30s.
They return and Paul tells Jess he doesn't think Nick likes him. CeCe helps Schmidt mash potatoes, but playfully dabs some on his nose. He freaks out.
There's a blast from the laundry room and a puff of smoke. Schmidt goes in for the bird and comes out with a charred corpse.
The apartment fills with smoke. ("It's like a Prince video!") The guys bail and head to the bar. Paul tells them not to give up and tells Schmidt he wants to try the food he's been cooking all day. The guys all get on board and rally. They go to the neighbor's apartment. She's out of town, but Jess has a key for emergencies. (She gave the woman theirs because sometimes she has problems with her shower.)
With everyone else inside, Jess shuts the door and stays in the hall to yell at Nick for not being nicer to Paul. Everyone inside can hear them. She thinks Nick doesn't think he's cool enough. Nick says it doesn't matter what he thinks because he's not the one who's going to have sex with Paul. Jess shouts that she does want to have sex with him, big time. She elaborates, citing positions like bear claw and gimme that hat.
Winston finally comes out in the hallway and tells them they can hear everything they're saying.
Jess comes in and says they were rehearsing a play called "Big Time" about a man who loves a man named Paul and... she runs off.
Schmidt offers that he's done "gimme that hat," but for him it was more like "here, take my hat."
Schmidt finishes cooking while Paul tunes his violin. CeCe assures him a normal guy would have left by now. CeCe is turned on by Schmidt yelling at her.
Paul tries to talk to Nick and cheerily tells him he feels sorry for him, because Nick will never dislike Paul more than he dislikes himself.
CeCe tries to instigate Schmidt again, but he says he'll never yell at her. She sticks her fingers in the food and licks them. He won't yell, but just gets totally grossed out.
Paul tells Jess he wants to see her again, "big time," like the play.
Winston assures Nick he really likes Paul. He asked his grandfather's name, which Nick has never done.
Schmidt sets the table with food. Schmidt suggests Paul play something before they start. Nick sits down and starts eating green beans. Paul starts playing while Jess recites the school play. Paul dances around the living room to an open door and comes back shrieking "dead body." They've found the neighbor.
After the paramedics take the body away, Paul is totally shaken. Schmidt invites him to Best Buy, they're getting a new dryer. He gets on the elevator and is joined by the paramedics wheeling the dead neighbor, who he can't seem to escape.
Later in line at Best Buy, Jess hears playful violining. Paul joins them. He says that after he got off the elevator ride from hell, when the paramedics told him to stop crying like a girl and he told them it was sexiest, he decided life was too short. He brought turkey subs.
Nick goes to the back of the line so Paul can have his spot. Jess and Paul follow, along with everyone else. They marvel as Jess and Paul break out into their Thanksgiving jig again.