Re-Launch

Re-Launch is the 25th episode and season premiere of the second season of New Girl.

Summary
Jess is fired from her teaching job. Schmidt throws a party at Nick's bar, in celebration of his penis cast being removed. A new side of Winston is revealed after he drinks some of Nick's fruity concoctions. Cece introduces her new boyfriend, Robby to Schmidt.

Recap
As Jess is waking up she finds herself late for a morning meeting with the principal, Tanya. She is in a hurry getting ready and turns on the bathroom faucet while Nick is in the shower. He starts complaining since this causes his water to turn cold, and demands that she leave.

Schmidt is begging Winston to scratch the inside of his penis cast – using a makeshift scratching pole. Winston refuses, asking why Schmidt has had time to shave his chest, but not his face. He does eventually convince Jess, calling the act “pure, unadulterated friendship.”

Jess has her meeting with Tanya. She finds out the school had to cut 10% of their non-tenured staff, and she was one of them. Tanya tries to make light of the situation by wearing a sombrero and allowing Jess to pick anything from the lost and found, which she chooses a miniature hat. Jess begins making a speech, prompting Tanya to allow her a second pick from the lost and found. She calls Cece to pick her up from the school and take her home.

Back at the loft, Schmidt comes home announcing his cast is off. Nick and Winston are fighting over a bowl of cereal, but stop when Schmidt slams his cast on the table demanding they “take it in, all its fowl glory.” In celebration that the cast is off, Schmidt decides he will throw a “re-branding” event. It will have a theme; to be announced at the party however Nick immediately predicts that the theme will be “danger.”

Jess comes home and informs everyone she was just laid off, and then goes straight to her room. The guys are worried that she is going to start crying, so they immediately run to her aid. Jess however doesn’t want their pity and dismisses them.

A few days appear to have passed; Jess is sitting on the couch in her pajamas, happy that her boobs don’t have to go to “boob jail” anymore, and starting the job search. Nick is trying to be nice to her, which she calls him out on and mocks him on his constant grumpiness. Schmidt enters the room, upset that the zoo wouldn’t allow him to borrow their white tiger. Jess then offers herself to work for Schmidt at his re-branding party. He caves, and allows her to be the second shot girl. Nick says she doesn’t have what it takes to be a shot girl, which only motivates Jess more.

Jess shows up at the party, wearing her glitter hat. She has given herself a new persona for the night: Ivy, a girl studying to be an actress. The other shot girl, Casey, comes in making a few demands: she doesn’t work with amateurs, doesn’t split tips, and will take payment in whippets. She also claims she has a PHD (pretty heavy drug problem), and is 26 years old. The party begins; Casey is already entertaining the crowd, while Jess gets off to a rough start. Schmidt claims he can take his party to the next level at any time, since he has something up his sleeve. Nick reminds him that his tricks never work; showing a flashback of them in college during an exam, Schmidt vomits on command to leave the room. The plan backfires when the professor asks him to remain in his seat, leaving him to finish the exam covered in vomit. Winston approaches with a box full of mixers, coconuts, and swirly straws. Nick doesn’t want to make any mixed drinks, especially since Winston drinks them too fast and gets weird.

Cece enters the party and is immediately greeted by Schmidt. This is likely their first encounter since their breakup, and before Schmidt has a chance to say anything, Cece introduces him to her new boyfriend, Robby. Nick is seen making a drink for Winston, and does exactly what Nick feared: drinking too fast. Schmidt approaches Robby, determined to find out why Cece is dating someone who appears so plain and out of her league. He is disappointed to find that nothing interesting about him.

Jess is still unsuccessful at her new job. She is pouring a shot for someone directly from the bottle, simultaneously asking him questions. He chokes and she drops the bottle of liquor, kneeling over it in shame. Nick sees this and comes to her aid, however she does not need his pity. He then gets mean upon request, stating that the only thing easier than being a shot girl, is passing out cigarettes to prisoners. He also makes fun of her attire, and the way she dances. This motivates her to join Casey up on the table and breaks out in tap dance. They begin chanting “shot girl” which reminds her that she is/was a teacher, and not a shot girl. She hands the bottle back to Nick and leaves.

Schmidt pulls out the trick up his sleeve; he brings out fire throwers, swinging them around various ways. When he realizes he cannot stop the momentum of the fire balls, the guests get scared and start to leave. One of the fire balls slips out and almost hits Robby. After the ordeal, Schmidt confronts Cece. He asks her why she didn’t return his calls, and why she suddenly shows up with a boyfriend. He then asks her what Robby’s “brand” is, which Cece replies that he is just a nice guy.

Nick went after Jess, and finds her at the school. She is crying, and confesses to Nick that she is worried she cannot do anything other than teaching. He consoles with her for a few moments, then she asks him to be “mean” to her once more.

The show ends with Winston singing at dancing, still at the bar with his fruity drink.



Quotes

 * “This is friendship – pure, unadulterated friendship”
 * ―Schmidt


 * “Fire – The most dangerous element of all the elements!”
 * ―Schmidt


 * “I pour liquid into cups every single day”
 * ―Jess

Main

 * Zooey Deschanel as Jessica Day
 * Jake Johnson as Nick Miller
 * Lamorne Morris as Winston Bishop
 * Max Greenfield as Schmidt
 * Hannah Simone as Cece Meyers

Guest

 * Parker Posey as Casey
 * Rachael Harris as Tanya Lamontagne
 * Nelson Franklin as Robby