Building on – and improving – the format that F.R.I.E.N.D.S made mainstream what feels like an age ago, creator Elizabeth Meriwether’s New Girl is a quirky, refreshingly hilarious and surprisingly emotional sitcom about a group of flat mates that is an absolute must watch.

Although the series finale aired way back in 2018, it wasn’t until this year that I actually decided to sit down and watch the series fully from start to finish. So, like I did with Criminal Minds, rather than write a review of the series as a whole I’ve decided to rank the flat mates from worst to best.

Worst – Brandon (Fred Armison)

If you can’t remember Brandon, he rented out Jess’ room briefly whilst she was away for jury duty and whilst he was actually a bad character, he was only in the show for about one and a half episodes but it would be unfair for me not to even acknowledge him in my list.

Coach (Damon Wayans Jr)

After his appearance in the pilot episode, Damon Wayan Jr’s Coach disappeared for a while before popping in and out at various points through the show’s seven season run. As the resident ‘tough guy’, it takes a while for Coach to really develop as a character and his relationships with the other flat mates can be a little stilted and inorganic, for the most part Coach is there as an alternate comedic avenue in an already funny show. That being said, he does have some sweet, sincere and sentimental moments that help round his character out.

Reagan (Megan Fox)

Filling in for show lead, Zooey Deschanel, whilst she was on maternity leave, Megan Fox’s Reagan rented out Jess’ room whilst she was in for jury duty. It says a lot about the show and its character development that, despite being down near the bottom of the list, I actually really liked Reagan. She gelled well with the other central characters and helped Nick fulfill a longstanding dream, helping him grow into the more well-rounded character we see at the end of the show.

Cece (Hannah Simone)

It took me a little while to warm up to Jess’ model best friend as her development and relationships with the other characters happens at a much more subtle and steady pace than some of the other characters, but looking back on the show she was actually a great character and had a great interaction with the other flat mates, particularly Winston. I mean, you couldn’t beat a ‘Classic Cece and Winston Mess Around’.

Winston (Lamorne Morris)

It took a while for the character of Winston to really find his identity within the group but once he did it was a joy to watch. Whether it was his progression from an unemployed ex-professional basketball player to a career in law enforcement that he absolutely loves, the crazy antics of his alter-ego ‘Prank Sinatra’ or the pure love for his cat Furguson, Winston was a genuinely funny character with some great one liners.

Jess (Zooey Deschanel)

As I get into the final three, it gets more difficult to decide which character is my favourite as it gets pretty close between them. The show’s lead, and titular New Girl, Jess drops into third place but I have to make it clear that I still love her. With her constant singing, the seemingly endless brightly coloured dresses and trademark ‘adorkability’, Jess is not a character you will forget in a hurry. And as an added plus, she brings a relatability to some typical feminine issues; her statement about bras being ‘boob prisons’, the overemotional response to a tiny tea cup puppy and her proud ownership of the walk of shame are all hilarious little moments of female empowerment.

Schmidt (Max Greenfield)

As the resident douchebag (with his own jar to prove it) and a self-proclaimed alpha male, Schmidt could quite easily have been an awful and toxic character but, in Max Greenfield’s hands, he is actually amazing. He really values his friendships and cares about his friends deeply, he wears his heart on his sleeve and contributes much more than his fair share in the running and managing of the apartment.

Nick (Jake Johnson)

Whether it’s because I can imagine a lot of his gripes and complaints being uttered by my very own lovely husband, including a slightly irrational anger at a pull door not opening when it’s pushed, but I absolutely love the angry grump of a character that is Nick Miller. He’s sarcastic to a fault and somewhat oblivious to societal norms associated with being a good flat mate but he is laugh out loud funny and great fun to watch. Whether I would want to live with him or not, is a totally different conversation but for entertainment purposes, he is comedy gold.

And there you have it, my ranking of all the New Girl flat mates from the worst to the best. So, where does your favourite character rank?

If you liked this post, don’t forget to check out my ranking of the Criminal Minds profilers – here.