Recap / New Girl S 5 E 22

Cece: I look forward to a lifetime of joy, growth and constant mispronunciation of common words.
Schmidt: For the first time, I see what the rest of my life looks like.

"Landing Gear" is the 22nd and final episode of New Girl's fifth season.

The day of his wedding, Schmidt gets on a plane hoping to get his future mother-in-law to attend. However, an extremely long delay causes him to miss the ceremony. Nick considers his relationship with Reagan, who is visiting for the wedding, while Jess reconsiders her relationship with Nick.

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Tropes in this episode:

• Belated Love Epiphany: Jess realizes she's in love with Nick while seeing him dance with Reagan. She is heartbroken and is in tears but luckily, Cece is there to comfort her.
• Book Ends: The season began with Priyanka rejecting the Cece and Schmidt nuptials. It ends with her coming around and being genuinely happy for the couple.
• Continuity Nod:
  • At the wedding, Reagan asks Robby and Nadia if they're sitting on the bride's or groom's side. Robby refers to his and Cece's breakup (and, indirectly, Cece's decision to enter an Arranged Marriage immediately after) Nadia refers to the time she and Schmidt had sex, leading to Schmidt's penis injury.
    Reagan: Mm. I hope you guys are giving a toast.
  • During the reception, Winston refers back to him releasing a badger at Cece's ill-fated wedding to Shivrang, and tries to bring back the nickname "Brown Lightning".
  • During the wedding itself, Schmidt crushes the Douchebag Jar in lieu of a regular glass.
• Dropped in the Toilet: Winston plans to streak during Schmidt and Cece's wedding as a stalling tactic while Schmidt is stranded at the airport. He is changing in a portable toilet when Jess calls him to stop, and that's when he drops his clothes and phone inside the toilet. This forces him to wear "pants" made of toilet paper, and he later swaps those out for the curtain from a phone booth.
• Grand Romantic Gesture: Schmidt had hoped to do a grandiose gesture for his wife-to-be Cece by flying to Portland last minute to get her mother Priyanka to attend the wedding. It fails when the flight is extremely delayed and he can't get off. He didn't even need to do it as Priyanka showed up anyway.
• My Own Private "I Do": After Schmidt is unable to make it to the planned ceremony, the roommates put one together in the loft, with just Schmidt and Cece's parents, Nick, Winston, Jess, Coach and Reagan, and May playing the cello.
• Naked People Are Funny: Winston had planned to stall the wedding by streaking, but he was changing in a port-a-potty and when Jess calls off the prank, he accidentally drops all his clothes in. He has to sneak off wearing pants made from toilet paper and later wears the curtain from a photo booth.
• Plane Awful Flight: Schmidt's flight to Portland from a dirt-cheap airline is a terrible experience: the seats are cramped and the stewardesses are selling tray tables at the beginning. The flight is delayed for the entire day and he is not allowed to leave.
• Relationship Upgrade: Nick and Reagan decide to enter a relationship in this episode.
• Rule of Symbolism: Schmidt breaks the Douchebag Jar at the end of the wedding ceremony, cementing his Character Development from a freewheeling playboy to a loving and devoted partner.
• Wedding Episode: The episode is all about Schmidt and Cece's wedding.
• Wedding Finale: Schmidt and Cece's wedding caps off the fifth season.