Our take
A packed night of party-hopping that gives every one of the friends a story and still finds room for a tender heart-to-heart in a borrowed radio booth. It is the show at its most confident, funny and warm in equal measure, and Variety counts it among the show's 25 best. The rom-com ending for Jess and Sam is a touch forced, but the gang's tuneless carol at the close more than makes up for it.
What happens
Before everyone scatters for the holidays, the friends set out to hit several Christmas parties in a single night. At the first, Jess runs into her ex Sam, who regrets how things ended and wants her back, and she pretends to be dating Winston to keep him at bay. Nick feels out of his depth with his adventurous girlfriend Angie and tries too hard to keep up: an attempt at sex in a Santa sleigh at one party goes wrong, he insults her and she storms off, until Jess persuades him simply to be honest about how he feels. Schmidt is cool towards Cece after she turned him down, but the two talk it through and end the night on good terms. Winston, meanwhile, gets a piece of cranberry stuck in his ear. At a radio station's party Nick and Jess slip into the broadcast booth and, under made-up names, have a heartfelt talk. In the end Jess decides to trust her heart and surprises Sam at the hospital where he works, and they get back together, while the whole gang ends the night singing a carol and forgetting the words.
Can the kids watch it?
Rated 12 on the UK DVD for moderate sex references, so best for 12 and over.
Cast and crew
Starring
- Zooey Deschanel as Jess
- Jake Johnson as Nick
- Max Greenfield as Schmidt
- Lamorne Morris as Winston
- Hannah Simone as Cece
Guest stars
- David Walton as Sam Sweeney
- Olivia Munn as Angie
- Jeris Poindexter as Cop
Director
- Craig Zisk