Schmidt is certainly a fan favorite in New Girl because he provides a lot of comedy with his unique mannerisms and strange personality. At times, this does make him quite immature as he is prone to making bad decisions in the process. Yet, he does show strong character development as the show transpires, which is admirable and enhances his overall likability.
In fact, he becomes perhaps one of the most mature roommates at the end of the day. It is apparent that Cece is a huge reason behind this, as he becomes a far better person when she is around. He does possess potential in this regard in the beginning portions of the show, though, as he of course often takes care of Nick. Although Schmidt can be goofy a lot of the time, even if it’s unintentional, he also does provide wisdom through an array of scenes, too.
When He Turns Off The Hot Water
After Jess gets fired from her job, she does not show much motivation to find a new one. It is understandable, as it can be a very difficult and even deflating process to do so. However, when she does not pay money for their loft bills, Schmidt turns off the hot water as a response.
Although he is a bit harsh with his treatment towards her, it does end up pushing her to find her next job. Schmidt tends to be the leader when it comes to the group’s financial decisions, and this moment shows it perfectly.
When He Gets Over His Fear To Save The Day
When Nick’s father dies, the audience learns that Schmidt is afraid of death. Before taking the trip to Chicago, Winston tries to help him by pretending to be dead and having Schmidt say words to him. It ends up being a failed effort when Winston moves.
However, at the funeral, Schmidt catches Nick’s cousin, Bob, trying to steal a chain from Walt. With nobody around, Schmidt has to go near the body and stop him. In the process, he conquers his fears and even continues to put his face in it and scream “all day!” Although that may not be the mature part of it, he shows true heroics by stopping Bob, even though he is petrified beforehand.
When He Lets Cece Move On
Schmidt and Cece have a rocky relationship before they marry. Of course, Schmidt ends up cheating on her with Elizabeth, so Cece does eventually move on to Buster.
Schmidt and the guys often poke fun at her for dating somebody so much younger. However, when Cece opens up about how she wants it to work with him, Schmidt shows her true support, even though he still loves her. This moment of selflessness is a true sign of maturity, as he even has a big gesture planned for her when they are on the cruise.
When He Tries To Stop Cece From Drinking More
Schmidt certainly finds himself as being the responsible one when the gang goes on a bar crawl. Cece is trying to compete with Nick’s drinking, which is an immensely hard task. As a result of this, Cece feels significant impact from it.
Schmidt aims to stop Cece from drinking more, as he says that Nick will not stop because of his break-up. Furthermore, he is the one person there who is not acting belligerent, so it is easy to argue that he is being the mature one there.
When He Leaves Fawn For Cece
Schmidt ends up moving on to a new partner himself, as he begins dating Fawn. However, a massive reason behind his attraction to her is the fact that she is a city councilwoman. Thus, he wants to gain power and good publicity, which she also seeks with him.
However, Schmidt soon realizes that he wants a real and healthy relationship. Thus, he calls things off with her and immediately begins to process his love for Cece. When he finds out her feelings are mutual, he quickly proposes to her and she of course says yes.
When He Moves Past The Douchebag Jar Stage
Throughout the beginning portions of the series, Schmidt is certainly a bro-type. He mainly focuses on dating, while also spending most of his time trying to be as cool as possible.
However, his relationship with Cece really helps rid him of this. The true moment of maturity occurs when the rest of the group realizes his significant growth, too. At the wedding, Nick hands him the douchebag jar to smash, as it finally puts this darker chapter of Schmidt’s life to rest.
When He Lets Cece Choose Their House’s Doorbell
When Schmidt and Cece buy their new house, the former wants to take full control of decorating it. This certainly makes sense, as Schmidt has many moments of being bossy when it comes to the stylistic choices of the loft in previous episodes.
When Cece suggests La Cucaracha to be their doorbell theme, Schmidt initially rejects her proposal quite angrily. However, he does end up changing his mind, as all he cares about living with her. Although it is hard for him to do, it is nice that he ends up letting her make this choice.
When He Makes Nick Realize He Loves Jess
After his break-up with Reagan, Nick handles it pretty well. In fact, he is far more focused on Jess and trying to figure out why she is not taking his calls. This is where Schmidt has a heart-to-heart with Nick and tells him to examine his feelings for Jess.
This leads to Schmidt making Nick realize that he loves Jess still, as he even states that this has been the case since the first time he saw her. Schmidt doing this makes Nick rekindle his romance with Jess, and the two end up marrying one another.
When He Becomes A Dad
In the final season, the audience learns that Schmidt and Cece now have a daughter, Ruth. She is quite the rambunctious child, as she is full of energy and always wants to spend time with her parents.
Interestingly, Schmidt ends up becoming a stay-at-home dad and takes on the role with immense excitement. He is a great father, too, as he has entire presentations and folders’ worth of material for Ruth’s specific needs. He is a super dad and that certainly displays maturity.
When He Quits His Job Permanently
After a few years out of work, Schmidt decides that it is time for him to return to his old company. Although he is originally excited to go back to work, it quickly changes when he learns that Cece and Nick are having a hard time taking care of Ruth.
Thus, he begins to focus far more on them, rather than the tasks at his job. He then admits to Cece that he only thought about being with Ruth at work and decides to quit his job permanently to solely take care of her again. It is a drastic change from the Schmidt that the audience sees in earlier seasons, as he cares most about his job then.
