Jess comes to a conclusion about her romantic feelings for Nick and she struggles to tell him - until she's hopped up on pain medication. But after admitting her feelings, she finds out he may have been keeping something from her. Meanwhile, Schmidt becomes obsessed with buying a fish, which Winston sees as a metaphor for Schmidt's unresolved feelings toward Cece and Nick plans a bar promotion to impress the bar owner (guest star Odette Annable).

With Cece engaged, Schmidt is depressed. Schmidt decides an aquarium filled with a rare, unattainable, and endangered species of fish is what will cheer him up. Nick decides to be a take-charge man, and this entices Jess to want Nick.