Jess's plotline in this episode is loosely based on The Stephen King book Misery. Rob Reiner, who plays Jess's father, directed the film adaptation of that same book.
Reading from the unauthorised Lindsay Lohan biography, Jess reads, "She was born on the freakiest of Fridays". This is a reference to Lohan's film Freaky Friday, which also starred Jamie Lee Curtis, who plays Jess' mother on New Girl. As an aside, Lohan's birth was actually on a Wednesday: July 2nd, 1986
Bear Hunt: Nick uses the name "Mr. Cub".