gistfile1.js

var mongoose = require('mongoose');
var Schema   = mongoose.Schema;

mongoose.connect('mongodb://localhost/playground');
var db = mongoose.connection;
db.on('error', console.error.bind(console, 'connection error:'));
db.once('open', function callback() {
  console.log('Connected to db');
});



var userSchema = new Schema({
  email: String,
  displayName: String,
  subscriptions: [{
    show: {type: Schema.Types.ObjectId, ref: 'Show'},
    favorite: {type: Boolean, default: false}
  }]
});

var showSchema = new Schema({
  title: String,
  overview: String,
  subscribers: [{type: Schema.Types.ObjectId, ref: 'User'}],
  episodes: [{
    title: String,
    firstAired: Date
  }]
});

var User = mongoose.model('User', userSchema);
var Show = mongoose.model('Show', showSchema);


//create initial user and show
var user = new User({
  email: "test@test.com",
  displayName: "bill"
});

user.save(function(err, user) {
  if (err) {
    console.log(err);
  }

  var show = new Show({
    title: "Some Show",
    overview: "A show about some stuff."
  });
  show.save();
  user.subscriptions.push(show);
  user.save();
});


// try to find and poplate that user
User.findOne({
  displayName: 'bill'
})
  .populate('subscriptions.show')
  .exec(function(err, user) {
    if (err) {
      console.log(err);
    }

    console.log(user);
/*    results in: 
    
	  { _id: 53a7a39d878a965c4de0b7f2,
	email: 'test@test.com',
	displayName: 'bill',
	__v: 1,
	subscriptions: [ { _id: 53a7a39d878a965c4de0b7f3, favorite: false } ] }*/
  });