Summary: Ross and Phoebe bring Chandler back and keep their eyes on him. Rachel and Phoebe discuss Monica's pregnancy and Chandler overhears. Joey deals with his drunken co-actor who is preventing him from making it to Chandler and Monica's wedding.
The Good: This was more excellent stuff. As ever, the writers pull out all the stops in creating fun moments throughout the episode. The dialogue is smart, much smarter than it has typically been this season, the character interactions are done spectacularly well, and I thought that the cast was both utilized well and used appropriately in every scene. The Bings and Gellers were as funny as ever of course and provided many of the episode's best laughs. Joey's attempts to make it to the wedding are funny and he's given a lot of good lines to make it work. The episode neatly built up to the wedding scene which ended up being done tremendously well. Having Chandler come back on his own was the right choice, and seeing Chandler and Monica get married after building their relationship over the last two seasons was a wonderful moment. As was the surprise reveal at the end that it's Rachel who is pregnant instead of Monica. The show did a great job of keeping things funny during this sequence with Joey hilariously messing up his job as he got lost in the moment. The Bad: There are some moments that didn't quite work, but they were few and far between. The biggest offender was Joey's drunk co-actor who was far too over-the-top. Best Moment: Everything that happened after Joey made it to the wedding. Realy funny and really sweet stuff that served as a terrific end to the season. Character of the Episode: Joey. Conclusion: This was an excellent episode. Everything worked here and it was refreshing to get consistently strong writing mixed with tons of great jokes to close out the season. This was an extremely effective season finale. Season 7 as a whole was another mixed season though. While it didn't get as outright unrealistic and absurd as the worst of season 6, I think this season struggled to have episodes that were particularly memorable. There are a few great episodes throughout the season, but most episodes end up being forgettable, or had 1 or 2 storylines that were simply unbearable. Consistency is the show's biggest problem right now. This finale proves that there is still a lot of good that can be done with the show and that the writers still have the ability to make us laugh. But there are more weak episodes than ever before, and I'm not sure if the show can ever make it back to the consistency of its earlier seasons. I still enjoyed this season and I do like the show, but I can't deny that it feels like it's a shell of its former self and that it would have been far better to cut down the number of episodes per season, or at least cut down the number of seasons. Score: 78
1 Comment
Summary: On the wake of the wedding, Chandler starts panicking and runs away. Phoebe and Rachel try to distract Monica until Chandler returns. Joey gets a part in a movie but finds himself working with an actor who constantly spits on him.
The Good: There's a lot to enjoy here. Seeing that this is the big finale of the season, the writers go all out for the jokes and a majority of them land here and are extremely funny. I particular, the jokes involving the Gellers and the Bings are hilarious, and the cameos work perfectly. Much like with Ross and Emily's wedding three seasons ago, this episode feels momentous so there's a sense of plot urgency and importance that we don't get in other episodes that often have filler storylines. That improves my engagement in the episode and makes the already funny jokes land a little better with me. I thought Joey's storyline was excellent as well. The spitting was a clever idea and it impressively led to some really funny scenes rather than simply being silly. I thought Ross and Rachel were excellent in their roles, and while Phoebe had some weak lines, she was really good overall as well. Chandler was funny as his usual sarcastic self until he randomly decided to panic (see: The Bad). The Bad: Chandler freaking out was far too sudden and I don't think it worked as a plot line. It was ridiculous and undersold the strength of the relationship between Monica and Chandler to have him freak out like this out of nowhere. Furthermore, I saw it coming a mile away and it was the simplest and uninspired idea to base this wedding episode around. I hope that this story goes somewhere good or this will be extremely disappointing. Phoebe's reaction to the news that Chandler is gone is also quite terrible and is more irritating than funny. Best Moment: While the gay humour felt cheap in the last episode, I thought it was utilized spectacularly here. You can take your pick here between Jack Geller's "I didn't even get to pretend like I'm okay with it" and Rachel's hilarious interpretation of the name "Amanda". Character of the Episode: Jack. He's such an excellent side character that is consistently funny whenever he appears. Conclusion: This was a very strong part 1 to the wedding with a number of great laughs and some strong storytelling. However, the utter disappointment I had with the Chandler storyline hurt the episode and prevented it from being as amazing as it could have been. We'll see if part 2 can correct this mistake, or at the very least find a way to make this storyline work. Score: 69 Summary: Holt and Terry go to a meeting with Wuntch so the precinct can get $1200 invested to deal with a new problem. In their absence, the precinct hold the Jimmy Jab Games and Jake competes to get Rosa to give him the number of her friend. Charles tries to get back a tape from Hitchcock that has proof that he and Gina slept together.
The Good: This was an extremely fun episode. All 3 stories were focused and utilized the cast extremely well, offering tons of laughs and some wonderful moments of storyline pay off by the end of the episode. This was as well-structured as comedy usually gets. The Jimmy jab games were a load of fun and featured the kind of fun that we're used to seeing from this precinct. The competitions allowed for all of the characters to shine together, and I thought that there were a number of really funny moments. Holt and Terry were fantastic in their storyline, and once more I thoroughly enjoyed Holt's interactions with Wuntch and how it clouded his judgement. His story of getting past his hate for Wuntch and returning to being a good captain that believed in his squad was well done and it did feature a little more subtlety than what we're used to getting from the show. I thought this story was very funny, and it was told well. Jake's arc of accepting he still likes Amy and that he needs to get past it was pretty decent. It's a bit of a retread because we have seen these kinds of stories before many times over, but it's still solid stuff that treats the characters well. Charles' story is the closest the episode gets to filler, but I think the storyline works well as a C-story and it has a lot of good jokes in it. Plus it's refreshing to see an episode feature Hitchcock prominently since he and Scully have been in the background pretty much the entire time. The Bad: Not much for this episode. I've said that the Jake and Amy story is a bit generic, and how the C-story isn't particularly captivating, but those are minor flaws in an otherwise excellent episode. Best Moment: I'll go with Holt ranting about everything that's wrong in the precinct. Terry asks him if the person he's most angry with is himself, and Holt hilariously responds with "No. Wuntch." The dynamic between these two characters is already gold. Character of the Episode: Holt. Conclusion: This was excellent stuff. Three very funny storylines that gave a lot for the characters to do, and allowed the show to really shine. This is easily one of the best episodes of the show so far and is one hell of a comeback after the first two episodes of the season left me feeling a little underwhelmed. Score: 76 Summary: Jake tries to stop Terry from getting a vasectomy he clearly doesn't want. The precinct's evaluation is done by Holt's nemesis Madeline Wuntch. Charles tries to find somebody to go with him to his ex-wife's engagement party.
The Good: As ever, the show has a lot of funny moments, from Holt and Wuntch's hilarious exchanges to Jake getting trapped under Terry's weight in bed. This show has proven to be consistently funny and that's no exception here. The highlight storyline was definitely the introduction of Wuntch, an apparent nemesis to Holt. This new character is greatly entertaining to watch, and her exchanges with Holt are tremendously funny, showing us a new side to Holt and giving Andre Braugher more opportunities to prove how phenomenal and hilarious he is in this role. A few other scenes were quite funny, including Charles' "bone bros" line and the cold open as everybody made terrible (but amazingly funny) puns about Terry's vasectomy. The Bad: The Terry/Jake storyline is a decent story about their friendship and it does lead up to a nice ending, while capturing a lot of funny moments but there are problems with this one. For one, this seems like a very familiar storyline, taking a lot of elements from last season's "The Ebony Falcon". It even repeats the beat from "Unsolvable" with Jake's racist joke (chocolate and milk) that Terry simply ignores. It's still funny, but less so since I've seen the same joke already. Additionally, getting Terry extremely drugged up for laughs is pretty cheap and it's handled in a very cartoonish way which isn't funny to me. I like to see at least a little bit of reality in scenes like these, and Terry's overblown behaviour was too much. Charles' story was total filler and was completely forgettable (I had to go back to the episode to remember what his storyline was before writing this review). Lastly, I still find this show lacking in jokes that will really make me laugh. I had a lot of chuckles out of this episode as usual, but the show doesn't provide good laughs often enough. Best Moment: Holt and Wuntch trashing each other leading to Andre Braugher's outstanding delivery of "you embarrassed yourself in front of Derek Jeter". I wonder if we will find out what happened there in an episode down the line. Character of the Episode: Holt. Conclusion: This is a funny episode with a lot of good jokes, but there are big problems with the storytelling. I still enjoy the show, but it feels like something has been missing in these first two episodes. Score: 59 Summary: Jake returns to the precinct after being on an undercover assignment for 6 months and gets to work with Charles closing out his case. Gina regresses after accepting that Charles is going to inevitably tell Jake they had sex. Holt orders Terry to endlessly do drills which annoys Rosa and Amy.
The Good: This was a welcome return for the show and it captured the joyful feeling of being with these characters again. The stories here aren't particularly special but they are carried by the chemistry of the cast. The main story is undoubtedly the most entertaining. Jake and Charles have developed a wonderful dynamic and watching them work a case together has become incredibly fun. I enjoyed their antic quite a bit. The other 2 storylines weren't quite as effective but they stood out because of the wonderful character interactions. Holt is a joy as always and he's given plenty of terrific lines in this episode. Terry, Rosa, and Amy were fun as well in their roles. I thought Gina and Charles had good follow-up to the surprise ending of the last season, and having them end up in bed together once again was a great resolution to their story in this episode. The Bad: The storylines in this episode are pretty lifeless. This is all about enjoying the returns of the characters so the story is heavily lacking. Jake's story is good, but it's treading on familiar ground as we had a much better episode last season in "Unsolvable" that also saw Jake taking out his frustrations about his relationship with Amy by going far into a case when he didn't need to. The two side stories were pretty empty and honestly uninteresting. As a final nitpick, I thought the reveal of Holt being really stressed out was a very basic explanation for the endless drills and it didn't really make sense for the story. Surely Holt would understand by now that keeping his detectives happy would be the best approach to making the precinct work. Best Moment: Charles beating down Jake by punching him and kicking him the balls was perfect. Jake's reaction was perfect, and the follow-up with that atrocious "wet mouth" line was fantastic. Character of the Episode: Jake. Conclusion: This was a fun return for the show that capitalized on the wonderful dynamics between the cast. However, I found the storylines to be lacking quite a bit. This was a good return, but it definitely felt like it was missing something. Score: 62 Summary: Jake continues an investigation after being told off by the commissioner but he is found out and threatened with suspension. Vivian breaks up with Charles who is inconsolable. Rosa tries to help him get better.
The Good: I thought this was an excellent season finale. There's a lot of change going on in this episode, and it truly feels like a finale as the story end in a way to set up for a small time jump as Jake goes undercover. Furthermore, this episode stands out as a finale because of how well it handles the characters. After spending a season with these characters, this episode isn't afraid to break some of the show's rules and change how these characters behave, allowing the comedy of the show to adapt to something funnier while also letting the characters grow. The central Jake plot is a ton of fun as the commissioner from "The Tagger" returns and makes Jake's life hell when he refuses to stop an investigation. This is a perfect story because of how it perfectly captures Jake's growth into a more mature person throughout the season. His trust in Holt is also fantastically executed and there are a number of hilarious scenes between them. The episode builds to a lovely scene where Jake confesses his feelings to Amy, a scene which I thought was handled superbly and felt real. I was especially pleased with how the show avoided all the melodrama that could have come along with this. Charles' story isn't quite as good as the main story but it has its nice moments. The continued development of the Charles/Rosa relationship is wonderful, but the episode heavily teases that they will end up hooking up which isn't a storyline that I wanted to see. However, the season ends with a wonderful plot twist as Charles hooks up with Gina instead. The Bad: Skipping over Vivian and Charles' break-up was abrupt and it left me feeling unsatisfied. Charles' over-the-top behaviour following the break-up was equally disappointing and I didn't think it was particularly funny. If not for Rosa, Gina and Terry's actions, this story may have flopped. Best Moment: The scene with the judge was fantastic comedy from Jake's poorly times "I will not" to Holt turning on the charm. Character of the Episode: Jake. This episode really celebrated his growth as a character. Conclusion: This was a superb season finale that had a lot of great laughs, developed its characters nicely, and included a lot of moments that broke the mold that the show had created for itself. I'm glad to say that the first season of the show ended with the best episode yet. I'm very interested to see where season 2 is going to go. The season as a whole was very good. Most comedy shows struggle in their first season, but I thought that "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" did an admirable job. Were there flaws? Yeah. I've talked a lot about the show's lack of subtlety, repetitive jokes, and one-dimensional treatment of some of its characters. But there is definitely enough good in there to overcome that. The characters are well written, they grow, and they all have unique funny traits that typically work really well. The cop setting also does a nice job of distinguishing this show from other office-based drama. This isn't an all-time great season or anything, but it's a respectable, and consistent, start for the show. Score: 78 Summary: Rachel tries to get Ross to let her drive Monica's Porsche. Monica and Chandler go to Las Vegas to invite Chandler's dad to their wedding. To prove his masculinity to Phoebe, Joey debates wearing women's underwear.
The Good: Chandler's story in this episode is quite good. It's great to finally meet his dad after all this time, and I thought that the writers did a good job giving Chandler a believable conflict. Chandler is too embarrassed by his father to want to see him, and Monica is there to help him overcome this and invite him to the wedding. It's a sweet story that treats the characters well. The other two storylines are incredibly empty in terms of plot, but at least they are funny. Rachel flirting with the cop leading to Ross trying the same thing later was very funny. I thought Joey's story had some good moments as well, but it all led up to an excellent final joke (see: Best Moment). The Bad: As stated above, the side stories felt like pure filler and were silly ideas for episode plots. I thought that there was a lot of weak comedy in this episode as well. Ross driving slow is a stupid idea for a joke since it has never been mentioned before, and it isn't funny at all. Naturally this leads to Ross being humiliated once again, and it's becoming very played out seeing Ross constantly embarrassed. I thought that the story of Rachel being a bad driver was so incredibly dumb. For one, this hasn't been established before so it feels forced. Secondly, it has been established that Phoebe is a bad driver, so why not just use her for this storyline? Instead we're supposed to believe that Monica trusts Phoebe, a bad driver, but not Rachel which is just sloppy and inconsistent writing. Phoebe once again comes off poorly as she escalates the argument between Rachel and Monica instead of helping. Lastly, there were a lot of gay jokes in this episode and none of them were funny. They also haven't aged well at all. Best Moment: Joey trying to get himself a date and making an ass of himself by pulling out a pair of underwear was fantastic. Better yet was his attempt to save face by saying "these are for you". Character of the Episode: Joey. Conclusion: This episode had a strong central story and a couple of decent laughs. But the other two stories were lame and a lot of jokes and character moments were very sloppy. In the end, this was a very weak episode. Score: 53 Summary: Jake gets Terry's help in an attempt to solve an unsolvable case to make him feel better. Rosa and Gina show Charles their secret bathroom. Amy lies to Holt to try to get out of work to go on a vacation with Teddy.
The Good: This was one of the funnier episodes of the show. Rather than using repeat jokes, this episode steps up by putting the characters out of their comfort zone, creating a lot of creative situations for the characters to interact with each other, leading to fresh versions of old jokes. Take Amy and Holt's story for example. We have seen Amy be afraid of Holt's authority countless times so it's no longer funny to see. This episode shakes it up by havign Amy actively lying to Holt, leading to slightly different character interactions that built up to a few wonderful jokes, the highlight of which being Holt's "you deserve this". Hitchcock and Scully are handled really well in this episode too. Rather than see them be idiots for the hundredth time, we see them actually be proper detectives -- but only in the case of finding secret bathrooms. It's a funny take on these characters, and I thought that their interactions with Charles and Gina were very funny. Jake and Terry's story was the highlight of the episode. It's refreshing to see this show return to its roots and focus on an investigation. This is a cop show at heart, so naturally it's at its best when it's being a cop show rather than just another office sitcom. Watching Jake and Terry work the case is tremendous fun and there are a lot of funny lines and clever jokes as the episode goes on. I also quite like how the show is handling Jake's feelings for Amy. It feels real rather than melodramatic, and I thought the scene where Terry learns about Jake's feelings was written superbly. The Bad: The episode embraced its cop-show roots by having a central plot focusing on an investigation. But the other 2 plots were standard fare that could happen in any other sitcom. This has been an underlying problem with the show that this episode helped me notice. The show's main identity that makes it feel different is as a cop show, yet it insists on spending more time as an office drama in certain episodes, losing what makes the show special. It isn't a coincidence that many of the best episodes so far ("Halloween", "The Pontiac Bandit", "Tactical Village") are all centralized around something that can only happen in a police precinct. I wish this episode had embraced more of the cop elements in the side plots and it may have been even better. Best Moment: This show keeps delivering hilarious cold opens. As funny as the rest of the episode was, nothing made me laugh harder than Holt torturing Jake by telling him about his hula-hooping classes, knowing that Jake can never get anyone to believe him. Character of the Episode: Holt. Conclusion: This was an excellent episode that thrived because of its consistency. It's easily one of the funnier episodes of the show and it succeeded in evolving the show's humour to prove that each character isn't as one-dimensional as they may seem on the surface. Score: 73 Summary: Charles names Jake his best man, and Jake helps Charles prepare for the wedding. Terry, Gina and Amy start a new diet but Terry finds that the others aren't as committed as they said they were. Holt tries to get Rosa to apologize to a fellow cop who she humiliated.
The Good: I thought that the central Jake/Charles storyline was excellent. Their relationship had seemed somewhat one-note before this, and while we knew they were friends, we were never shown how close they really were. This episode fixed that as Jake came across like he really cared about Charles, and watching the two of them try to solve this problem in his life gave us a lot of insight into how both characters operate and how much they care about each other. It's a load of fun and there are plenty of funny moments sprinkled throughout the episode. The other storylines don't hold up as well but there are funny moments for sure within them. Amy is a lot of fun in the diet storyline mainly due to Melissa Fumero's excellent performance. Terry is as fun as ever as well. The Holt/Rosa story does seem a bit empty but it's still enjoyable due to the hilarious interactions between them (see: Best Moment). Though I still find Rosa to be a bit of a one-note character, she is funny most times that she's on-screen and I enjoy that. The Bad: The diet storyline is a bit too absurd. The foods provided by the diet are so absurdly small that it's impossible to buy into it as a real thing and that breaks my immersion in the episode. It doesn't help that much of that storyline relied on overacting and silly storytelling which was tough to buy into. Regardless of how good the performances are, it isn't funny if it's too ridiculous to feel like it belongs in the show. The Charles story had a bit of a jarring conclusion. It felt like the episode didn't spend enough time on what happened once Charles talked with Vivian. Additionally, I was disappointed to get yet another hamfisted "lesson learned" moment for Jake when he talks to Amy about what happened with Charles. I've seen it so many times now that I simply roll my eyes whenever it happens. Best Moment: Holt and Rosa saying sorry to each other over and over again was hilarious and acted perfectly. Character of the Episode: Jake again. The last few episodes have been wonderful for the character. Conclusion: This episode embodies my feelings for the show so far. There are engaging storylines with strong character work and excellent performances from the cast to keep the show funny. But repetitive patterns, a lack of subtlety and over-the-top ridiculousness take away from the episode. In the end we get a very good episode, but not a great one. The quality of the show is fine so far but I see potential for so much more. Score: 66 Summary: Jake becomes jealous when he sees Amy talking with an old cop friend when the precinct goes to a training session. Rosa is upset with Boyle when she doesn't get invited to his wedding. Holt becomes addicted to a phone game.
The Good: This was an episode filled with very strong storytelling. All 3 storylines were unique and I enjoyed them very much. It's always great when we see more to Jake than his silly exterior, and that happens here when he tries to impress Amy and comes to terms with the fact that he likes her. The story is very well done without any dumb melodrama, and there are a lot of good jokes throughout. The ending is also a bit sad as Amy ends up going out with Teddy instead of Jake anyways. Charles and Rosa's story is also pretty well done. It's funny watching Rosa let her anger out towards Charles, and it makes sense why she would be upset since Charles seems to be undervaluing the friendship they had been building the last few episodes. It's nice to see them both talk it out and work out the issues. Lastly, there's Holt's addiction to "Kwazy Kupcakes" which is a bit of a needless story compared to the others, but it works as a funny C-story that utilizes both Holt and Gina very well. I thought this episode was a nice step-up in terms of humour. The jokes here were original and I laughed a number of times. The cold open was absolutely the highlight for me (see: Best Moment). Lastly, I really enjoyed the concept of having an episode set during a police training session. I like to see the show utilizing the unique aspects of the police precinct setting like this. The Bad: Nothing I would call outright bad. Though I am a bit disappointed that I didn't enjoy this episode more than I did. While the comedy was very good, I still feel that it could be better. This episode had a more serious tone, which was fitting considering the storylines, but I watch comedy TV shows to laugh, so I can only go so high on my score for episodes like this that emphasize characters over laughs. This doesn't mean I don't like this style of episode, it just means that I find funnier episodes to be a better comedy experience. Best Moment: The cold open was hilarious. Charles passing his "STDs" around was a funny misconception, and seeing everyone teasing him for it was wonderful. The ending with Hitchcock abruptly ruining the fun by saying "I have an STD" was perfect, and it made for the funniest moment of the episode. Character of the Episode: Jake, I really liked his growth in this episode. Conclusion: This was good stuff. The character development here was really strong in all 3 stories, and I found myself having a lot of fun with this episode. While not a drop-dead funny episode, this is still one of the show's better efforts. Score: 72 Summary: Jake desperately tries to find a way to keep his apartment once he realizes that he's going to be kicked out. Holt and Terry evaluate the precinct for their performances the past year. Charles and Rosa try to get back at Detective Lohank, a member of the weekend squad who Rosa despises.
The Good: There are some good things here. Charles and Rosa have an excellent storyline that brings them closer together as friends now that Charles is in love with somebody else. We also get to expand the world a little bit and introduce the concept of a weekend crew in the precinct which is a welcome addition. As for the other characters, the occasional joke lands well and there are some laughs to be had. The Bad: Outside of the great Charles/Rosa story, this episode embodied everything I've disliked about the show so far. The characters here were honestly quite boring. Everybody outside of Charles and Rosa were only utilized in the form of their most repetitive and played out character traits, especially Terry, Holt and Amy. How many times do we have to see Holt covertly mentor someone? How many times do we need to see Terry struggling to straighten out his crew? How many times do we need to see Amy be driven by a need to please authority? We've seen it all so many times now that it has become boring and is no longer funny. Simply repeating these jokes gets the story nowhere and the show is relying heavily on this habit. I also didn't really enjoy Jake in this episode. His conflict is way over-the-top in this episode, and that coupled with Jake's childlike behaviour makes it impossible to invest in his story. Furthermore, his blowout with Gina was horribly done and I didn't buy for a second that Jake would get upset with her for being more grown up than he is. And of course the show once again decided to ignore any opportunity for subtlety by spelling out this conflict for us throughout the episode. Lastly, Gina as a character has some deep flaws. She is pretty one-note like most of the other cast, but this problem is made worse because the show loves to treat her as some sort of wise sage character by always having her be right, which is made worse by her irritating habits and extreme degree of selfishness. A character trait like that should be something to improve, not something to condone, and the show's inability to do this and make Gina more likable is creating a disconnect between the character and the audience. Best Moment: Hitchcock allowing his poor performance to slip past because it's a "self-evaluation" was a really clever joke. Character of the Episode: Charles. Conclusion: This was a frustrating episode. Charles and Rosa did well to save the score, but the rest of this suffered from the biggest problems of the season. The show's issues with repetitiveness, subtlety and one-note characters needs to be fixed. The show has proven to be able to correct this to a small degree, but I need to see a bigger change soon. Score: 52 Summary: Jake tries to help Charles when he suspects that Charles is going to go too far in his relationship with Vivian and scare her away like he has done with several other girls. Holt works hard to remain as president of an organization he created once a competitor arises. Rosa and Amy deal with "Super Dan", an annoying civilian who claims to have information to help them.
The Good: There was a lot of strong stuff here. Charles stole the show as he got to play a wildly different version of the same character, showing us some elements of him that we haven't seen before. I thought that Joe Lo Truglio was outstanding here, he's been the most consistent character on the show so far and for good reason. He does a wonderful job and is funny almost every time he appears. Jake was also really good this episode as he showed a more mature side to him as he tries to prevent Charles from messing up like he always does, before realizing that having Charles just be himself was the best outcome in the end. It's a nice bit of character work for Jake. Meanwhile, Holt and Gina have a very strong subplot that nicely showcases both of their characters. Holt is a joy to watch as always, and his more competitive side comes out here in enjoyable fashion. The episode leads to a nice conclusion as well where Holt decides to step back from his organization to allow a fresh new mind to take it into the future. Gina is very funny here as well. She pairs up well with Holt who is able to tone down her more annoying traits due to his superior position, making Gina feel more relatable, and even making a lot of her jokes funnier. The Bad: There is some sloppiness here though and the show still isn't able to fully click the way I want it to. The Rosa/Amy plot was completely superfluous and didn't do much for either character. I was shocked that both of them, especially Amy, were willing to completely disregard rules and ignore Super Dan simply because he was annoying. It was out of character and made them both look like complete idiots. Furthermore, the story continued the show's lack of subtlety as their arc in this episode is literally spelled out to us by Terry. There are a few odd details that also bother me. I thought that Jake and Charles' falling out at the dinner wasn't very well conveyed, and presenting Jake with an attractive woman as an obstacle was both cheap and unfunny. The show is showing a habit of repeating jokes now and it's starting to irk me. How many times have we seen the same joke about a character's personality over and over again? This episode has the best example of that as for the second episode in a row there's a joke about how Holt is considered to be extremely funny despite saying things that aren't funny. The only difference here is that it's Gina reacting and not Jake. Reusing jokes like this is extremely unoriginal. Let's have more creativity next time. Best Moment: There are a few really great lines. My favourite is Gina providing Holt the backstory of somebody who died in WWI and not realizing it until she finished her story. Character of the Episode: Charles. Conclusion: This episode nailed the character dynamics and there was some really strong character stuff here. Unfortunately, the comedy felt lacking and the show feels painfully on-the-nose right now. It's still very enjoyable television, but there's still plenty to iron out. Score: 65 Summary: The crew cause chaos after Holt's husband Kevin invites them to Holt's birthday party.
The Good: This is a fun episode. Putting everyone together in Holt's house for a single storyline was a terrific decision and it led to a more united episode that was tremendously fun to watch. Each character is used pretty well and it leads to some good jokes as well as a great overarching story as the cops manage to earn Kevin's respect in spite of their strange behaviour at the party. Jake's story is typical for the character as he behaves immaturely to make friends with Kevin, Charles' story is interesting as he is presented with a new love interest, and Amy and Terry are both given good roles as well. Gina, Rosa, Hitchcock and Scully also fit in naturally for some of the episode's best laughs. This episode ends up being consistently enjoyable as a result. Furthermore, we finally meet Holt's husband who is a wonderfully fun character throughout the episode. The Bad: Something about this episode didn't land as hard as I think it could have otherwise. The show still lacks subtlety, and this is another episode that teaches the characters a lesson in a very hamfisted way. I wasn't very pleased with Amy's behaviour. I understand that she's pressured when she's around Holt but she was so out of control in this episode that it was difficult to believe. While I liked the idea of having all the characters together for the storyline, it wasn't as exciting in practice since everyone split off into their own storylines once they got to the party anyways. Best Moment: Jake, Amy and Terry getting stuck in Holt's bathroom and then being caught was a hilarious climax to the episode. Character of the Episode: Jake. Conclusion: This was a good episode with some fun storytelling and strong laughs. The show is still missing a spark to get it to the next level, but this was still really strong and consistent comedy. Score: 70 Summary: Monica and Chandler try to prepare vows for their wedding.
The Good: As ever, writing vows makes for a decent enough story and gives this episode something to focus on by exploring Monica and Chandler's relationship. The Bad: Unfortunately, the episode chooses to do this through a clip show which feels like a tremendous waste. The clip show does work well enough because it reflects Chandler and Monica's relationship and heavily focuses on some of the best jokes from season 5. But a clip show is still rehashing content from older episodes and so it still feels like a waste of time. Best Moment: Joey had a clever line, saying that Chandler could steal Monica's vows as long as he said them first. Character of the Episode: Joey. Conclusion: I don't enjoy clip shows, but admittedly this was probably the best clip shows can be. Still, it isn't enough to merit anything close to a good score. Score: 42 Summary: Jake tries to convince Amy to stay in the precinct when she gets an interview at Major Crimes. Holt and Terry work together to increase office efficiency with work piling up.
The Good: The cameos in this episode were very fun. The Vulture, Mlepnos and Fire Marshal Boone all returned and we also got welcome cameos from Adam Sandler and Joe Theisman which did well to liven up the episode. Amy and Jake's relationship also continued to get fleshed out decently well, and their chemistry together is proving to be quite good. I thought Holt and Terry were enjoyable in their roles and the office storyline was pretty well done. The Bad: Unfortunately this episode was another that left me feeling rather disappointed. The show is really lacking subtlety right now and it feels almost formulaic. In this episode, like the last, Jake acts irresponsibly for much of the episode before having his lesson spelled out for him near the end of the episode when he promptly redeems himself. It's very basic storytelling that's become predictable and cheesy, and it doesn't lead to any memorable laughs either. Hopefully the show has more ideas for where to go in future episodes. I thought the supporting cast weren't utilized very well in this episode outside of the mission to prevent the Vulture from stealing the case at the start of the episode. The entire precinct was made to look like chumps and were solely defined by their one-dimensional traits as Terry and Holt manipulated them, leading to a completely unsatisfying ending where Gina pulls back the curtain with an ending that really didn't feel satisfying at all. The story didn't lead anywhere and it completely failed to make a point. Best Moment: Holt crying at the beautiful statistical analysis was a fantastic joke that elevated a mediocre episode. Character of the Episode: Amy. Conclusion: Despite a bunch of flashy cameos, this episode disappointed me with repetition, poor treatment of the characters and overall lack of memorable jokes. This is the worst episode of the show so far. 15 episodes in, and the show is already starting to display major cracks in its foundation. That's not a good sign. Score: 55 Summary: Jake brings Terry back into the field for a case he's working on but has second thoughts. Amy and Rosa are tasked with helping Gina after her house was broken into.
The Good: The early parts of this episode were very funny. The jokes were consistently funny and I thought this was going to be on course for once of the best episodes of the series. While that didn't happen (see: The Bad), the early parts of the episode did feature a ton of great comedy. Terry was fantastic throughout and I enjoyed most of what Jake and Charles did. Holt was as consistent as ever as well. The side story wasn't as well handled but there were certainly some strong moments there. The Bad: Unfortunately the storylines here weren't very well done. Gina being scared makes sense, but the story felt engineered to make Rosa and Amy learn a very obvious lesson which by all rights they should already have known. Additionally, Gina's always been a character that borders on annoying, and I think she went too far in this episode. The show has made her a bit too grating in a few episodes and this was one of them. I was enjoying Jake and Terry's story initially but then it took an absurd turn when Jake suddenly decided that they had to protect Terry. The explanation for his sudden character shift wasn't enough and it was extremely difficult to buy into this over-the-top change in Jake's character. To explain it away with Jake's daddy issues feels extremely lazy as the show has already gone to that to explain Jake's erratic behaviour before. It feels repetitive to go back to it again. Best Moment: The cold open with the precinct trying to figure out if Kelly was Scully's wife or dog was fantastic comedy. The show does a terrific job making them hilarious every single episode. Character of the Episode: Terry. Conclusion: This episode started off with some excellent jokes, but as the storylines headed further into absurdity, the episode suffered as a whole. This ended up being pretty disappointing, despite still being a funny episode. Score: 61 Summary: Jake and Amy's bet is resolved and Amy ends up going on a date with Jake. Holt accidentally lets it slip that Terry is back working in the field to Sharon. Rosa tries to avoid Charles who is drugged up and can't control what he's saying.
The Good: This was another very funny episode. There were consistent jokes throughout the episode and each character got many moments to shine. Jake and Amy were a lot of fun, and I really liked the development their relationship got. It showed us a different, more mature side to Jake as he got to spend more time with Amy to develop a more meaningful relationship. Furthermore, their interactions were very fun throughout the episode and made for some consistent laughs. Holt was also really good in this episode as the agent of destruction, saying things at the worst time every time he opened his mouth. It was very funny to watch him realize what he has done while Terry pleads to him to stop trying to help. Lastly, there's the Gina/Rosa/Charles storyline which I thought had a lot of funny moments as well as a nice character moment as Charles admitted that Rosa doesn't have to be extra nice because of what he did. Gina in particular was quite funny and had her best episode on the series so far. The Bad: The Amy/Jake and Charles/Rosa storylines haven't been my favourite parts of the show but I thought they were handled quite well here. Still there is something that feels a little bit forced about these relationships, though I think that this may air out in time. Charles' truth bombs made for good comedy but they did feel like a very cheap gimmick. Best Moment: The funniest laugh was definitely Holt faking a text message like Charles did in order to escape from Sharon. Character of the Episode: It's very tough to choose. I'll go with Holt for this one. Conclusion: This was an excellent episode that handled its characters brilliantly and provided a lot of laughs. There are still storylines that need to be ironed out, but the writing of the show is getting richer and the jokes are getting funnier. I can only imagine how good the show can become if it keeps improving like this. Score: 75 Summary: Jake and Rosa work together to catch the famed Pontiac bandit with the help of a criminal they caught named Doug Judy. Charles returns after recovering but everyone int he precinct is annoyed by his antics. Holt searches for somebody to adopt 2 puppies.
The Good: This was a really fun episode an done that was heavy on laughs. The A-story with Jake and Rosa was superb. Their dynamic was fun to explore, felt real, and led to several hilarious moments between them and Doug Judy. Speaking of whom, Doug Judy stole the show with a welcome cameo from Craig Robinson who is wonderfully funny and charismatic in the role. The ending twist is easy to see coming but it's still a lot of fun to watch. The B-story isn't as good but it still leads to a number of funny moments as the squad gets consistently grossed out by having to help Charles in situations that escalate in hilarity. Gina is particularly funny here and her egotistical, almost annoying behaviour is funnier to watch than it should be. Charles meanwhile is as endearing as ever, and I really liked that he was smart enough to realize that everyone else is avoiding him. It's a wonderful way to humanize the character and add more reality in what was a rather silly plot. The Bad: The Charles plot is a bit extreme as it's hard to believe that everyone would escape to the evidence lock-up the way they did without anybody noticing. The Holt's dogs plot feels tacked on and doesn't add much to the episode. Best Moment: Poor Terry having to hold Charles as he goes to the urinal. Character of the Episode: Doug Judy. Conclusion: This ended up being a really fun episode. The 2 main stories were very funny and were a pleasure to watch, outside of a few small nitpicks. The highlight for sure was Craig Robinson as Doug Judy, a character who I hope we will see again in the future as his interactions with Jake and Rosa were a ton of fun. After a stretch of episodes that didn't fully satisfy me from a comedy standpoint, this consistently funny episode was a joy to watch. Score: 71 Summary: Jake is assigned to protect Holt when he receives a number of death threats. Terry goes to a psych eval to see if he's ready to return to the field. Amy tries to make Rosa smile to get a good picture of her for Holt's Christmas card.
The Good: This episode did a good job handling the characters. The A-story is easily the best one here. We get to see a new side of Holt as he shows his stubborn side as he attempts to handle the death threats himself. Furthermore we get a wonderfully funny flashback as Holt arrests the "freestyle killer" in hilarious fashion in what was one of the few good jokes of the episode. I also enjoyed Jake's role in these flashbacks. He is still silly, a bit too much at times (see: The Bad), but he's also earnest here in his desire to ensure his captain doesn't get himself killed. The side stories have their moments. Terry is funny as ever in his over-the-top story, and I thought the pay-off of him stamping the page himself was a funny and satisfying way to get him to return to action, even if it doesn't really make sense. Lastly, Amy's story has some good moments, the highlight of which being Hitchcock's attempt to make Rosa smile. The Bad: This episode isn't particularly funny and I think it's really lacking in memorable laughs. Having only a few good chuckles throughout the episode isn't enough for a sitcom. The two side stories in particular are quite forgettable and don't add much to the episode. While I do enjoy Amy, there's something lacking in her stories as they are often ridiculous and play up Amy's most extreme qualities instead of letting the character be her natural self. Lastly, I thought the climactic sequence of the episode was disappointing. It wasn't very funny and I thought that any emotional impact it might have had was snubbed by Jake's nonsensical jokes which he really shouldn't have been making in a life or death situation. Best Moment: Charles is probably the most consistently funny character along with Holt. The funniest moment of the episode is when he's pressured to choose between helping Holt or Jake and he caves and proceeds to handcuff himself to them. Character of the Episode: Holt. Conclusion: This was a fine enough episode, but the show's impulse to go way too far in an attempt to be funny is really hurting it. As such, there aren't any memorable laughs here, and while the storytelling is solid enough, it isn't enough to justify an episode that unfortunately isn't very funny. Score: 61 Summary: Amy organizes a Thanksgiving dinner with hopes to impress Hotl with a toast but things don't go as planned. Jake hates Thanksgiving and is eager to go with Holt when a case comes up. Terry is desperate to eat when the food he keeps in the fridge goes bad.
The Good: The cast does a terrific job here and everyone shined in this episode. There were plenty of strong jokes across all of the storylines, leaving us with a consistently funny episode that gets a lot of things right. Amy got to shine in this episode, and while her need to suck up to Holt is starting to get a bit dry, Melissa Fumero does a terrific job making it feel more grounded and funny. Charles has a great episode as well, and I continue to enjoy how his character is handled. Gina, Rosa and Terry had very fun side stories and the show got a lot of comedy out of their antics. Even Hitchcock and Scully got a few memorable moments with Hitchcock having the funniest line of the episode (see: Best Moment). Lastly we get to Jake and Holt who continue to play off of each other very well. Their detective work together as "Barley and Jimes" was tremendously fun as Jake was as quirky and immature as ever, while Holt continued to be fed up with Jake while still showing glimpses of a more fun side with moments like when he deliberately messes with Jake in the car and when he fully embraces the identity of Jimes. The Bad: There was some sloppiness here though. It's strange how so many characters in sitcoms seem to despite holidays like Thanksgiving. Jake and Rosa's disdain for Thanksgiving feels like it's taken straight out of "Friends" and there isn't much originality given to the idea in this episode. Some aspects of the episode also didn't work for me. For example, Amy being a horrible cook was a typical sitcom gag that didn't need to be included to the degree that it was. I also thought that Terry's story was nonsensical. Are we really supposed to believe that his food would all spoil because the fridge was left slightly open for a little while? Furthermore, why would he not just stop by home or anywhere else to get some food if he was so hungry? Terry Crews is funny but the entire story is nonsensical. Best Moment: Though I loved Holt's outburst where he took up the identity of Jimes, the line that made me laugh the most was the shirtless Hitchcock saying "you can't spill food on your shirt if you're not wearing a shirt". Character of the Episode: Holt. Conclusion: Though there were moments of generic sitcom writing, this was a strong and consistently funny episode. Score: 67 Summary: Rachel reunites with her friend Melissa from college who she kissed. Phoebe doesn't believe her and Rachel sets out to prove that it did happen. Chandler and Ross get tuxedos for the wedding. Joey tries to convince Monica to let his parents come to the wedding.
The Good: The start of the episode is brilliant and has shades of the show "Friends" used to be in it. The episode sets up a simple and realistic storyline as Rachel meets a friend from the past who she shares an awkward history with, and the rest of the scene is spent discussing this with a bunch of clever jokes thrown in. It's a shame that the rest of the episode didn't live up to the realistic humour in this opening scene. Joey had a fantastic episode and is hilarious whenever he pops up with several great lines. The Bad: Unfortunately the 3 plots of this episode aren't very good. Phoebe is awful again as she blatantly doesn't believe Rachel and subtly insults her and is downright mean to her. Their story does not have a good resolution either as Melissa's character's realistic nature is sacrificed for a bad joke revealing that she's in love with Rachel for some reason. It's an awkward moment that isn't really funny and doesn't serve to cap off Rachel and Phoebe's story at all. Chandler and Ross' story isn't very good either. They have the occasional funny line but the characters aren't portrayed very well. Ross is surprisingly childlike at times while Chandler comes off as woefully pathetic. Chandler's comedy used to come from the fact that he's sarcastic and witty, but now it's just endless self-deprecation and he seems to be the butt of every joke. The show has changed the style of comedy surrounding Chandler and it hasn't been for the better. The Joey plot is saved by how funny he is but there isn't a whole lot to that one either. Best Moment: The entire opening sequence, highlighted by Joey excited to hear more from Rachel's story and Ross' claim at the end of how two of his wives have now become lesbians. Character of the Episode: Joey. Conclusion: This is a funny episode that had a lot of potential, but some sloppy writing and poor handling of characters really hurt what I initially thought could have been one of the season's best episodes. A disappointment overall. Score: 55 Summary: Jake's favourite pizza place burns down and he works with Charles to solve the crime, coming head to head with the fire department. Amy is jealous when Rosa is offered a position of captain which she declines. Terry enlists Gina's help to hire a new IT director.
The Good: This is another good story for Jake. We get to see the pros and cons of his detective work here as his intellect remains unmatched but he's too eager to break rules in order to prove himself. This episode does offer the nice twist of tying the burning of Sal's pizza to Jake's troubled childhood which was a welcome detail that allowed us to understand more about Jake as a character. The feud between the police and fire department is pretty generic but it does lead to some fun interactions with fire marshal Boone. The Terry/Gina subplot is excellent and showcases Gina's skills in a funny way. It's a good B-story to include in a season 1 episode. The Bad: Amy and Rosa's story wasn't as good as the rest. It did neatly show off Amy and Rosa's characters, but it was annoying to watch as the show tried to make Amy's blatant jealousy funny. While it does make sense as part of her character, it is annoying to watch and doesn't make for good comedy. As mentioned above, the police department vs fire department story is very simplistic and unoriginal and I wasn't thrilled with where it went. Best Moment: Holt appreciating Charles' blog posts because they are the only ones that measure mouthfeel. Character of the Episode: Gina. Conclusion: This was more solid stuff, though this episode was certainly weaker than the last few due to a lack of memorable moments and one of the stories not landing with me. Score: 65 Summary: Jake and Amy are watched at work by one of Jake's heroes, the author Jimmy Brogan who wants to write about the NYPD in the modern day compared to the 70s. Charles and Terry try to make Rosa presentable for her testimony as a witness.
The Good: The main storyline is quite strong and showcases some excellent character development. The storyline of 'Jake screws up and has to learn from his mistakes' is getting played out pretty quick, but this was a refreshing take on that story as Jake actually gets to demonstrate his growth and virtue as a person by defending Holt's honour and lashing out against Jimmy Brogan when he really shouldn't have. It's a nice take on the traditional story of meeting a hero who ends up being quite disappointing, plus it finally gives us a positive outlook on Jake. I was also quite pleased with the end of the episode as Holt finally begins to soften up on Jake after he learns that Jake stood up for him. Plus there are some good jokes between Jake and Amy. The side story is fine for a few laughs as well with Charles' antics being tremendously enjoyable. Lastly, I liked Stacy Keach's cameo and I thought his character was a fun addition to the episode. The Bad: Unfortunately the side story does feel like pure filler and never fully engages me. I didn't think this episode was the funniest. There were decent jokes but never anything that came close to getting me to laugh hard. I was a bit annoyed by the two different versions of the scene where Jake punches Brogan. It was a cheap way to save the reveal for later in the episode. Best Moment: Holt manipulating Amy to get her to tell him about what Jake did was easily the best joke of the episode. We haven't seen enough of this relationship so far but now I want to see more. Character of the Episode: Charles. Conclusion: This episode told a nice story and finally got to giving Jake some positive characterization. Though it isn't the funniest episode, it's still a good watch. Score: 66 |
Aaron DhillonJust a university student who loves to watch TV. And analyze it way too much. Archives
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