Summary: Jake organizes a heist before Holt and Amy leave the precinct, also planning to announce his retirement from the Nine Nine. After a final crazy heist, the members of the Nine-Nine spend one final night together and then move on.
The Good: I've decided to tackle this two-part finale as a single episode because it was clearly intended to be viewed as a double-length episode instead of as two different episodes. Thankfully, the experience was wonderful. I've had major problems with season 8 as "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" felt like a show running out of ideas the entire season. But luckily that didn't interfere with my love for these characters and I was still able to enjoy and appreciate this series finale. I'm thrilled by the decision to end of the series with a heist. If I'm being entirely honest, the heists will likely be all that I remember this show for 10 years from now because they were easily the highlight experience of what was otherwise a solid but not great sitcom. And this last one maintained that trend. I was nervous that going for 40 minutes would make this episode feel stale, but this was packed with original jokes, callbacks, hilarious absurdity, and clever plans to make this stand out just as well as every other heist episode. This one even had the extra emotion of being the last episode of the show to make it stand out further. But what I will focus on, as always with these heists, is the absolute absurdity of what happened here. I've maintained that "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" is best when its not taking itself seriously - the cast is the best aspect of the show and when the cast members are allowed to go bananas with the characters they have been given, it will make superb television. Once again, that's what we got here. The twists and jokes in this episode were outstanding and somehow the show even reached new highs with moments like Terry's fake interview , the fake-out of Jake waking up in the future, and Holt showing off his absurdly amazing tattoo. The conclusion for all of the characters also felt natural. Jake quitting the force to be a good parent, Holt leaving, Terry being left in charge, and several of the characters making peace with one another all felt satisfying. The final scene with the gang all coming back together the next year for another heist was a perfect ending scene that kept with the spirit of the show. The Bad: Not all of the cameos worked. Gina never clicked as a character with me post-season 1, and her return was flat and uninteresting. Some of the other returning characters weren't given enough original material so they just went through the same tired jokes, like Teddy, Pimento, Mlepnos, Bill, and Caleb. Best Moment: This was an episode packed with spectacular laughs and it's hard to choose the best one. I'll go with the clever fake-out of Jake waking up in the future only for it to be yet another absurd elaborate scheme by Amy in an attempt to win the heist. Character of the Episode: Holt. Conclusion: This was an excellent finale. Even with the double-length, this never felt long and there were tons and tons of jokes that took up the entire episode. I ended the show feeling satisfied with where everyone ended up, and I'm pleased that we finished on a high note, even if season 8 was not a particularly good season. "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" as a whole is a show that I have somewhat mixed feelings about. It's a good show, and I laughed a lot watching these last 8 seasons. But I still feel like it never quite lived up to its full potential and thinking back on it, the show is somewhat forgettable when you think about great sitcoms in the last 10-20 years. I do think that I overrated much of the show, but there were certainly some fantastic highlights in its run like the iconic heist episodes and classic episodes like "The Box" and "99". Season 8 as a whole was disappointing and it feels clear that the show should have ended in season 7 with how badly the writers struggled for good ideas this season. However, this final episode was terrific and it ends the show on a positive note. Score: 78
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Summary: Holt and Kevin have a vow renewal ceremony, but it's undercut when Holt decides to work a case with Jake; his final case before he retires. Terry and Amy help with the case and Terry helps Amy process Holt's retirement.
The Good: The concept of this episode is great and it allows the episode to have some genuine character development, especially for Holt and Amy. We learn more about them and they have some really nice moments. Holt enjoying his final case too much was a blast to watch, and Amy's petrified state while trying to work with Terry is very funny. I enjoyed both the Jake/Holt and Terry/Amy dynamic in this episode, and the jokes were well written and clever. Terry screwing up by leaking Holt's retirement to Amy is in-character for him and was a really strong laugh. I also really liked the cold open as Holt ever-so-casually drops the detail that he will be retiring. The Bad: This season has relied too much on bleeping out swear words for its jokes. This was used sparingly in previous seasons for some good jokes, and it worked. But now it has run its course with almost every episode having a "bleep" joke. Best Moment: Holt's hilarious porn cover story, followed by the reveal that Holt doesn't even know the name of Jake's son. Character of the Episode: Holt. Conclusion: Here's a much better episode. Unlike the previous unfunny instalment, this episode utilized its characters well, had a clever premise, and had several good laughs. A strong episode of comedy. Score: 66 Summary: Charles takes Jake and Terry to visit the Boyle farm and they stumble onto a murder mystery. Amy and Rosa set Holt up on a date to try to get him to realize how good Kevin is.
The Good: Charles not being a Boyle is a fun twist and there are some decent jokes regarding that. Holt has a really good episode, and it's a blast to hear the never-ending list of intricate details that Holt despises. The episode is very cheesy, and that works to its full effect with the Holt/Kevin kiss scene, a scene that earns its cheesy parody of "The Notebook" considering the themes of the storyline. The Bad: Much of this episode was really bad. The cheesiness worked in only that one scene and everywhere else it was sloppy. The entire murder mystery plot is just awful. It's quite literally "Knives Out" if it was a garbage movie. The story is rushed, has no good laughs, and is too busy trying to imitate "Knives Out" to have any real intrigue, comedy, or character development. The episode is sloppily written in a number of areas (I thought Gina was given the only remaining sourdough starter, how is there more?) with dumb twists that are neither dramatic nor funny. Furthermore, the pacing of the murder mystery plot is too quick, ensuring that none of the plot moments land at all. Charles not being a Boyle is an interesting twist but it isn't explored properly. Jake and Terry come off as bad friends for most of the episode, and Charles doesn't really learn anything from the experience. "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" no longer seems interesting in exploring its characters or letting them grow. I can't think of a single good character moment in this season. The side story with Holt also falls flat for the most part. The characters don't do anything new and the story is extremely dull. Best Moment: Holt and Kevin's gloriously cheesy kiss. Character of the Episode: Holt. Conclusion: This is easily one of the show's worst episodes. Unlike last season's "Dillman", the parody here falls entirely flat, and the charm of the characters is nowhere near enough to cover up the sloppy writing and lack of laughs. Score: 39 Summary: Jake gets in trouble after working on a case he shouldn't have been working on and arresting an innocent man. Rosa and Amy try to get O'Sullivan drunk to see if he set up Jake. Terry and Charles fight over who gets to sell Scully candy.
The Good: O'Sullivan is like a funnier version of John Kelly. His open corruption leads to some really funny lines and his cartoonish evilness is self-aware enough to be really funny. He is more of a caricature than a character, but he makes the show funnier. It's amusing that he was behind the whole candy conflict between Charles and Terry. And it's more amusing that him setting up Jake would be out-of-character because he doesn't hide when he's blackmailing. There were some funny moments in the ridiculous storylines of this episode. The Bad: It feels like "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" should have ended last season. The writers have lost sight of what made the show funny and what made these characters likeable. Now we just see silly, nonsensical stuff in almost every episode and this is probably the worst example. Holt behaves like a clown in every episode, and he is more of a joke dispenser than an actual character. He's changed, but not in a way that feels organic. Jake getting in trouble here doesn't work at all because this is the same behaviour that Jake did in previous episodes, but it wasn't addressed as anything too serious back then. We have been conditioned to laugh at Jake's antics because this is a lighthearted, unrealistic cop show. To suddenly change that by using Jake being Jake for a realistic political message about cops is jarring. Amy and Rosa getting drunk had funny moments, but it feels like we have seen inebriated characters far too often this season. The show is running out of ideas for how to be funny. Terry and Charles' conflict is really bad and overly childish. There are good lines but both characters come off poorly. Best Moment: O'Sullivan's constant attempts to blackmail Character of the Episode: O'Sullivan. Conclusion: This episode had some laughs, but it also had heaps of absurdity. This last season has not been going well so far. Score: 45 Summary: Jake decides to drive Doug to prison after her gets arrested but things get tense when Doug reveals that he plans to escape.
The Good: This was a proper farewell to Doug, and every interaction and callback landed. Jake and Doug have such a fun relationship, and it was enjoyable to see them ham it up for one final time. I applaud the decision to center the entire episode on these two without any unnecessary B-plots. It helped make this episode stand out. True to Pontiac Bandit episodes of the past, there were plenty of fun twists and turns mixed in with the fun of the Jake/Doug relationship, and it led naturally to a great ending as Doug and Jake's friendship shines through, and Doug somehow manages to make one final escape - this time with Jake's help. The jokes were very good in this episode, some of the funniest of the whole season. I really liked the brief cameos from Holt, Rosa and Charles, as all three added some good laughs. The Bad: This episode celebrated past Pontiac Bandit episodes, but it didn't add any new ideas. Emotionally and comedically it worked extremely well, but it can only get so far while looking into the past. Furthermore, I predicted every single twist and turn beforehand because I've seen 7 Pontiac Bandit episodes now and I can see where things are headed. It takes away a little from the episode when I can predict everything. Trudy's appearance didn't add much and was more annoying than anything else. Best Moment: There are plenty of lovely jokes. I'll go with Jake consistently ending up calling Trudy instead of who he wants to call. Character of the Episode: Doug. Conclusion: I had a lot of fun watching this episode. It was predictable, but it gave us a lovely conclusion to Doug’s story. Easily the best episode of season 8 so far. Score: 69 Summary: Amy and Jake struggle to balance parenting with their career. Charles tracks down a serial killer alongside Jake (when he has time). Holt moves in with Rosa temporarily and she tries to help him get over Kevin.
The Good: This is fine comedy overall. Jake and Amy's story is basic, but it works well enough and provides some good laughs. And it also leads up to a nice moment at the end of the episode as Jake sees Mac pull himself up. Holt and Rosa's story is very goofy but it has some fun lines here and there. The Bad: I don't have much to say about this one because it is very by-the-numbers. It's a basic sitcom plot with characters doing silly things in the A and B story. There are some laughs but nothing special throughout the episode. No character or story manages to stand out. Best Moment: Terry dissing Jake in the cold open and Jake's reaction was fantastic. Character of the Episode: Jake. Conclusion: This episode had some good moments but it felt too familiar and uninspired. Season 8 has been missing that spark of creativity that was there in previous seasons. Score: 57 Summary: Captain Holt fights against O'Sullivan when he fakes an incident of unjust hate against cops. Jake and Charles investigate but are derailed when Charles is threatened with cancer. Ros is brought in to find evidence but only agrees to do it at the promise of seeing Holt's tattoo. Amy and Terry work on reducing crime in the streets, but Terry gets sick and struggles.
The Good: The political aspects of the show were handled better here. A message wasn't shoved down our throats, and this time it didn't feel like the show was trying to be something else. The politics were woven naturally into the story. Some of the characters had nice moments to shine. It was fun hearing Charles' horrible innuendos again, and I enjoyed Holt's pride as much as ever. The Hitchcocks and Scullys from the other precincts was another fun idea. The Bad: Unfortunately I feel like the characters aren't being written as well anymore and Holt is the biggest example. Holt is far too silly and hardly feels like himself this season. Outside of the scenes with O'Sullivan, that was very much the case here. Jake and Charles' story is really bad. Its one thing to have a more serious storyline in an episode. But to have Charles be threatened with cancer and then attempt to make us laugh at that fact is really disgusting. Any gags surrounding Charles' cancer in this episode didn't work, and everybody comes off as horrible friends to him with how little they tried to make him feel better when he was faced with the vey real possibility of lethal cancer. Terry being sick wasn't a good gag and it got old quick. None of his jokes really worked. Best Moment: Holt clarifying that he is only inspired by pieces of Charles' speech rather than the whole thing. Character of the Episode: Holt. Conclusion: Poor writing and strange tonal decisions hurt this episode, and this was another episode that gives me the feeling that "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" is struggling for quality in its final season. This wasn't worth my time. Score: 44 Summary: Holt reveals he and Kevin are separating. Jake and the Nine-Nine join Holt at his lake house. Jake invites Kevin secretly in hopes of reconnecting him and Holt.
The Good: This feels more like classic "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" with the story of the squad taking a trip and getting up to some ridiculous tactics. Holt is a lot of fun as usual, and I enjoyed his relationship with Kevin a lot. The main story was solid enough and had a nice resolution. Terry was really funny here with how he played both sides, and the continuity jokes regarding Terry's loves and hates were really funny. I enjoyed high Rosa and Stephanie Beatriz did a terrific job extracting comedy out of her scenes. The Bad: This was a classic episode, but that also means that it feels like a retread. Once again we have Jake projecting his divorced parents onto something else, which feels like a tired story. The lake house trip is also something we have seen before so it doesn't feel special. The examination of Holt and Kevin's relationship is nothing special, and is handled with a heavy-handedness that is very typical of "Brooklyn Nine-Nine". The show is always better when it avoids serious storylines like this one. Amy and Charles' story has its moments but overall it doesn't work too well because both characters feel very two-dimensional and boring throughout. Also, Jake is acting like he isn't even a father in these first two episodes and has completely neglected his baby. That's pretty weak writing. Best Moment: Terry's out-of-nowhere hatred for ledges was a funny joke. Character of the Episode: Terry. Conclusion: This feels more like "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" than the last episode. Nothing here was anything special, but it was a fine episode of comedy. Score: 62 Summary: After Rosa leaves the force, Jake tries to prove to her that it's not all bad. Amy tries to strengthen her relationship with Holt after maternity leave. Terry gets annoyed at Charles' attempts to better himself.
The Good: Thankfully the cast is as good as ever and the jokes here are mostly good. Amy and Holt going through "Scully's" book of relationships is a blast of a story with a lot of good laughs. Jake makes some fun jokes throughout the episode as well. As ever, the cold open is really good as the show gets its COVID jokes out of the way while also including an excellent laugh with Jake somehow causing absolute chaos with an unintentionally epic handshake. The Bad: This episode is far too politically charged and it doesn't work. I understand that following the George Floyd incident, it feels strange to have a comedy cop show airing. However, I don't think that addressing the problem this openly in a single episode is a solution. It doesn't make up for 7 seasons of ignorance towards the corruption in the NYPD, and having such a serious turn for seemingly no reason (from a story perspective) in this final season doesn't work. With just 10 episodes left, I want to enjoy the time I have left with these characters. Spending an entire episode on politics is not what I need from this show, what I need is a good laugh. It doesn't help that "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" has always been extremely heavy-handed with its storytelling, preventing the show from exploring the ideas of police corruption in any meaningful ways. Lastly, I thought Charles' story was poor. There weren't any good laughs here, and Charles was more annoying than funny. Best Moment: The cold open. Character of the Episode: Amy. Conclusion: This episode didn't do much outwardly wrong, but the decision to focus on politics didn't work. I'm disappointed that "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" felt obligated to address the political situation in the world currently because it made for a weak return for season 8. Hopefully the rest of the season won't be as imbued with politics as this episode was. Score: 54 |
Aaron DhillonJust a university student who loves to watch TV. And analyze it way too much. Archives
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