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 Summary: Amy goes into labour as New York gets thrown into a city-wide blackout. Charles tries to get Jake back tot he precinct for the birth. Terry and Holt get trapped in an elevator.
The Good: The cast really carries this episode. The storylines are very familiar in this episode, borrowing from several sitcom tropes at once with a lot of simplistic jokes. But what makes them work is the cast who are terrific in this episode. Amy in labour shouldn't be as funny as it is, but it's a ton of fun to watch. Charles and Jake trying to get back to her is surprisingly funny because of the many guest performances that brighten the episode up with great laughs. Rosa is also really fun as she is grossed out by birth, and Terry and Holt's dance is hilarious. All the storylines are consistently fun, making for what is probably the season's most consistently enjoyable episode. The Bad: This isn't without flaws though. While funny, the episode never threatens to make me laugh hard and is a bit forgettable as a result, which is a shame for a season finale. Furthermore, even though the cast saved this episode from being bad, it doesn't mean that reusing sitcom tropes isn't a problem with this episode. The storylines and jokes were very predictable and that hurt the episode. Best Moment: Terry and Holt performing the "Salt and Pepper" dance routine in front of Amy and Rosa. Character of the Episode: Amy. Conclusion: This finale was a consistently fun watch, and while it doesn't threaten doing anything mind-blowingly hilarious, it's a funny and exciting episode to end off the season. Season 7 ended up being another solid but unspectacular season. Being so short, this season got to have only the best episode concepts being showcased, leading to no episode feeling like they didn't belong in the season. And lots of episodes had outstanding storylines that featured some of the show's best content. But in the side storylines, the show almost always faltered. It's clear to me that the writers are running out of ideas since they are reusing ideas from previous seasons, making references, and sacrificing character consistency to make jokes. What this means is that while the A-story in an episode was often good, it would be let down by silly and stupid B and C storylines more often than not. This is a season that had great ideas, but the show feels like it's approaching its natural endpoint and that shows in the decline of quality in certain episodes. I still think this was an entertaining season, but the longevity of the show is working against it. Score: 68 Summary: Holt and Kevin get Jake's help when Cheddar gets kidnapped. Charles and Terry try to start up a bone broth business. Rosa helps Amy in an attempt to win her a stroller.
The Good: The A-plot is a ton of fun with a lot of really good ideas. Centering the story around Cheddar is fun and it allows us to see Kevin and Holt in a unique new mood, which makes for a lot of fresh laughs. There are also some excellent comedic ideas here like Jake impersonating Kevin, Kevin being unable to walk through the park and Holt's epic John Wick parody sequence. I've also really enjoyed the season's running joke of Jake being unable to beat Wario. The side stories have some funny moments throughout. The Bad: The side stories have fun moments but both ultimately fall flat. Terry and Charles' storyline has more laughs, but it has the air of filler. The jokes are all nothing special and feature the show treading familiar ground the entire time. The Rosa/Amy story is poor. It's an okay idea, but in execution it fails badly. Teddy's return is terrible and does absolutely nothing new with the character. He's a caricature of who he used to be, and having him come back with the same character flaws with the same stupid jokes is painful to watch. Best Moment: "What you need is an umbrella cause there's a s*** storm gonna rain down on you, punk." Character of the Episode: Holt. Conclusion: This episode had an outstanding A-story, but the side stories really let the episode down and prevented it from being as good as it could have been. This is still a good episode, but it's one with ups and downs. Score: 65 Summary: This year's Halloween heist ends up spanning multiple holidays.
The Good: Another season goes by, and we get another awesome Halloween episode. Once more, the show proves that it still isn't running out of ideas and things can still get more and more ridiculous. The planning, interactions, cameos from Bill, twists, and all of the other Halloween staples are still hilarious and make this episode an absolute blast. There's enough innovation to make this one feel unique though. The trips to the vet are a blast and bring in several great lines, the gag with Jake's therapist being fake is genuinely hilarious and as things get more and more ridiculous, somehow the episode gets better and better. This was a ridiculous episode in all the best ways. The Bad: Some jokes are starting to get a bit stale since Holt, Jake and Amy have been bickering about who won the 5th heist for several seasons now. It's still funny, but it's starting to get repetitive. Best Moment: Jake's therapist being fake and both Amy and Rosa have been listening in on his therapy sessions. It's a fantastic joke with continuity from a previous storyline with a pretty twisted punchline with the therapist that Jake finally trusted being a fake. Character of the Episode: Rosa. Conclusion: It's a Halloween episode, so obviously it's another winner. This was more laughs, more creativity and more fun, and I absolutely loved it. I feel like I could watch episodes like these forever. Score: 81 Summary: Amy and Jake reveal that Amy's pregnant and they plan a gender reveal cake. Jake tries to connect his father and grandfather. Holt tutors Terry to help him master the flute. Rosa and Amy try to correct an important case they accidentally gave to Hitchcock and Scully.
The Good: There are plenty of good laughs here. The A-story with Jake, his father and his grandfather is really entertaining. The guest stars are a ton of fun but not at all overused. They provide a lot of good laughs, and their relationship with each other is very fun to watch. I also really enjoyed Charles' role in the story as he stole the show every time he showed up. The Terry and Holt story is over the top but it's a really funny parody of Whiplash. The Hitchcock/Scully story is decent fun as well. The episode has consistent laughs throughout and is easy to enjoy. The Bad: Two of the stories here feel repetitive. Hitchcock and Scully surprisingly being better than they look has been done before, as has Jake having concerns about fatherhood and his relationship with his father. Best Moment: Every time Holt called Terry the "garbage man". Character of the Episode: Charles. Conclusion: I didn't have much to say about this episode. It's just a good episode of "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" with a few repetitive beats, nothing more, nothing less. Score: 67 Summary: After a glitter bomb explodes on Jake's desk, Holt calls in Dillman to determine who in the squad was responsible.
The Good: Doing a whodunnit was a lovely idea and it was really fun to watch. The show always excels when the characters are together for a single story and that remained true here. Watching Dillman come in with his ridiculous attention to detail and quiz everyone is a blast, and there are a lot of high quality interactions to enjoy in this episode. Dillman himself is incredibly entertaining, helped by the fact that he's played by the great J.K. Simmons. He commands the room in every scene and his interactions with Rosa and Jake in particular are really funny. The character's resolution was also really well done, and I appreciate that Dillman is shown to be human, and the conclusion with him losing some respect from Holt at the end of the episode was well done. I was also pleased that Charles was given the task force position. The show consistently leaves Charles behind when it comes to detective work so I'm happy to see him get some credit as he is long overdue some success. I also really laughed when Charles tried to offer his position to Jake over and over anyways. The Bad: Some things didn't quite work. I haven't been a fan of how everyone has been so hostile towards each other in this season and that trend continued to set up the whodunnit. Thankfully it went away afterwards, but I was really annoyed at first. Holt is starting to feel very phony with his jokes again. It feels like the character is being forced something "funny" to say in this episode and it makes Andre Braugher's line delivery fall flat when he's obviously only saying these things because the writers had to force jokes into the episode. Rosa's character continues to be sacrificed. Apparently she watches soap operas too. The idea of Rosa being surprisingly soft isn't funny anymore because it's no longer a surprise. Best Moment: Dillman reminding Jake that he's married to a know-it-all. Character of the Episode: Dillman. Conclusion: I really liked this episode. It had everyone together, had a unique premise, a great guest star, and some great jokes. The show unfortunately has had a lot of problems this season, and that continues here. But this time there's enough excellent stuff to comfortably overcome my qualms, and I can confidently say this this is a great episode, flaws and all. Score: 70 Summary: Jake meets with Doug Judy after learning he is getting married, and joins him for his bachelor party. Terry tries to make sure everything is prepared for Holt's return to the office. Amy frets over getting a new vending machine.
The Good: Jake and Doug still have a fun relationship. Some of the antics they get up to are quite fun, especially the reverse heist. I also like that the bachelor party was all set up by Doug to fool Jake, being consistent with the Pontiac Bandit episodes throughout the show. The Bad: But the Jake and Doug interactions feel very overdone by now. It's always them singing together, which isn't as funny as it used to be since we've seen it so many times. The rest of the story doesn't quite work either. The reverse heist was rushed, the ending twist was tacked on, and Trudy feels like she doesn't belong in the episode at all. There was too much going on here. The side stories were terrible. Holt's business card is one of the show's dumbest ideas. Are we seriously supposed to believe that Holt wouldn't keep the card with him if it's so important to him? Getting upset with Terry over throwing it away is juvenile and stupid. It's beneath the character of Holt to behave so childishly without an external reason to do so. Furthermore, the emotional weight of the business card is another dumb idea. There's no reason to believe that Holt needs to learn to hold his successes closer to his heart than his failures. It feels like a shallow attempt to add weight to this episode. If anything, Holt needs to learn to stop being such an ass when talking with Terry, who was in charge of the precinct this entire time. Speaking of which, it's a disappointment that nothing was done with the dynamic of Terry being in charge. Another issue is Rosa's role in the story. She gets the most laughs, but it always feels like she does not belong in this story and is just tacked on. The vending machine story is pure filler and there aren't even any funny ideas implemented. I did not laugh once. Also there's no reason to believe that Scully and Hitchcock would not know how to sneakily get food from the vending machine, and that Charles has to show them this trick. Finally, the show seems to have forgotten that Amy got pregnant since it isn't brought up at all in this episode. There is no continuity here at all. Best Moment: Jake posing as an ASMR streamer. Character of the Episode: Rosa. Conclusion: This was another really weak episode. This season started strong, but it has had some very poor efforts since then. The Jake/Doug storyline here was fine, but everything else was horrible and brought down the episode hard. Score: 48 Summary: The Nine-Nine receives news that Wuntch is dead and Holt is ecstatic, but learns that he has to host a memorial for her. Terry and Charles compete to see who gets tickets to the premier of Kwazy Kupcakes The Movie.
The Good: The Holt storyline was really well done. Wuntch's death is a surprise twist and the writers went all out to give the character a big farewell. And it did so by hammering in insult after insult from Holt, all of them witty, creative and funny. Better yet is Rosa's reactions which make the jokes land even better. These insults were the highlight of the character of Wuntch and her relationship with Holt, so I really enjoyed this story. I thought that the Adam twist as well as Holt's eventual speech were strong moments in the episode as well which played a key role in the story while also giving some laughs. The Bad: Unfortunately everything else about this episode was really bad. While Holt and Rosa were great in their storyline, Amy was a frustrating trope. I've always been annoyed by how sitcoms portray the mood changes caused by pregnancy, and the ones with Amy were unoriginal, unfunny and downright annoying at times. The B-story was one of the worst that "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" has ever done. This show is usually so good at not selling out its characters for laughs, so what the hell happened here? Terry and Charles are both complete assholes here and don't even slightly resemble themselves. The boxing match was ridiculous stupidity, their interactions with Jake did not fit their relationship with him at all, and the conclusion with them essentially being rewarded for their awful behaviour was some of the worst writing I've seen on this show. It's frustrating because every time I would start enjoying the episode with the Holt storyline, my investment would be destroyed by how stupid this storyline was. It pains me to see good characters like Charles and Terry sabotaged like this, and for no good reason. Best Moment: Rosa claiming Wuntch's video could be a live stream and Holt's reaction to that. Holt and Rosa had many amusing interactions in this episode, and this was the best. Character of the Episode: Holt, though Rosa is a close second. Conclusion: With how good the Holt storyline was, this should be one of the best episode's of the show. But everything else was so atrocious, especially the Terry/Charles storyline, and that completely ruined this episode, turning it into a frustrating experience. Score: 55 Summary: Jake and Amy try different things to have a baby. Charles and Rosa try to find someone to buy their guinea pigs. Terry refuses to move Holt from his posting. Hitchcock tries to find the woman he met in a bar.
The Good: I really liked the A story of the episode. It doesn't always work to take a more serious turn in sitcoms but this was executed extremely well. The struggle for Jake and Amy is portrayed well and it is sad to see them gradually come to accept that they might not be able to have a baby. This is a very mature topic to explore and I think the show handled it tastefully while somehow maintaining lots of laughs throughout the episode to make sure things never feel too heavy. Moments like the guinea pig scare and the "Hitchcock way" made this story have the laughs it needed. The side stories were pretty solid as well. The focus on Hitchcock worked surprisingly well and his story is really funny, with one of the highlights being that magnificent cold open ("Hitchcock still sucks"). The other two stories are much emptier but they do their job of getting the laughs in. One of the episode's best jokes was Charles drinking from the guinea pig water bottle, which seemed like your typical silly sitcom moment. But the show explains that Terry believed it because it was Charles who did it, which was a really funny twist, integrating a sitcom trope into the story in a way that was really clever. The Bad: Holt and Terry's story is bland and doesn't have much to it at all. Holt is written pretty poorly here since he sounds like a caricature of himself saying lines that don't seem like things he would say. It feels like the writers tried to hard to come up with something funny for him. Charles and Rosa's story is ridiculous and I don't buy into the guinea pigs being kept secret for so long. Furthermore, Rosa being the "mushy one" of the squad was a poor joke that further destroys her character. Best Moment: I really enjoyed the montage in the middle of the episode. There were some funny jokes throughout and it was a pleasant surprise to see such good editing on a sitcom. Character of the Episode: Amy. Conclusion: This episode was better than it had any right to be. The mature subject matter was handled tastefully and there were plenty of great jokes throughout the episode. The side stories had some blemishes, but overall this was a consistent and funny episode. Score: 71 Summary: Jake and Rosa try to bring in Debbie after she steals cocaine from the evidence room. Amy and Holt have a contest to read through Debbie's journals.
The Good: Some jokes here were really strong. The cold open was fantastic as Debbie's nervous mannerisms were hilarious, leading up to the fantastic ending with the Hitchcock reveal, but the Nine-Nine already know that Debbie is guilty (see: Best Moment). Debbie has some fun moments as a loose cannon, and the episode definitely isn't lacking for any originality with this storyline. I also really liked the ending scene with Jake and Rosa agreeing to hide that they were beat up by Debbie, followed by Rosa taking the joke too far. The Bad: Much of this was executed poorly. Jake and Rosa's storyline doesn't work. I'm so frustrated with how the show continues to have these two feel so shallow with their motivations. I'm tired of Jake's mindset being determined by his troubled relationship with his parents and I'm tired of Rosa suddenly being able to sympathize when she connects to her relationship with her parents. It's shallow storytelling and I can't fathom why this show has done it so many times by now. I'm sick of seeing it. The handling of Debbie is awful as she completely betrays everything we learned about her this season. There is absolutely no way that the Debbie from "Manhunter" is involved with crime, and there's no way that a crime boss will be stupid enough to trust somebody like Debbie. It's completely implausible and it prevents me from ever getting into the storyline. You could say that it's all about the jokes so who cares about getting invested in the story, but if that's the case, then the show has no business making Debbie commit a serious crime while exploring morality through Jake and Rosa if it's only trying to be funny. This episode bites off more than it can chew with this storyline and the inconsistency of Debbie paired with the repetitiveness of Jake and Rosa really hurts this episode. I'm also stunned that Debbie's story to Holt in "Manhunter" about her twin never came up again. That was clearly the better story option but the show inexplicably chose to forget it. The B-story was weak. Charles sparked this change in Debbie yet that isn't mentioned at all and Charles is relegated to the sidelines in this episode. Holt and Amy's speed-reading is stupid and not at all funny. It's a silly gimmick that has no semblance in reality with how fast they are supposedly reading and memorizing, completely at odds with Jake and Rosa's lives being in danger when dealing with Debbie. Best Moment: The transition from Debbie's secret call in the women's room to Hitchcock saying "I know something but you can't ask how I know it" was fantastic. Better yet was that the squad already knew because of how suspicious Debbie was. It's a great one-two punch that really made me laugh. Character of the Episode: Debbie. Conclusion: This episode had an interesting premise and some funny jokes. But that's all the good I can say about it. The Jake/Rose conflict was shallow, unoriginal and frustrating, Debbie's character was completely destroyed and the Holt/Amy side story was incredibly dumb. All of this combined to make this one of the show's worst episodes yet. Score: 45 Summary: With Terry and Amy leaving the squad for a day, Jake decides to hold another Jimmy Jab Games to prove that he's still immature.
The Good: This season continues to celebrate past episodes of the show and nothing is more blatant than this one, bringing back a Nine-Nine tradition that hasn't been seen since season 2. The Jimmy Jabs are a good concept so I was happy to see them again, and the contest was a lot of fun, particularly with Hitchcock getting juiced by Scully's pills and Charles being an overly dramatic host. Debbie gets some good laughs and the ending with her is interesting. I wonder if she's about to make an effort to solve her sister's murder which was brought up a few episodes back. The Bad: This was a disappointment though. The games weren't as fun and before and I thought the character interactions were disappointing. Having Jake go to the immature Jake of the past was a decent idea (again playing off of how this season is celebrating the past) but it doesn't quite work and the laughs are bland. It feels like both the character and the show have moved past the point where revisiting this storyline is a good idea. The Holt/Rosa story was nothing special. I've been annoyed by how often the show goes to Rosa's more sensitive side and they do so here again. It hurts the plausibility of the character when they have revisited sad Rosa so many more times than with anyone else. The break-up with Jocelynn had no weight to it in the end. Holt's relationship with Rosa is nice to watch but it feels like treading familiar territory without enough innovation to really be special. I have reservations about the ending. It feels ridiculous that Charles can motivate Debbie to do something so drastically dangerous. Best Moment: Debbie calling herself anti-dextrous was a clever joke. Character of the Episode: Hitchcock. Conclusion: It was cool to see the Jimmy Jabs return, but the handling of them was disappointing and I was let down by the lack of memorable laughs in this episode. This season has delved into previously explored storylines with some surprisingly good results. Sadly, that wasn't the case here. This was fine but it should have been better. Score: 57 Summary: Jake tries to avoid telling Charles that he and Amy are trying to have a baby. Pimento returns with severe memory problems. The rest of the Nine-Nine attend a mandatory seminar that they all hate.
The Good: The joke quality is as good as ever. There are tons of laughs throughout the episode and I was thoroughly entertained the entire time. Pimento was used perfectly here. I've had my ups and downs with the character, but having him in one-off episodes like this works magnificently as the writers can include only the best jokes surrounding him. Most of Pimento's lines in this episode were hilarious and the interactions between him, Charles and Jake were a blast. The A-story was a bit familiar with somebody trying to kill Pimento, but thankfully the show never took itself too seriously here and told this story in a really unique way with Pimento's amnesia. I also really liked how Pimento's story was woven into the Jake/Charles story, making every second of this A-story feel meaningful and fun. The B-story with the seminar has its fun moments like Terry trying to soften up the squad for bad news. I also really loved the cold open showing Jake prank a sleeping Hitchcock once again. This season is really committing to references the earlier parts of the show. The Bad: Why are Jake and Charles somehow allowed to miss the seminar? This is such an obvious hole in that story. The seminar story also doesn't quite work because it forces the characters to be uncharacteristically awful to each other. It's a shame because this show is usually quite good at not selling out characters and their relationships with each other for cheap laughs and conflict. It happened in the Jake/Charles story as well. Jake and Charles' conflict feels repetitive, predictable and unnecessary. I don't buy into these two getting into such a big and dramatic fight. Furthermore, Charles' extreme investment in the Jake and Amy relationship has been a little weird for a while now, and it's odd that the resolution for the storyline isn't Charles choosing to be less intrusive on them. Just like how the show tries to justify Gina's selfishness, it also tries to justify Charles' creepy behaviour. Best Moment: The ending joke with Pimento finally watching Memento only to say it was "okay". The joke was perfectly executed and was a fantastic pay-off to the Finding Dory/Memento jokes throughout the episode. Character of the Episode: Pimento. Conclusion: This was a really funny episode which I thoroughly enjoyed. Unfortunately the story had some big flaws in it, but since the episode had such incredible jokes, I still think that this is a really good episode overall. Score: 69 Summary: The Nine-Nine get a new captain, Kim, who Jake and Holt immediately don't trust even though everyone else likes her. The Nine-Nine are invited to a party at Kim's house and Jake attempts to find proof that Kim is conspiring with Wuntch.
The Good: This episode seemed to be paying tribute to season 1 which I appreciate. The cold open was in the same location as the climax of the pilot episode in season 1, and the format of this episode was really similar to the season 1 formula with Jake screwing things up and learning a lesson by the end. It even paid homage to "The Party" by having the concept of a house party being disrupted by Jake's nosiness, even complete with a dog being locked away upstairs. I appreciated the nods to season 1 (the show does do a nice job of acknowledging past episodes from time to time) but what really made this stand out was what was new. Even though the formula was similar, enough was changed to really make this shine. This wasn't Jake screwing up out of immaturity, this is him screwing up for fear of yet another bad captain, and this time he actually has Holt's backing due to Holt's hilarious distress as he deals with having a new captain at the Nine-Nine. Plus the focused storyline allowed the characters to bounce off of each other really well, leading to a collection of fantastic jokes throughout the episode. This was a surprisingly funny episode. The utilization of the characters was so clever. I've already mentioned Jake and Holt, but I really liked Amy's chaperone role, Terry being terrified of the creepy ex-criminal guy (the perfectly reasonable explanation was amazing), and Charles becoming "badass Chuck" has to be one of the show's most fleshed out and memorable single-episode gimmicks its ever done due to the hilarity of the jokes and the logical explanation of why Charles is acting like this. This episode corrected a lot of the issues that "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" has typically had trouble with without sacrificing any of its strengths, which is a really impressive feat. The Bad: Having so many similarities to season 1 does have its problems though. It feels like much of this episode is treading familiar ground, and even with the bits of innovation throughout the episode, a lot of the comedy was lessened by the fact that it all felt so familiar. Furthermore, it feels odd for the show to try so hard to reference previous seasons when this season isn't the final season of the show. This would have been more effective as a celebration of the show if it was coming to an end. Best Moment: There are plenty of jokes to choose from. I'll go with Holt using sneakers for their literal purpose (sneaking) and his anger at being exposed so easily. Character of the Episode: Charles. Conclusion: This was an excellent episode that highlights the best of "Brooklyn Nine-Nine". The joke quality and execution of the storylines was top-notch. Had this episode had more original ideas it could have been one of the show's very best. Even still, it's a damn good episode that gets season 7 off to a superb start. Score: 78 Summary: Jake is put in charge of a manhunt but struggles to have the spine to take command when a demoted Holt hopes to contribute. Amy is worried that she is pregnant and tells Rosa.
The Good: The 2 storylines here are both pretty fun. I'm glad to see that Holt's demotion is already having an impact on the show, and I'm hopeful that this is the type of change that the show won't simply lose interest in and undo in 2-3 episodes. Watching the dejected Holt interact with Jake and Charles is tremendous fun and the character dynamics with Jake pitying Holt and Holt being desperate to return to his position are pretty well done, leading to several strong jokes. Meanwhile, the Amy stuff is a solid side story with a purpose as it sets up for Amy and Jake trying to have a baby. There are some fun moments here with Amy's aggression and Terry amusingly bringing too much of his personal life into his job. Debbie is also a fantastic addition. I'd love to see more of the background characters coming to light, especially with how funny Debbie was here. The Bad: The episode doesn't feel like anything too special. The case itself is pretty boring with lots of familiar jokes between Jake and Charles. I also have a burning hate for whenever the criminals try to run away since I've seen it so many times in this show by now. Best Moment: Debbie revealing her backstory was entirely unexpected and served as a hilarious punchline for the character. Character of the Episode: I'll give it to Debbie honestly. She was wonderful. Conclusion: This was a really good episode to kick off the season. There's nothing too special here, but it's consistently entertaining all the way through with some really good jokes. Score: 69 Summary: Jake recruits Wuntch, CJ and The Vulture to help the Nine Nine bring down John Kelly, leading to lots of tension. Terry is in denial about his transfer.
The Good: This episode and the last are polar opposites. Where the last episode poorly utilized the characters and had a shocking lack of effective jokes, this episode had some of the best and funniest character interactions I can remember in the show with nearly every joke landing perfectly. This is "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" working at its fullest potential. Finally the overarching story is actually used well because it doesn't take itself too seriously and the episode is packed with jokes no matter what the situation is. This show has always failed when we are expected to take it seriously. Thankfully that's not the case here at all. Furthermore, the characters are all used perfectly. Terry's gimmick makes logical sense as he's in denial about a very real problem, and the show isn't concerned with tricking us into thinking that Terry's actually leaving. It's a plot used to make jokes which is perfect, and Terry's constant denial is joked about in really clever ways. The side characters are utilized perfectly in this episode and all of them are hilarious. I've had problems with the repetitiveness of Wuntch, the blandness of The Vulture and the over-the-top nature of CJ, but I thought all three characters were at their best in this episode, bringing in jokes at perfect time. Plus with so many characters in the episode, each characters shtick never got old and it was 20 minutes of pure fun with some outstanding jokes packed in there. The Bad: Nothing I would call bad. Best Moment: It's incredibly hard to pick. I'll have to go with Rosa questioning Holt calling Wuntch a snake only for him to reply "the devil comes in many forms". The icing on the cake is Rosa nodding as if it's a perfectly reasonable explanation. Character of the Episode: It's a hard choice. I'll go with Terry for this one. Conclusion: This is exactly what I've wanted from the show. "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" is always at its best when it commits to being silly, fast-paced fun and I'm very glad that it went all out for this episode. All in all, this was a very memorable season finale that ended up being one of the show's best episodes. The season as a whole wasn't quite so good. I've used the word inconsistent many times in my reviews when describing this season and I wholeheartedly stand by that. This season had some really good episodes but it had far more stinkers than any other season. Some good ideas were explored well, but even more bad ideas came up and detracted from the episodes. In its favour, I can safely say that season 6 was the most ambitious and experimental season of the show, with plenty of episodes that took risks and tried something different. I appreciate the risks but not all of them paid off unfortunately, and a lot of choices in this season did not work. One other big talking point about this season was the departure of Gina and unfortunately this was the worst part of the season. Gina has always been the weakest character of the show and this season utilized her worse than any other. Overall, I enjoyed parts of this season but much of it was incredibly disappointing to me. This was one of the show's weakest seasons, along with season 4, but I hope that the showrunners have learned what works and what does not so we can get a more consistent experience in season 7. Score: 82 Summary: Holt tasks Jake and Charles with hunting down a serial killer using traditional methods to spite John Kelly. Terry learns he's going to be transferred to Staten Island so he tries to get a coworker, Brian, to quit so that the Nine Nine can have enough funding to keep him there.
The Good: I liked parts of this. It was nice to see Caleb again and I enjoyed Jake and Charles investigation story. The episode's clear highlights came from Holt dissing Kelly repeatedly. The Terry storyline is decent fun and there are some good moments throughout. Hearing Down with the Sickness play at the end was beautiful, and I think this "suicide squad" set-up is a really exciting idea for the next episode. The Bad: But this episode wasn't very good. Once again "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" goes towards an overarching story and it does not work. This episode did not have enough laughs and the story was bland and predictable. Of course Kelly is so villainous that he tries to make New York a police state. Of course his henchman said baba booey on hot clues for some stupid reason so that Jake could make the connection. The writing is horrible and I don't care for this Holt vs Kelly story since we know Kelly obviously won't end up succeeding, just like all the other villains in the show. Caleb's return was fun but the character was really sold down the river by having him spontaneously try to bite anyone that gets near him. The cannibal jokes started to get old last time we saw Caleb, and it's disappointing that his return only led to even more of these horrible cannibal jokes. The Terry story is underwhelming as well. It's obvious Terry isn't going to be leaving and the episode doesn't do enough with this idea to be funny. As a final note, I didn't like how minimal of a role Amy, Rosa and Charles played in this episode. In an ensemble sitcom it's weak when half of the characters hardly do anything in an episode. Best Moment: Probably Terry trying to claim that Staten Island is still part of the city. Not many other moments made me smile. Character of the Episode: Holt. Conclusion: This was really underwhelming. It set up a fun story for the next episode but I was stunned by how dull and unfunny this was, especially for a show that has usually at least been entertaining even if not always hilarious. The inconsistency of season 6 continues. Score: 49 Summary: On the day of Terry's lieutenant's exam, the precinct decides to do the delayed Halloween heist.
The Good: Clearly my negativity in the last episode was misplaced as I had completely forgotten that we hadn't seen a Halloween heist in this season yet. And as usual, it was spectacular. The crazy twists and turns and the vicious competitiveness of all of the characters has become par for the course for these heists and as ever, it was tremendous fun to see everything go down. So many parts of this episode were terrifically funny, like Holt's constant insults and claims that he is the only two-time winner, Amy and Jake's taser gifts, Jake constantly betraying Terry, the second Scully and the return of Bill (he's not dead!). All of these moments were fantastic and were incredibly fun to watch. The creativity on display in these Halloween episodes is unmatched, and it's no wonder that these are always so much fun to watch. Having Terry win this one was perfect, as was the reveal that he already became a lieutenant weeks ago and simply orchestrated all of this to have his big moment and one-up the rest of the precinct. The Bad: Nothing about this episode was bad. The only reservation I have is that these Halloween episodes almost feel like they are from an entirely different show, one that is far better than this one. I wish the show could be this good in every episode. Instead it feels like I have to get through the show, waiting for it to entertain me in the select few episodes as good as this one. Best Moment: So many moments to pick from. Character of the Episode: Terry. Conclusion: This episode won't change my opinion about the season as a whole, but wow I had a tremendously fun time watching it. The Hallwoeen episodes are the best thing this show has done and every season they seem to be several levels above everything else that the show does. This episode was no exception and managed to be just as fun as last season's Halloween episode, which is no mean feat. Even as the show is starting to lose my faith, I'm still excited to see more of these. Score: 84 |
Aaron DhillonJust a university student who loves to watch TV. And analyze it way too much. Archives
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