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
1 Comment
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: 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: 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 Summary: The entire precinct has to stay overtime when Jake screws up and books a criminal with insufficient evidence. Gina and Rosa turn to Charles to decide whose personal favourite pie is the best. Holt tries to get Terry to go home when he's obviously exhausted at work.
The Good: The show continues to get funnier as it goes on. The 3 main storylines here were very strong and had a number of funny moments. The main Jake plot was very engaging and it was fun to see Jake try to track down evidence to get Whitman booked, and he had many genuinely funny moments. I also like that Jake's continual screw-ups have been lading to some very real character development for him as he becomes more acclimated to working as part of the team. Amy also had a pretty good episode after being a largely background character in the past. Her story is directly tied to Jake's in this episode and we leave the episode with a really good idea of their relationship. Terry's story is also quite good, and Terry Crews once more does a phenomenal job of producing comedy, with the stifled yawn and chin-ups scenes being highlights. I also really like how what seemed like a dumb side story became a surprisingly good arc for Terry when it's revealed that he's been having troubles at home with his brother-in-law. Holt comes off very well as he helps Terry get through this and their relationship grows, while Terry also continues to regain his toughness that he had put away for a while when he became a dad. The Bad: Unfortunately I wasn't a huge fan of the Gina/Rosa/Charles story. The Charles/Rose romance still doesn't do much to captivate me and that doesn't change here. Their storyline didn't bring many laughs to the table, and while it was ultimately a decent story arc for Charles (who thankfully wasn't humiliated again), I thought that the story didn't get utilized enough to be particularly memorable or funny. The main plot has one glaring hole in it. Jake's mistake here is absolutely ridiculous and should have had more ramifications than it did. Booking somebody without evidence is a serious error and a seasoned cop like Jake would never mess up this badly, regardless of how immature he is. Unfortunately the main concept of this episode is a bit too big of a leap for my liking. Best Moment: Jake playing the guitar to annoy Whitman was a hilarious joke that utilized the show's quick-cut editing to its fullest comedic potential. Character of the Episode: Terry. Conclusion: This was another really funny episode that had some of the best jokes so far, though some issues with the plot lines presented to us hurt the episode a little bit. Score: 70 Summary: Jake makes a bet with Holt that he can steal his medal of valor from his office by midnight. Charles tries to get Amy to enjoy the festivities of halloween. Terry tries to uncover more about Rosa's past.
The Good: This was another tremendously fun episode. The concept of the main Holt/Jake plot was superb and it was a lot of fun seeing it unfold. The idea of Jake trying to openly outsmart Holt is very good and it led to some hilarious interactions and a lot of downright funny scenes, culminating in a fantastic reveal that neatly incorporated a well thought-out master plan, comedy and satisfying character development. Jake has seemed like a bit of a clown in these early episodes, so it was definitely important to show us why he is considered to be such a good detective. This episode showed us why and it changes our perspective of Jake a little bit which is very necessary. The side stories were solid enough as well. Terry and Rosa were fun in their story, and Charles and Amy were pretty enjoyable too. I particularly liked Jake's "title of Amy's sextape" jokes. The Bad: Nothing that was outright bad. Best Moment: Jake's big reveal at the end. Character of the Episode: Jake. Conclusion: Another excellent episode. This one gelled together a little more as a whole due to the halloween consistency, and I thought the comedy was more original and even a bit stronger than the previous episode. "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" is on a roll now. Score: 75 Summary: Jake selfishly tries to solve a case on his own to get credit for it but is then furious when the case is taken by The Vulture. Holt takes Terry to a shooting range in an attempt to covertly get him licensed to be in the field again.
The Good: This episode did an excellent job of handling the characters. Everybody had a purpose here and we learned something new about many of the characters. But most importantly, everyone was funny and there were plenty of great jokes throughout the episode. The cold open was hilarious stuff. "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" is nicely building a reputation with these great cold opens which have little to do with the main plot of the episode. In this case, watching Charles defend his decision to have sex with a 68 year old in such a serious voice was hilarious, made better by a small pay-off later in the episode when Charles and Jake encounter a naked old woman. The rest of the episode was also quite good. Jake was given a good story here as he learned to work as part of the team, something which he's clearly not been very good at (though he still hilariously attempts to shift the blame onto Amy whenever the chance comes up). It's a good arc for the character, and it also allows us to better understand his dynamics with Amy, Rosa and Charles who are with him for much of the episode. Holt and Terry have a good story as well as Holt tries to get Terry back to the position he should be in. Terry Crews is excellent as ever and does a tremendous job making some heavy-handed jokes legitimately funny. As for the other characters, I thought that Gina, Hitchcock and Scully were given very good scenes for their personality to shine, and they made me laugh a couple of times. Lastly, I thought The Vulture was a very fun new character to introduce and I hope to see him again in a future episode. The Bad: Nothing that's outright bad. As mentioned before, some of the jokes with Terry were outright silly but I'm not too bothered by that. Though I don't think silly humour is as good as humour that's more grounded in reality, I'm still fine with it if the show decides to be a little more over-the-top with its comedy. Best Moment: Plenty of great lines to pick here, but I have to go with the cold open as the best joke in the episode. Character of the Episode: Charles stood out to me in this one. Though I could easily make a case for Jake and Terry as well. Conclusion: This is a much better effort than the previous effort, and is a prime example of the kind of quality that a comedy show in its first season can put out. The story was meaningful and focused, we learned more about the characters, the cast was utilized perfectly, and just about every joke landed. All of this made for the best episode of the series yet. The show is sillier than I would like (a personal preference which lowers the score a little bit for me), but that doesn't distract much from what was otherwise an excellent episode. Score: 73 Summary: Jake is assigned as Charles' secondary in a case but struggles to pull back and let Charles take control. Jake eventually meets a cute medical examiner and starts playing to her creepy fetishes. Amy tries to cheer up Holt when she thinks he is in a bad mood.
The Good: This was more solid stuff with some really funny jokes. This episode pulls back and spends more time exploring the Amy/Holt relationship which has received very little time in previous episodes. Amy as a whole hasn't really had too much to do so far outside of bickering with Jake so it's refreshing to have her lead in this story. Jake continues to have some fun scenes. The cold open sequence was a nice bit of levity disconnected from the main plot, and Jake's struggles to adapt as a secondary as well as his awkward conflict with the medical examiner were good plot ideas and helped us understand Jake a little more. Holt remains a joy to watch as Andre Braugher's delivery remains incredible. The repeated encounters of Holt being "unreadable" for the rest of the squad were hilarious. The Bad: This was the weakest episode so far though. A lot of the characters felt quite silly here and they continue to be defined by their traits rather than any deep personality. Terry Crews is very fun, but his character is really flat for me, and giving him yet another quirk of being artsy feels a bit much. The character has received far more in quirks than he has received in personality. Amy was also over-the-top in this episode and it took away from the comedy. Jake was also surprisingly annoying throughout most of this episode. Separating him from Holt exposed the character's weaknesses and he is substantially less funny when Holt isn't there for him to bounce off of. Naturally, the one encounter with Holt and Jake ended up being the episode's best moment, but outside of that I thought that Jake was pretty tedious as he behaved irritatingly and made endless fat jokes which were cheap and never funny. Lastly, I didn't find Jake's sexual encounters with the medical examiner to be particularly funny, more creepy than anything. It was a good idea but I don't think the show used its potential very well. Best Moment: Jake interrupting Holt with a "bup bup bup" to hide his irresponsibility from him was good, but what was better was Holt proceeding to awkwardly use it against Jake to dismiss him. Character of the Episode: Holt. Conclusion: This was solid stuff, but notably weaker than the previous episodes. There are several issues that the show needs to iron out, most importantly the personalities of the main cast. Score: 58 Summary: Jake finds himself in a slump as he struggles to solve even a single case. Holt asks Amy to run the program for at-risk youth and she goes to Rosa and Gina for help. Terry tries to assemble a dollhouse for his girls.
The Good: In terms of pure laughs, this was quite easily the best episode yet. A number of strong jokes permeate the episode. The particular highlights came from Terry and Gina. Terry Crews is a wonderfully expressive actor and his skill brings some quality laughs to scenes that really shouldn't be as good as they are. The dollhouse story is so dull on paper (see: The Bad) but Terry does a good job of making it watchable. Gina on the other hand is proving to be a ton of fun. Her egotistic behaviour is surprisingly funny and while I don't particularly like her (she does come across quite poorly), she is certainly one of the more developed and charismatic personalities on the show thus far. The Jake/Holt story as ever was quite solid. I'm enjoying Holt's efforts to make Jake into a better detective and this episode is another welcome piece of that story. As a final bit of praise, I thought the cold open was excellent. The Hitchcock video was quite entertaining, as was the discussion of best cop movie, which seems like something that would be discussed in a police precinct. I found Rosa's response to be the funniest. The Bad: The characters aren't getting as much development as I would like, and most are currently defined by just a single trait. Ordinarily, most quality comedy shows would have engaged in storylines that better allow us to understand the characters. "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" seems to be more interested in being funny than developing characters. While it is succeeding with the jokes, I'm starting to worry that these characters will be left feeling quite 1-dimensional if they aren't given more development. This episode is one that I feel would be better had we understood the characters more. Some characters in desperate need of more development are Amy and Rosa who I don't fully have an understanding of by this point. Best Moment: The black people can't sell drugs chant was hilarious, capped off with Holt's stunned expression as he walks into the room. Character of the Episode: Gina. Conclusion: This was the funniest episode so far quite easily, but the lack of characterization remains an issue as most of the main cast are only driven by a singular trait. I hope the show understands that these characters need to be fleshed out more if it is to put out some next level comedy. Score: 65 Summary: Holt continues to press Jake to be a better detective. Jake works a case to catch somebody who has been tagging police cars and Holt tags along. Gina introduces her psychic friend Carlene to Charles who is unnerved when she says that Rosa will never love him.
The Good: The Holt and Jake dynamic remains tremendously fun. The two of them play off of each other extremely well. Andy Samberg's over-the-top immaturity clashes perfectly with Andre Braugher's hilariously blunt and emotionless delivery. The cold open in particular was extremely funny as Holt humiliates Jake for is lack of professional conduct. I thought the rest of the episode was pretty well done too. Jake's conflict between risking his career and once again disobeying Holt was pretty good and it did a good job of continuing to move him towards being a (slightly) more mature detective. The B-story was decent as well. I particularly liked the subtlety of how Gina was using Carlene to mess with Charles rather than have her demonstrate any actual psychic powers. Lastly there were two jokes I really liked: Charles' grandmother having the "gift" as she predicted her death 2 years in advance, and Jake threatening to try the deputy commissioner's son as a highlander. The Bad: There isn't anything drop-dead hilarious in this episode. Outside of the two jokes mentioned above and the cold open, the episode is actually quite forgettable. The side characters still remain pretty unspectacular as well. Rosa and Charles' dynamic is getting old pretty quick and it really isn't funny. The rest of the side cast didn't get very much development which is unfortunate. The Jake and Holt stuff was good but everyone else did not get explored at all. Best Moment: Jake threatening to execute the deputy commissioner's son was quite funny, and the delivery of that line was perfect. Character of the Episode: Jake. Conclusion: This was a solid if unspectacular episode of comedy. Jake and Holt continued to grow a better relationship while the other characters got a fine side story. The show is still finding its footing, but there hasn't been anything outright bad yet. Score: 64 Summary: A new captain, captain Holt arrives in the nine-nine precinct and works on improving the precinct. His main obstacle is Jake Peralta, a goofy detective. Jake and another detective Charles work a case to solve a murder but Jake's unprofessional approach puts off Holt. Charles also tries to get a date with fellow detective Rosa.
The Good: This episode did a very good job of introducing the characters and the premise of the show. The arrival of a new captain provided an organic way to give us a formal introduction to all of the characters in a lovely sequence that showed us basic traits of these characters while also offering a few small laughs. I think this episode did a very solid job of introducing the ensemble and creating some personalities that have potential to be really funny. The cast of the show is excellent as well, with a lot of reputable actors who know how to carry themselves effectively. The highlights for me were Andre Braugher as Holt and Andy Samberg as Jake who quickly established a very fun dynamic that I look forward to seeing more of. I also enjoy the idea of bringing humour to a police precinct. Casework leaves plenty of opportunities for creative ideas, and the workings of a precinct does have a chance of providing a style of humour similar to "The Office", though with a slight twist and some flashier editing, which was on display in this episode. The Bad: As with most comedy pilots, so much time is spent introducing the characters that the comedy doesn't stand out yet. We don't entirely understand the dynamics of these characters yet so the humour isn't as effective as it could otherwise be. Additionally there are some jokes that fall flat and some storylines, like the Charles/Rosa storyline, that don't really connect with me. Best Moment: I really liked the Holt/Jake dynamic. The highlight of the episode for me was Holt bringing everyone to marvel at Jake wearing a speedo, a fitting punishment for Jake's irritating behaviour. Character of the Episode: Holt. This seems like a perfect role for Andre Braugher. Conclusion: This was a very well done pilot. It was decently funny and did a good job of introducing the characters and the premise of the show. I see potential with this show and I'm ready to see where it goes from here. Score: 68 |
Aaron DhillonJust a university student who loves to watch TV. And analyze it way too much. Archives
February 2024
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