Summary: Jake and Amy work together to find some evidence to stop him from going to jail. Holt tries to convince Rosa to not leave the country. Charles takes Terry to meet a hacker who he plans to use to get information on Hawkins.
The Good: This episode is a lot of fun. It certainly feels like the climax of the season and it does a lot of things well. A lot of the humour here goes more in the direction of parody and I thought it worked surprisingly well. There were plenty of courtroom tropes and clichés that were explored and laughed at in this episode and I enjoyed that. I also quite liked how Charles inexplicably aged so much despite it making no sense at all. The scenes with him were executed well enough that I bought into it, and the final gag of Charles "miraculously" standing up again was hilarious. I really enjoyed Charles and Terry's story and the constant hacking done to Terry was a great running joke. I also really liked Holt and Rosa's storyline. It made perfect sense and utilized a pairing that we haven't seen very much of to create a pretty touching story of Rosa being unable to leave her real family. Jake's antics in the episode were a ton of fun, including but not limited to his woefully timed bank robbery jokes and his constant repetition of "cool" to close out the episode. Another character who was used well is Gina. I thought that this episode recaptured what makes her so entertaining. I also applaud this episode for not taking itself too seriously and having there be consistent laughs to ensure that the episode remains entertaining. The Bad: However, the episode doesn't give enough detail to the courtroom scenes so under scrutiny a lot of things don't make sense. For example, lots of evidence isn't sufficiently made available and the idea that Holt wouldn't testify the idea of an off-the-books investigation is absurd. It makes the Nine-Nine seem like idiots for not taking the obvious route in planning Jake and Rosa's defense. Another issue is the two month time skip which feels oddly timed. It feels strange that nothing much happened in these two months, especially considering the new plot thread of Gina's pregnancy. I was excited for the news channel parody cold open but I found it to be very underwhelming as the jokes should have been much better. Best Moment: There were lots of great jokes. My favourite would probably be Charles' "miraculous" recovery. Character of the Episode: Jake. Conclusion: This was a very funny and very climactic episode that delivered exactly what I wanted. Under scrutiny a lot of this episode doesn't hold up and has the ability to really frustrate some people, but I think that the episode was better for focusing more on jokes than the intricate details of the judicial system. I may have enjoyed this episode more than most as a result since I could definitely see people being upset with how this was handled. For me though, I found this to be a funny and entertaining conclusion to season 4. Season 4 as a whole was easily the show's weakest season. The first 3/4 of the season were pretty poor and outside of the outstanding "Halloween IV", most episodes handled characters poorly and had some weak, aimless storylines. Furthermore, every overarching storyline in the first half of the season fell flat on its face and didn't satisfy me at all. The final few episodes of the season did have more consistency though, and even though I'm not a fan of the show's overarching storylines, I thought that the closing act to this season was well done. As a whole, I think the season did improve with these final few episodes but it's still a step down from the quality that "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" showed early in its run. The one bit of hope I have for the show is that I think it has gotten funnier as it has went along. If the writing can be stronger in the next few seasons, I can see this show recovering since its sense of humour has gotten really good this season. Score: 71
0 Comments
Summary: Jake and Rosa form a plan to take down Hawkins. Charles, Terry and Amy try to find out where Gina has been disappearing off to and discover that she is pregnant.
The Good: I enjoyed the main story quite a bit. The focus on the Jake and Rosa this season has been a welcome change and this episode did great to celebrate that. The past two episodes have handled both Jake and Rosa exceptionally well, and I think this is the most entertaining and well-defined Rosa has ever been in the show. I enjoyed the plan they made to take down Hawkins, and the twist at the end of the episode was very interesting and sets up what should be a very fun season finale. I also really enjoyed Pimento's brief scenes which utilized the character perfectly without putting too much of the focus on him. The Bad: The issue here is that the side story was really poor. With such a huge plot-heavy storyline going on with Jake, Rosa and Holt, it feels underwhelming to have everyone else in the precinct following Gina around to discover her secret. This story had some flaws too. Charles immediately spilling the beans about knowing about Gina's pregnancy felt far too forced and wasn't that funny. Then having the squad actually believe that Gina was knocking up a celebrity was absurd, they should know Gina well enough by now to know that it isn't true. So much for them being detectives. I also thought that Gina's relationship with Milton fell flat and it looks to be heading very much in the direction of Rosa/Marcus with how little I care. I also thought this story was woefully rushed as a lot of ideas were covered but none of them were properly explored in entertaining ways. As a final complaint, I thought that this episode didn't utilize Holt as much as it should have. Best Moment: Pimento snorting more and more cocaine. Character of the Episode: Rosa. Conclusion: This was an episode of two halves. One was really fun with an interesting twist at the end, and the other was very poorly executed and left me feeling rather empty. As a result this is a mixed episode. Score: 60 Summary: Jake and Rosa compete to try to join the task force of Lieutenant Hawkins, a revered detective. Terry and Charles struggle to stop Hitchcock and Scully from fighting. Holt loses Amy's pen and forces her to let out how she feels about that.
The Good: Jake and Rosa's story was really well done. The competition between them felt believable and the added detail of them taking time to declare it an official competition made the story much more believable. Jake and Rosa always feel like genuine friends when they are in a story together and that remained true here with how they treated each other. I thought the story of them both deciding to let the other get the position was perfect and it made for a worthy story. Plus the competition ended up being extremely funny. The end of the episode offers an interesting cliffhanger which will likely provide the story that will be used to conclude the season. The side stories here were pretty solid. Hitchcock and Scully fighting had some funny moments and I liked the continuity with the source of their frustrations being Scully's new girlfriend Cindy. I thought the Holt/Amy story was solid and had some funny moments, particularly Gina demonstrating that Amy is unable to be upset with Holt. The Bad: The Hitchcock/Scully story is a little bit too difficult to buy into and the resolution is cartoonish. And once again the show decides to portray Gina as a savior as she somehow solves this problem too. The character is funny when she believes she is a savior when she isn't, it comes off as ridiculous and annoying when Gina somehow is able to be the savior in many episodes in a row. The show has turned Gina into an annoying character with how she has been handled this season, which is a shame. Best Moment: The running joke of Rosa spiking Jake's drinks and then his gum with caffeine was excellent. Character of the Episode: Rosa. Conclusion: This was another strong episode with plenty of good laughs and three rock solid storylines. The Gina stuff continues to bring down the past few episodes, but thankfully the writing has become more consistent to make up for it. Score: 68 Summary: Jake gets to work a case with Holt regarding Holt's mother whose house was broken into and things take a personal turn. Amy tries to teach Gina how to change a tire. Terry, Rosa and Charles make modifications to the break room.
The Good: The Jake/Holt pairing does wonders again. It was tremendously fun seeing these two interacting regarding Holt's mother and the jokes in this storyline were superb. It was also nice to see a meaningful storyline being told which gives us more information on Holt's family and it gets to test Holt and Jake's relationship in a unique new way. This was a really well done storyline that stands out as one of the season's best. The side stories had their moments. Amy's awkward prank show recovery was fantastic, and I enjoyed seeing the new additions to the break room going awry. The Bad: Gina gets yet another episode to come across as needlessly annoying. It's hard to buy into Amy dedicating so much time to Gina who is always mean to her and clearly doesn't like her at all. What's worse is how Gina takes apart Amy's car to prove her point. The way that the show has used Gina this season has been puzzling. The break room storyline does feel like filler even if it is entertaining to watch. Best Moment: Andre Braugher's execution of "cowabunga mother!" was an absolute delight. Character of the Episode: Holt. Conclusion: The main storyline here is superb and has both jokes and story, while the side stories hold their own and don't feature as much sloppiness as the show has typically put in this season. This is a consistent episode and I enjoyed it a lot. Score: 68 Summary: jake and Rosa go hunting after Amy after she runs away before her sergeant's exam. Terry and Holt try to spruce up the kids room. Gina comes into possession of the Boyle family's mother dough.
The Good: Jake going after Amy is a fun storyline and it allows Jake to really shine as a character. Throughout the episode he is at his immature best with things like trivia night, his Amy impression and the die hard off the roof sequence being highlights. It's a lot of fun. I also liked that this episode touched on Jake and Amy's relationship in a meaningful way. Terry and Holt have some funny moments in their story, particularly Holt whose petty side returns in this episode. The Bad: Much of this episode felt kind of worthless. Terry and Holt's storyline is pure filler and has almost nothing to offer. On top of that, having Terry and Holt waste time playing with trains instead of working really demeans the fact that these characters have jobs to be doing. Charles and Gina's storyline is pretty poor. It's nothing new from these characters at all and feels like treading familiar ground. Gina is horribly annoying once again as she both blackmails Charles and destroys a family heirloom. Yet somehow the episode still expects it to be alright when she fixes everything by the end of the episode. The show has really been playing up Gina's annoying tendencies while thinking that it's acceptable and it's making me dislike the character a lot. Gina has never felt more selfish, and I feel a disconnect with the character this season. The Amy storyline is hurt by the fact that it seems so implausible for Amy to run away suddenly. She's a far more responsible character than that, so this decision feels very forced. Furthermore, having this sergeant's exam come right out of nowhere hurts the continuity of the show and makes it feel more like the gimmick of an episode instead of the significant plot development it should be. Best Moment: Jake's impression of Amy. Character of the Episode: Jake. Conclusion: This episode was fine for laughs and had some heart with the Jake/Amy storyline, but it had tons of flaws and left me feeling very unsatisfied by the end. Another below par instalment. Score: 54 Summary: The Nine-Nine goes to a cop-con at Rochester with plans to party. Holt runs for a high ranking position to earn the Nine-Nine back some prestige.
The Good: I really liked this. The episode reminded me of "Beach House" in terms of concept with the episode being about the precinct on a vacation with Holt feeling like he isn't included. But unlike that episode, this one felt like it had more to say and was much better executed. I really enjoyed Holt's storyline. His nemesis was avery fun character for Holt to play off of and I thought that the story of this episode was much mroe engaging and fit the character arc of how the Nine-Nine has transformed Holt into a goofier character. The transition hasn't been smooth at all and has been one of my bigger problems with this season, but moments like these still deliver really well. As for the vacation stuff, this was tremendous stuff. Rather than leaving cop stuff behind, this episode was firmly oriented around solving a case (where the laptop bag went), and because of that, this episode felt like a "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" episode with a twist rather than something that feels like it could belong in any other sitcom. I thought that this helped the episode a lot. The laughs in the episode in general were excellent and it was consistently funny. Seeing the squad hungover was a ton of fun and each character added to the humour in natural ways. I also really enjoyed Scully's little side arc. The Bad: Nothing I would outright call bad. This episode treads on very familiar ground due to its similarities with "Beach House" but seeing how well executed this was, I'm more forgiving of it. Best Moment: Lots of laughs to go around. The moment that did it for me was Hitchcock being knocked out and that somehow getting the party started. Character of the Episode: Jake. Conclusion: This is what I've wanted from "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" all season. An all around funny episode that has a storyline that makes sense and utilizes its cast well without any of the stupidity that has plagued many of the storylines this season. This isn't anything too special, but it's a load of fun and that's all that I want. More of this please. Score: 72 Summary: Terry gets racially profiled by a cop in his neighbourhood. Jake and Amy babysit Terry's kids.
The Good: This was extremely well executed. If "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" was going to execute a more serious episode, this is how to do it. The balance between serious content and jokes was near perfect. Even though there were fewer jokes in this episode, the ones we got were very memorable, like Margo talking about Scottsdale, Amy and Jake struggling to babysit and everyone's response to Terry being profiled. The comedy was excellent in this episode. I was also pleased by how well the show handled the complex topic of racism. With both Holt and Terry in the show, they were able to make a unique and more comprehensive examination of racism in the NYPD and I really appreciated that. Both of the characters of Terry and Holt were handled superbly, and the acting from Terry Crews and Andre Braugher was superb. This was certainly one of the most memorable episodes of the show and I really liked the switch from comedy to something more serious this time around. The Bad: Of course I don't watch sitcoms for serious examination of themes. I watch them to laugh. So as much as I loved what this episode did, I can only score it so high if it doesn't have that many jokes. Best Moment: Best laugh was probably Jake and Amy calling each detective in sequence for babysitting help. Best moment would have to be Terry's speech to Holt. Character of the Episode: Terry. Conclusion: This was a more serious episode, but it was executed tremendously well. The acting was great, and the writers overdelivered with the few laughs that were in this episode to make sure that it was still funny. This is easily one of the best episodes of the season, and even the series as a whole. Score: 74 Summary: Believing that the precinct will be shut down, Jake and Charles solve one final case together that turns into something much bigger. Holt tries to quickly finish mentoring Amy on their final day. Terry tries to break the record for most solves in the Nine-Nine.
The Good: There was a lot of emotion to this. In a lot of ways this felt like it could have worked as closing episode for the series with news that the precinct would be shut down. Jake and Charles' story capitalized the most on this as the two of them try their best to enjoy their final case. This is Jake and Charles at their absolute best throughout the episode and their dynamic has never been better. I especially liked Jake deciding to choose not to prematurely bust the drug dealers to save the precinct, delightfully showing us how he has matured as a character. The side stories were solid enough. Holt mentoring Amy was fun with some good laughs. I thought Hitchcock and Scully were standouts here with a lot of really strong jokes. Lastly, I loved getting to see Mark, another officer from the Nine-Nine get some screentime, while also addressing the presence of the inner circle of detectives. It was a good joke. The Bad: There was never any tension about the precinct shutting down so that took a lot away from this episode. It was obvious that the Nine-Nine would continue so the emotional beats that this episode hit didn't really feel as effective as they should have been. I feel that this story would have been much better had it come towards the actual end of the show, and it's wasteful to use the idea of the precinct being shut down so far away from the end. I thought that the handling of Gina in this episode was the worst that "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" has ever handled a character. Back when Holt was dismissed, Gina showed genuine maturity as a character by growing attached to the precinct and the people in it. Yet here she shows none of that maturity and pranks everyone like a cruel and heartless prick. And the prank of drinking cement is careless writing. At the very least, it will result in deadly burns, and at worst it could kill! What's worse than that is that even though Gina comes across as a selfish character with no growth since the start of the show, she gets to save the precinct with her prank. It's very poor character writing and woefully unsatisfying storytelling. It's tough to imagine anyone liking Gina after this episode. Best Moment: Hitchcock revealing his terrible tattoo that looked very much like a suicide was hilarious. Character of the Episode: Charles. Conclusion: This was a fun idea for an episode and a lot was done right, especially with the Jake/Charles dynamic. But the questionable placement of this storyline and the grievous mishandling of Gina ruined much of what this episode was going for. Another disappointing episode in a season that just hasn't gotten going. Score: 55 Summary: Jake and Rosa go to the set of a TV show to work a case. Gina and Amy try to figure out what Terry did that made Veronica so hateful. Holt and Charles try to find a way to get somebody else to assess their precinct.
The Good: The Jake and Rosa storyline was pretty solid. Rosa had a good episode overall and I think the show has done really well at learning how to use the character. Her relationship with Jake has always been a strong point of the series and that remained true in this episode with their work on the TV show case. Holt and Charles' story was a delight. It nicely tied into the Veronica story and it had some of the absolute best character interactions that Charles and Holt have ever had together. The Terry storyline was pretty good. Gina and Amy were fun in their opposing approaches and I thought that the writers did superbly to craft a believable story of Terry messing up without making the character come off poorly. The Bad: Apparently the NYPD does not care about conflict of interest because there is no way that something like this would be allowed. There really should have been some way to file a complaint against Veronica for what she did but the show makes it seem like there's nothing to be done. I was also thoroughly disappointed by how neatly the Terry/Veronica story concluded. It feels like there should have been more to it. Nathan Fillion doing a parody of himself was amusing but the character didn't add much to the show at all. The TV show storyline was also hurt by making Jake look like a terrible cop. This episode in general did not make the NYPD look good at all, which would have been fine had the show intended to examine the NYPD in this way. Since it did not, it detracts from the episode to have sloppy writing bring up issues of corruption. Best Moment: Holt and Charles discussing the "pump pump" of the eyebrows when preparing to blackmail was hilarious and one of the best jokes of the season. Character of the Episode: Rosa. I don't feel like I've credited the character enough. Conclusion: This was a funny episode with an engaging plot and I enjoyed it quite a bit. However, the problems with unaddressed corruption did bring the score down for this one. Score: 65 Summary: The Nine-Nine is in danger when the NYPD decides to shut down one precinct. Terry works to fix a copier than CJ impulse bought for the precinct. Rosa and Charles deal with a rat infestation. Jake and Amy work a case together to impress their auditor, Teddy.
The Good: The story here is fun. This season is much more interested in multi-episode storylines and I definitely approve of that. I just hope that these storylines utilize their potential better than the night shift storyline. So far, the precinct closing down business has worked well. There is a focus to the story and it gives a good reason to include new characters into the precinct like Teddy and now Veronica to make things more interesting. Some of the jokes here were quite good. Jake and Amy putting up with Teddy was a delight and their fake acting was hilarious. I also enjoyed Holt's desperation to fix the precinct, Charles getting stuck in the vents and Terry's attempts to fix the copier. The Bad: Even with all that I enjoyed, there was a lot that I didn't like about this. The whole episode delved too far into absurdity. The character of Teddy was utterly destroyed when they turned him into somebody with an inexplicable love for Amy and his constant proposals, while funny, were completely ridiculous and sacrificed the credibility of the character for laughs. Furthermore, it's ridiculous that Teddy would be allowed to audit the Nine-Nine when he used to date one of the detectives there. Is conflict of interest not acknowledged in this universe? Gina getting hit by a bus proved to be pointless since she is back now anyways and the extent of her role is just predictable and unoriginal physical comedy, the type that the show has already done far too many times. The threat of closing down a precinct never quite feels real. It's obvious that the Nine-Nine won't be shut down. Best Moment: Jake and Amy's staged fight at the jazz brunch was really well done. Character of the Episode: Jake. Conclusion: This episode fits perfectly in season 4. Lots of good laughs and a promising storyline marred by questionable writing and poor handling of the characters. I still liked this episode for its entertainment value, but I'm waiting for "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" to find some consistency in how it tells stories. At the moment the show is proving that it has nothing more to offer than dumb fun. With a show that has as strong of a cast and premise as this one, I expect more. Score: 58 Summary: Jake goes to Doug to help take down the final convict who is his brother. Holt tags along since he doesn't trust Doug. Amy and Gina let Charles into the office text chain but have to teach him how to behave. Terry is concerned that he is getting old.
The Good: Jake and Doug's interactions remain and highlight and it's always worth getting excited for the Pontiac bandit episodes each year because they are a blast. This year, Holt gets added into the dynamic and it is tremendously fun to see him interact with Doug and put up with Jake's childishness. The funniest bits of this two-parter came from the Jake/Holt/Doug dynamic and it's not even close. The story has some fun twists and turns and it's nice to see Doug honestly help out Jake and Holt this time. Plus it allows for the nice story of Holt admitting that he should have trusted Jake's instincts. The Bad: Unfortunately everything else didn't really work for me. Terry's story felt like pure filler and didn't offer much of anything aside from some okay laughs. The Charles storyline also didn't work for me as Charles was far too over the top throughout to be particularly funny. The ending with Gina being hit by a bus ended up being telegraphed too hard to be surprising, and it did not work at all. It seems very unlikely that Gina would be killed off in a sitcom and being hit by the bus is such a serious incident that it doesn't fit well with the lighthearted tone that the series maintains. It was a poor cliffhanger that confused me more than making me concerned for Gina. Furthermore, if this was played for laughs then that makes it even worse. Best Moment: Not too much stands out. I'll go with Holt's anger while Gertie is being taken apart in front of him and the great lines that followed. Character of the Episode: Doug. Conclusion: The second part ended up feeling very similar to the first part despite having wildly different plots. It was all about the main story while everything else was pretty poor. The episode gains points for the Jake/Holt/Doug dynamic, but loses just as many for that woeful ending. As a result, this is another middling episode. In the end, the two parter didn't deliver anything special at all. Score: 59 Summary: After several convicts escape from a prison van, the Nine-Nine starts a manhunt to find them. Jake and Amy make a bet over who can catch the most convicts with the loser having to move in with the winner.
The Good: This episode feels like a throwback to older days with Jake and Amy engaging in a competitive bet. It was a lot of fun going back to this dynamic, with the addition of them resolving some minor relationship conflict. I enjoyed them outwitting each other by bringing in more and more gadgets, and the final moment of Jake deciding to move in with Amy was really sweet. Their dynamic was highlighted perfectly in this episode. I also liked the plot quite a bit. It's refreshing when this show remembers that it takes place in a police precinct and that these characters have a job they are supposed to be doing. Overall, the plot worked and this was an effective first part with an enticing cliffhanger at the end. The Bad: The side stories weren't very good here. Sure, there were decent jokes but it's hard to believe that the foreign woman wouldn't have a translator to get her point across. That entire storyline didn't work for me. Worse was Marshawn Lynch getting so much time despite him not being funny at all. Furthermore, "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" ran the whole meeting your heroes storyline AGAIN and it is beyond played out by now. The story was also extremely rushed and had nothing to it. The Jake and Amy storyline is hurt by their problem really not feeling like a problem at all. We aren't given a single good reason why Jake would want Amy to move in with him, so shouldn't moving in with Amy or getting a new place be the obvious option? Best Moment: Amy trying to burn the towel that never fully dries. Character of the Episode: Amy. Conclusion: This was your usual season "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" episode. A strong main story with weaker side stories and decent laughs all around. It's fine television that sets up for the next episode but fails to be anything special. Score: 59 Summary: Charles and Jake go on a quest to find the Captain Latvia doll that Charles promised to get for Nikolaj. The Nine-Nine tries to find a way to win a caroling competition against the MTA.
The Good: This is the Joe Lo Truglio show all the way through. Charles is the absolute standout here and he is tremendously fun to watch as his creepy/weird/hilariously quirky self. The mission to get back the Captain Latvia doll was a fun storyline that had some really nice moments throughout. Jake's role as the voice of reason was also excellent, and his interactions with Charles were as enjoyable as ever. The Bad: The show still isn't quite clicking this season. The cold open with the inflatable tree was a perfect example of the silliness that has taken over the show. It's silliness without reason and it just doesn't work. The caroling storyline was pretty weak. There weren't many laughs and the characters felt like silly caricatures of who they should have been. I also wasn't happy with the introduction of yet another group of people for the Nine-Nine to be rivals with (the MTA). Things were much simpler when the fire people were the only rivals since they were a familiar face and allowed the show a chance to further the relationship between the two factions. Now, the show likes to introduce rival group after rival group with no character growth whatsoever, and it becomes impossible to care about these storylines, or even remember them. Best Moment: Charles beating down the Latvian guy while saying ridiculous things in Latvian. Character of the Episode: Charles for sure. Conclusion: This episode was a showcase for Charles and it excelled in that regard. Unfortunately, nothing else really worked and even with Joe Lo Truglio's performance, the episode still wasn't very good. Score: 53 Summary: Jake tries to get C.J. fired to get the Nine-Nine back on the day shift. Terry tries to get Gina to conform to the rules he is laying down. Charles takes Rosa to get a foot massage.
The Good: This was a nice resolution to the night shift storyline. CJ was very funny throughout this episode and thankfully the show isn't going to keep him around and make him overstay his welcome. The way the show handled his departure was clever and engaging, and I enjoyed Jake and Holt's interactions with CJ a lot, and I especially loved the sequence when CJ would not stop talking on the mic. Charles and Rosa's storyline was the perfect C-story that neatly showcased both of their characters without ignoring the show's premise as a cop show and also incorporating the night shift into the story. I really enjoyed it. The Bad: One more this felt too silly. I enjoyed CJ for the most part but there were definitely parts of the episode that were too much. I didn't like the way that Holt and Jake interacted with each other. The :ya boring" running joke didn't really work and it felt tacked on to this episode as more of a gimmick than something Jake would actually say to Holt. I also found it ridiculous that Holt would think that Jake was inspired by his speech. Holt has known Jake for long enough to know that this would not be the case. The Terry/Gina/Amy storyline was pretty poor. Gina "helping" Terry was risky and could easily have backfired so it didn't really work. The show tries too hard to make Gina seem smart, and it often makes her completely unlikable like she was here. Even worse was when she locked Amy in the supply closet. The night shift storyline overall ended with a whimper. The show really did not use the idea of the night shift well at all as nothing felt different from being moved to the night shift. I wouldn't be surprised if I forgot this storyline even happened after the show is finished. Best Moment: The best part of this episode though was unquestionably the cold open. It's nice to see "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" dedicate time to a joke instead of quickly rushing through it. The Diane Wiest infection was a dumb joke made hilarious by the editing and the characters. Character of the Episode: CJ. It was his episode overall. Conclusion: There was a lot of good stuff here, especially from CJ, but the show once again got too silly in its attempts to be funny. The show's inability to have compelling overarching storylines is badly hurting it right now, and the general improvement in joke quality this season isn't enough to make the show stand out above its lackluster writing. Score: 60 Summary: Terry gets to meet his favourite author when Jake brings his case to the precinct. Gina and Charles fight over where the Boyles should go for a vacation. Holt has fights with Kevin over a math problem.
The Good: This was another funny episode with funny jokes. Terry was a standout here and the main story was a lot of fun. I especially enjoyed the running gag of Jake pantsing his idols, which concluded the episode perfectly. The Gina/Charles storyline was pretty fun and had its moments. It's nice to see Gina develop to become more involved with the Boyles. Holt had some good lines as always and I enjoyed his brief role in this episode. The Bad: This is one of the most unoriginal episodes of the show. The main point of the main story is that Terry gets to learn that meeting your hero is disappointing. This is not new ground to cover, since the show covered this topic way back in season 1 when Jake got to meet his favourite author who influenced his life (yes the exact same storyline). Incredibly, the show refused to even acknowledge that which made absolutely no sense and ruined the continuity of the show. It was odd and the story did nothing for me. The jokes also weren't as good as they should have been as a lot of them were repeats of better jokes in the past, though there were some good exceptions. The side stories didn't entirely work for me either. Holt continues to be completely cartoonish this season, and while it's funny, I maintain that the character is being badly damaged by this silliness. The cold open isn't as funny as it should be because there is no reason to believe that Holt would be legitimately upset at Jake because of how silly he has been this season. It's exemplary of how poor the show has handled Holt that the brilliant concept of the cold open didn't work. The Charles/Gina story is another repetitive one. We have already seen Gina use her "alpha" nature to do what she wants only for it to unexpectedly work in Charles' favour in the end (the Pimento storyline last season), and it isn't fun to see it again. Lastly, the cold open was strange to me because I realized that I completely forgot that the Nine-Nine were on the night shift. Despite it being such a big deal, literally nothing has been done to explore what the precinct is like at night outside of a single episode. That's very poor continuity and it shows how little the show cares about its premise. Best Moment: Again, it's the best Holt line of the episode. This time it's "BOOOOOOOOONE" Character of the Episode: Terry. Conclusion: This episode had fun moments but was overall repetitive, unoriginal and once again, far too silly to really work. In "Halloween IV" I praised the show for its silliness. Here, like in the past few episodes, it doesn't work because we are given no reason for the characters to behave this way. The Halloween episode gives us a reason (the heist) so it works fine, but these past few episodes have been silly without reason. Is it funny? Yeah. But the storylines aren't always effective, and when that's the case (like in this episode), it results in a very poor episode. Hopefully the show can rectify this issue soon. Score: 52 Summary: Amy hosts Thanksgiving and Jake gets to meet her father. Charles brings a live turkey to kill for the feast with mixed results. Pimento places a bet with Holt's money.
The Good: The laughs here were all very strong. The show is getting better at producing laughs with each episode and I'm pleased that a lot of the early stumbles with the jokes aren't as present anymore. This is certainly the funniest that the show has ever been. I also like that the show is being a little sillier with its jokes. It works very well with producing laughs and it finally feels like "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" has grasped its characters well enough to throw them into any situation and make it funny. That's exactly what happens here. This episode is your normal Thanksgiving episode but it's made funny because the characters are utilized smartly. I really appreciated Amy's father being so smart. It makes perfect sense that he saw through Jake's plan and it makes perfect sense that he did his own research on him beforehand. That was very smartly written and it made the character much more real and enjoyable to me. Pimento was used very well in this episode and his story with Holt was tremendous fun and was very funny. Pimento works as a side character that makes the occasional appearance. The Bad: A lot of this didn't quite work though. The idea of Jake researching to impress somebody is reused from season 1 and it has been reused since then so it's nothing new, and the show feels repetitive by having Jake attempt this again. This show needs to show continuity more often because character developments often feel inconsequential since past events are very rarely brought up. I also found a lot of this episode to be too silly. The turkey being so vicious is funny but almost entirely implausible. Charles has apparently killed several turkeys before yet he struggles so much with this one. Additionally, why wouldn't Gina stop Charles from bringing the live turkey earlier instead of waiting until he decided to kill it to make a scene? Holt continues to be transformed into far too silly of a character. The cold open was funny but utterly absurd. As was the idea of him going along with Pimento and doing things like breaking the beer bottle. It's funny but it's sacrificing the credibility of the character for laughs. Best Moment: This is quickly becoming the section for the funniest Holt line for the week. This week? "A bold personality, we know what that's code for. She's a bitch." Character of the Episode: Mr. Santiago. I really liked the character. Conclusion: This is a fun episode with a lot to laugh at and enjoy, yet the episode goes too far in a lot of places and things don't entirely fall into place. Still, I had a good time watching it, and the episode gets points for that. Score: 68 Summary: Pimento returns and he and Rosa decide to get married in one day. Amy plans the wedding with the help of Charles, Terry, Hotl, Hitchcock and Scully. Jake and Gina go with Pimento to get his grandmother's earrings that Pimento can use for the wedding.
The Good: This was a consistently funny episode. There were tons of wonderful setpieces for comedy like Holt's obsession with his balloon arch, Pimento's ill-fated break-in attempt and the titular monster in the closet scene. All of these things made me laugh really hard and were a joy to watch. I also liked the focus of the episode which hinged entirely around the build to Pimento and Rosa's wedding with a nice character reveal at the end where they decide to not actually get married. It's very solid storytelling mixed in with some terrific jokes. The Bad: This episode is so silly that it feels like too much. Pimento is funny but he doesn't fit in very well and that remained consistent here. His presence leads to good jokes but the style that he brings to the table really escalates the show into territories that feel far too silly considering the fact that this episode is one that is based on reality. I thought Holt wasn't handled very well here. It's acceptable to have him unleash a sillier side in halloween episodes because those episodes are designed to bring out his more competitive aspect. I see no reason for Holt to behave like such a clown in this episode, and it feels dreadfully inconsistent with the character we know. In fact, much of this episode goes far too silly and loses its quality trying to go for laughs in some places. Some things are just ridiculous, like Gina somehow stealing the rainstick even though we saw her leave without it and Rosa ignoring Holt's balloon arch suggestion despite being right there when he suggested it. Hell the idea of Holt going for a balloon arch at all seems ridiculous. Best Moment: As much as I didn't like Holt's handling in this episode, there's no denying that he was funny. Andre Braugher's delivery of "VINDICATIOOOOON" at the end of the episode was quite possibly the best line Holt has ever said. Character of the Episode: Holt. Conclusion: This is a funny episode, and if you turn your brain off, you will enjoy it a lot. But there's too much silliness here and it doesn't work, considering that the plot is meant to be taken seriously. However, I still had a blast watching the episode, so it merits a good score, just not as good as it could have been. Score: 66 Summary: The precinct holds the fourth annual halloween heist to crown the ultimate detective/genius.
The Good: These halloween episodes are so much fun and are quickly becoming iconic for the series. Every one so far has delivered hugely and this is no exception. I have found that this show consistently struggles when it tries to take itself seriously as a reality based show in a police precinct. It struggles to mix its more goofy style of humour into the real world. But episodes like these and last season's "Yippie Kayak" allow the show to embrace its sillier side and it's in this environment that the show really flourishes. The heist this year was a ton of fun, especially now that everyone is competing to win. The overblown competitive interactions between the characters are a joy, and the competitive nature of the heist gives the perfect excuse to allow the characters to be funnier than usual. I really enjoyed things like Rosa tolerating Amy's nerdiness, Jake being disgusted by Bill, and Terry continually trying to stay out of the heist. It's dumb fun, but it's really engaging and has the show firing on all cylinders. The twists are pretty clever, and the idea of Gina winning was nice and it ends up feeling like a surprise. The logistics of her victory don't make the most sense but it doesn't really matter because this episode never attempts to take anything seriously. Of course a concept in a sitcom is only as good as the quality of jokes. Thankfully, the jokes here are outstanding and it's the funniest the show has ever been. The Bad: There is a small issue I have with this. Of course the idea of such a ridiculously large scale heist blatantly exposes the fact that all the characters are terrible at their jobs and ignore work far too much. This is made especially obvious since Terry chooses to work in this episode, bringing the fact that nobody here is working to the forefront of the episode. Best Moment: "No more alimony baby!" had superb comedic timing. Character of the Episode: Gina. Conclusion: This was a superb episode that allowed "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" to show its strengths. This is a silly episode, but it has enough charm and quality humour to work perfectly without the silliness being a crutch to overcome. After a rough start to the season, this halloween episode gets things back on track. Score: 81 Summary: Jake works with Charles on a case and gets used to the changes in the precinct. Holt tries to cheer up the squad when they are miserable from being on the night shift. Rosa feels sad because Pimento hasn't returned yet.
The Good: There were parts of this I really liked. I liked how there was an entire storyline dedicated to Jake coming to terms with how things have changed, particularly with Charles having a kid now. I would have preferred there to be other new aspects to be explored, but this one area was done well and I thought that the story was fairly well done for a sitcom. Plus there were some good jokes from the Jake/Charles interactions. This episode was a crossover episode with the show "New Girl" which I haven't seen. Thankfully, the crossover was limited to just one scene, which made the episode accessible to people who haven't watched both shows. I liked that decision. The Bad: Some things really bothered me. Is Holt back to being the captain now? What happened to CJ? Can't Holt just get the Nine-Nine off of the night shift? These are important questions, but the show has glossed over them. Rosa's story did nothing for me. Amy came off poorly throughout much of the episode, which I don't think was intentional, and it bothered me more than it made me laugh. Furthermore, I'm not liking how often the show is resorting to making Rosa be all emotional. The show keeps telling us that Rosa crying is a rare occurrence, but it feels like she has cried more than the rest of the cast combined by this point. I didn't like the Holt storyline in this episode. While he had some good lines, there wasn't much memorable about it and the rest of the squad really let this episode down. Instead of letting the characters be themselves, Gina and Terry were given gimmicks for this episode which I am sure will never come up again. It wasn't funny and it completely broke my immersion. Lastly, I wasn't a fan of Lohank getting such a significant role in this episode. He has appeared just 3 times in the series and is woefully underdeveloped, so it feels weird to have the entire cast joke about this character we hardly even know. Overall, the laughs in this episode were very disappointing, and it felt like there were more misses than hits. Best Moment: Probably the cold open. Thank god Jake lost the tips. Character of the Episode: Jake. Conclusion: This was a weak episode. Outside of a solid but unspectacular Jake/Charles story, the characters were not handled well and the laughs were much weaker than usual. The night shift saga has started off very poorly. I hope the storylines improve. Score: 48 Summary: Terry decides to drive the rest of the crew to Florida. Holt and Jake run from the cops and prepare a trap for Figgis.
The Good: The Holt and Gina interactions were fantastic in this episode and it makes me really wish that we got to see these two characters working together more often since their dynamic is always great. Their gossip was fantastic, as was the plot of them stealing the truck to go help out. I thought this episode had some of the best jokes of this three-parter overall. The Holt surgery scene was a lovely parody as Holt does surgery on himself while consoling Jake, which was pretty funny. The cliffhanger is interesting, and I'm curious to see how the night shift switches things up for the show. The Bad: A lot of this was disappointing to me. This episode, like the two before it, continued to view Florida in a simplistic light, poking fun at America's issues without addressing any of them, and making Florida feel like more of a caricature than an actual place. The conclusion to the Figgis storyline disappointed me. Figgis ended up being a really bland character and the sequence to take him down was one of the more serious parts of the show, yet it was completely bland and predictable from a dramatic point of view, which I had to adopt due to the lack of jokes in the entire sequence. Figgis' defeat was far too easy and didn't feel like a satisfying conclusion to this storyline. I had expected this, but unfortunately it seems like "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" is returning to the status quo after only a few episodes once more despite teasing a major change for this season. Best Moment: Holt shouting "boost my bottom" was fantastic. Character of the Episode: Holt. Conclusion: While this was a really funny episode, the story overall had big problems which detracted from it. The Coral Palms story arc ended up being a mixed bag. It had some fun and unique things, but overall it felt rushed and simplistic, and I feel like more could have, and should have, been done with this storyline. The overarching stories in "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" haven't ever impressed me and this was no exception. Score: 61 Summary: The Nine-Nine get a new captain, CJ, who is woefully inadequate and everyone except Amy take advantage of him. Holt and Jake buy guns and prepare to set a trap but they are imprisoned by a police sheriff.
The Good: I enjoyed most of this. The return to the Nine-Nine was a lot of fun and it was great to see CJ the utterly unqualified captain running the precinct. I liked the story that came up with Amy wanting to continue Holt's methods while everyone else immediately started to slack off under the watch of the new captain. It was a sensible story and led up to a wonderful conclusion as Amy's just actions had dire consequences as the Nine-Nine weren't allowed to go to Florida to help Jake and Holt. I was more mixed on aspects of the Jake/Holt storyline but it was pretty fun for the most part. The prison break was really fun and I enjoyed how Jake and Holt used the sheriff's homophobia against him. The Bad: Having this episode push the broken morals of America felt like a bit much. It was funny to be sure, but it also felt strange for a comedy show to poke fun at these legitimate issues without properly addressing them. CJ is of course a ridiculous character and it's difficult to buy into his existence in this world. I also wish that the show spent more time building parallels to how the Nine-Nine was seemingly regressing to the state it was in before Holt got there to turn it around. Amy briefly touched on it, but I feel like more could have been done with this story. Furthermore, I feel like this could have been a good idea for a multi-episode storyline at the Nine-Nine since this would be an effective way to show us more of the kind of lifestyle that the detectives were living before Holt got there. It feels like missed potential to end this storyline so quickly. Best Moment: Terry breaking when he reveals to Amy that he was bested by the promise of a yogurt fridge. Character of the Episode: Terry. Conclusion: This was another really funny episode that served as the middle part of this Coral Palms storyline. It had its flaws, but I enjoyed it. Score: 65 Summary: Holt and Jake adjust to their new lives as Greg and Larry. Holt notices that Jake is working on the Figgis case in secret and forces him to stop by stealing all of his work. Jake refuses to simply give up and harasses Holt to give him his work back.
The Good: I really like the decision to focus this whole episode on Jake and Holt. They have a really fun story here and a lot of the jokes were quite funny, especially in the second half of the episode. Holt's line delivery remains masterful and I especially loved the bond he developed with his walking group. Jake on the other hand is understandably unhappy to be stuck in Florida and him working on the case in secret makes perfect sense. The sequence of Jake ruining Holt's life at work was a lot of fun, and the complete inadequacy of the Fun Zone management was very entertaining. I like the stories for each character in this episode. It's really great how the characters switch roles through the episode where Jake starts as the one wanting to investigate Figgis, and it then switches to Holt by the episode's end. Both characters go through a nice story that naturally leads to the fun conclusion of the two of them deciding to team up. The Bad: This episode does take a while to get going. A lot of the early jokes in the episode fall completely flat (outside of the Jake burrito scene) and they are much lower in quality than what I've come to expect from this show. I was disappointed by how little I laughed in the first several minutes of this episode. I didn't end up enjoying myself until Holt confronted Jake about his secret project which is where the episode really started to feel fun. But everything before that was missing something. All of the jokes felt too familiar and it didn't feel like the show was doing anything compelling with the characters until close to the end of the episode. I also still have problems with the serialization of the show. The Marshal was so unexpectedly silly and it's hard to buy into this being a serious situation when the professional is a joke of a character. Her insistence that Jake's favourite movie is "Failure to Launch" is further proof of this ridiculous and the joke didn't work for me. Furthermore, I struggle to believe that Jake and Holt wouldn't just tell the Marshal that the viral video is being released so they can be relocated. Surely it's not such a big deal that they have to pull off this crazy heist to delete the video. Best Moment: Holt: "ATVs? The only thing you're selling is a huge pile of bunk!" This one line finally got the jokes going in this episode, plus Andre Braugher's delivery was outstanding. Character of the Episode: Holt. Conclusion: This episode ended up being simply decent. On paper I really enjoyed it, but the flatness of the first half of the episode made it a chore to watch this at times. The second half was a significant step up though and it ensured the episode was entertaining, even if the story didn't make a lot of sense. Score: 56 |
Aaron DhillonJust a university student who loves to watch TV. And analyze it way too much. Archives
March 2024
Categories
All
|