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Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Brooklyn Nine-Nine Finale Review – “Lights Out” for the Season (7×13)

BROOKLYN NINE-NINE -- "Lights Out" Episode 713 -- Pictured: (l-r) Andre Braugher as Raymond Holt, Terry Crews as Terry Jeffords -- (Photo by: Jordin Althaus/NBC)

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“Lights Out,” the season finale of Brooklyn Nine-Nine Season 7, gives us the birth of the Peralta baby. Jake and Amy get the least amount of development and character exploration out of every other character in this episode – every other character, including the old woman Dottie, the criminal who took out the power, and the firefighter who helped deliver Amy’s baby.

Jake and Amy get the kind of tried and troped out baby plotline that I have feared ever since they first discussed having children in Season 6’s “Casecation.” Jake is desperate to make it to the birth of his child on time, a plot that movies and television shows have been doing for decades, and Amy doesn’t want to go to the hospital right away, another “classic” baby move.

We get nothing out of Amy from this.  Amy’s labor completely detracts from the fact that we are seeing Amy in complete charge of the precinct for the first time ever. That’s a huge deal within the context of the show. That’s been Amy’s dream since episode one and the driving force behind so much of her character, from her bossiness and by-the-book methods to her desperate need to be a teacher’s pet. And here, instead of witnessing the true culmination of her seven year journey to this point, we watch her give birth.

The birth complicating her role as the leader isn’t an inherently bad choice; it’s that it doesn’t actually complicate it. Amy does a completely great job with almost no stumbling blocks. The birth doesn’t seem to affect her decision making at all. Maybe that’s the point, maybe the show is trying to say Amy is so unbelievably good at being in charge that even when she’s in labor she’s an incredible leader. That’s fine! That’s a fine message, but “Lights Out” doesn’t focus on that. It focuses on the birth of the child.

There is no “good job, Sarge” from Terry. There is no “well done” by Captain Holt. Amy led the precinct during a crisis, without notice, while in labor, in the dark, and there’s nothing to say about it. Babies draw attention away from the main character arcs and story beats, and this is a prime example of that.

As for Jake, is there an actual character reason for him so badly wanting to be by Amy’s side for the birth outside of “of course he does?” Any father would want to be there for the birth of their child, this isn’t a story about Jake, it’s just a story about some father. Is there not a moment where Jake could express his desire to be there on a personal level, such as the fact that he felt his father was never there for him so he wants to be there for his son the moment that son enters the world? Why isn’t that explored? That’s literally lines of dialogue, no plot changes required.

It doesn’t have to be exactly that; a review shouldn’t be about what I would have preferred an episode to do. A review should be as close to objective as possible while still expressing an opinion (if that’s even possible in such a subjective medium). “Objectively” speaking, Jake’s character is left unchallenged in any specific ways this episode, and part of a television show’s strength comes from how it evaluates its characters, so I believe this to be a fair criticism.

Personally, I would have included some character motivation through dialogue as Jake and Boyle enter the building looking for their perp. We’ve discussed before that Brooklyn Nine-Nine is at its best when it’s mixing humor with its tense moments, but Boyle and Jake’s dialogue in this scene doesn’t create a mix – it completely abolishes all tension that was created. They are searching for someone who theoretically could be armed, and they walk in chatting loudly about their senses, with Boyle sniffing the air. How is that good police work? I normally like the witty banter between characters and the casual chatter during these scenes, but the reason that normally works is because the characters are still great at their jobs. This is just goofy to the point of actively harming the police work, so I believe the dialogue here could have been used better to add some character specificity to Jake’s situation.

Every other character fares better than the parents-to-be. Boyle is, as usual, over the top about the child being born. Boyle’s obsession with Amy and Jake and their love life has been played out for a long while, and it’s no fresher here. However, Boyle having to make amends with Lieutenant Peanut Butter is fresh, and is awesome character work. Boyle’s hatred for the horse is still funny because it’s so against type for Boyle and we know his history with the majestic creature. The fact that he lets it go and gives the horse the glory of getting Jake to Amy in time is inspired, and shows that Boyle’s obsession isn’t as important as Jake and Amy’s happiness. Boyle wants to be Jake’s hero so badly and he gives it up. WHY IS BOYLE GETTING BETTER DEVELOPMENT OUT OF THE BIRTH OF JAKE’S CHILD THAN JAKE IS.

Jake undercuts this moment by claiming that no, actually, Jake’s journey to the baby is more important than Boyle’s reconciliation with Peanut Butter. I disagree. Maybe in real life the birth of a child surpasses the importance of resolving a grudge with a horse, but in television the power of story comes from character motivation and conflict. Boyle’s storyline here has both of those aspects in spades, aspects that were built up in the history of the show. Jake’s motivation is incredibly generic and is completely dependent on the audience’s personal understanding of how father’s should act in the real world and what real world father’s want, with no true character buildup within the universe of the show.

Rosa’s role in all of this is pretty standard “I’m grossed out by baby stuff” fare, and shocker, she puts it aside to help Amy. Hitchcock and Scully put aside their desires for the greater good of Amy as well. These aren’t incredibly deep or unexpected points; we’ve seen Rosa help Amy out all season so I wouldn’t call what happens in “Lights Out” development for her. At least they add something personal by having Rosa desperate to get Amy out of the precinct because she’s grossed out by everything.

The side characters get to shine brighter than Jake and Amy as well, with distinct personalities, making decisions and slip ups that reveal things about their characters. From this episode, I somehow know more about Dottie’s specific opinions of fatherhood than I do Jake’s. The closest we get to Jake’s insight on this is when he puts his son down to watch Captain Holt and Terry dance.

That dance is the best part of the episode, both within the context of the birth of Mac and outside of it. Terry has to work with Holt to keep him calm, just as a leader would do. The humor in that storyline is character specific, as Holt normally wouldn’t do this type of dancing, and the type of dance Terry teaches Holt is different than a dance Rosa or Boyle would teach him. Terry’s positive attitude reflects well off of Holt’s panic, and Holt’s request to Terry to never speak of their dance lessons again is funny because we know Holt. It may be an easy joke, but it’s a believable phrase and means something to the character.

The payoff of doing the dance for Amy is excellent because it shows that Amy’s comfort is more important to Holt than his image is. Is this fresh ground? No. We know this, but at least it’s rooted in specific character context and not just dependent on the broad concept of “be there for your friends.”

As close to objectively speaking as I can be, I don’t feel “Lights Out” is a great episode of television. It’s missing specific character motivation for Jake, doesn’t follow through on a series long arc for Amy, and relies heavily on generic plots such as “I don’t want to admit I’m going through labor” and “I gotta get to my wife for the birth.” On a personal opinion level, I’m extremely disappointed. Amy spent the first three years of this series desperate for approval from her superiors, and spent the next three earning that respect. To have her greatest moment as a Sergeant completely overshadowed by giving birth makes me so, so sad. Jake, ripe with father issues, having no moment of connection with Holt, his truest father-figure, over becoming a father is a major missed opportunity, and I will forever be upset that we didn’t get to see that.

But I can only critique what does happen, not what doesn’t, and what does happen isn’t up to the heights of what Brooklyn Nine-Nine has proved it can be. Hopefully Season 8 spends more time with the wonderful cast of characters at its disposal and doesn’t get distracted by the baby.

Other Great Thoughts:

  • I miss Gina Linetti. The “great” in my “Other Great Thoughts” comes from a quote of hers, and I think she would have been quite an asset in this episode, as she could have brought her unique flair to help this standard baby tale stand out.
  • The fire department feud went nowhere this episode.
  • The women at the bachelorette party seemed to play incredibly close to stereotypes, which is disappointing for Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
  • I barely commented on the comedy of this episode, and I’m assuming that’s mostly because I didn’t laugh much. I’m not criticizing the episode for lack of jokes or being unfunny because I may have been so turned off by the plot that I wasn’t in the mood to laugh. However, the extended censor of Amy’s tirade to Hitchcock got me to chuckle.

Someone, please disagree with me and change my mind on this episode and this season. I think this was easily the weakest Nine-Nine season yet, so if anyone can point out the positives to change my mind, please do! I want to end on a positive note, so here we go.

My positives for the year:

  • Debbie (though I felt she was dismissed too early and quickly)
  • “Trying” a fantastic episode (maybe even a personal series highlight).
  • Holt’s speech about Wuntch.
  • Holt going after Cheddar’s kidnapper

Thanks to everyone for reading! Especially to those who followed and read along with me throughout the season!

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Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Brooklyn Nine-Nine Series Finale Review: The Last Day (8×09/8×10)

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Brooklyn Nine-Nine - Season 8 The Last Day

Season 8 of Brooklyn Nine-Nine has a lot of issues. The finale of the show is not one of them.

Using a heist for the finale episode is a brilliant move, and I personally feel it is a pretty gutsy one, as well. The heist episodes are highlights of the series, and each year the pressure mounted to keep the quality of these outings high. Not every heist episode is a classic, but enough of them are that with each additional entry there is a risk of diminishing the reputation of the yearly series.

So to hinge the series finale on a heist episode is a gutsy move. Not only must it live up to the expectations set by the previous heists, but it also must serve as a satisfying conclusion to the show. In retrospect, it seems like an obvious answer and it serves the function of “series finale” very well. Maybe for viewers this seemed like a no-brainer from the start, but from a writing standpoint this was a risk.

It was also a risk due to the nature of these episodes. The heist episodes tend to toss the rules of the show out the window, resulting in mass chaos where damage to the precinct is encouraged and betraying loved ones and risking serious bodily harm are expected. They also exist almost completely outside whatever storyline the show is focused on in a particular season.

I’ve criticized the show pretty thoroughly this year for not providing deep enough character ties to its serialized plot, citing how I feel the messages the show tries to send about the police get a bit watered down due to a lack of exploration. “The Last Day” continues this trend. Jake was suspended by the police in “The Set Up,” and yet doesn’t reflect on his suspended time at all when deciding to quit the Nine-Nine in the finale. That’s a major disconnect from Season 8 and is a large reason I feel this season is among the weaker years of the show. O’Sullivan, Holt’s marriage troubles, Rosa quitting the Nine-Nine – none of it is really relevant to the final episode. There isn’t any true through-line from the season to this finale. Is that risk of narrative disconnect worth the reward?

I believe it is, because while the final episode of Season 8 has almost nothing to do with Season 8, it has everything to do with Brooklyn Nine-Nine. It’s a phenomenal interpretation of what the show is and I loved pretty much every second of it. It’s an amazing excuse to run through the show’s history and never quite feels overly-cheesy because of the exaggerated logic the heist episodes operate on.

But my favorite aspect of the finale is that for the first time in a long, long time, the entire crew is together. No A, B, and C plots – just one huge A plot with different moving parts. Terry sums this up perfectly when they get trapped near the end of the episode, citing that the Nine-Nine is at its best when it is working together.

And yeah, sure, they were actually all working against each other, but that’s a technicality in this case. From a story purpose, they all work together to create one final heist, and it results in an excellent finale to the series. Asides from paying homage to dozens of moments from the show’s history, “The Last Day” also delivers the punches to the heart you need from a good finale. Some are goofy, like Hitchcock and Scully’s hug and Gina’s exit, and some are heartwarming, like Amy and Rosa and Holt and Jake.

Holt and Jake’s relationship is the highlight of this show, and their final scene together brings them to a well-earned conclusion. Jake finally gets true acceptance from a father-figure, but wonderfully has grown past the need to get it. This doesn’t mean that Holt’s words don’t mean the world to him – it just means from a story standpoint, Jake did actually grow up, and he doesn’t need Holt’s approval anymore.

Which makes Holt’s approval that much more affecting. It tugs at your heart in a way none of the season’s other plot lines do because it’s so directly tied to Jake and Holt’s journey on the show. Holt’s words are affecting because we’ve actually witnessed the growth they’ve both gone through and we’ve seen the ways their actions and personalities have influenced each other over the course of the series.

“The Last Day” fully succeeds at bringing these characters to earned conclusions, and I am genuinely impressed by its success.

But Season 8 was a mess.

I wish I didn’t have to taint this review with some dourness, but what was the point, from a story standpoint, of having Jake be suspended? His conduct didn’t factor into any plot lines past that episode. The season opened with a heavy look into what it means to be a “good cop” and Jake’s decision to leave detective work behind has nothing to do with it.

Maybe I’m biased because I know the season was partially re-written to include examinations of the current sociopolitical era, but it really feels like this finale was written in a vacuum away from all of that. It’s really odd to have so many plot lines that have Jake evaluating exactly what it means to be a cop and then only have him leave because he wants to be a dad.

To be clear, that’s a great reason for Jake to leave! It’s super relevant to his character arc and it’s the perfect send off for him. It’s just odd that none of those other factors factored into his decision at all when they were the focus of nearly half of the season’s episodes.

I agree Brooklyn Nine-Nine needed to address police conduct. I agree Jake leaving to be a dad is an excellent end to his story. I don’t agree that those two storylines don’t cross paths at all. There’s a huge disjoint there that I can’t overlook when considering the quality of this season.

So, with that said, I didn’t love Season 8 of Brooklyn Nine-Nine. It had story inconsistencies, a tendency to dilute its noble messages by not grounding those messages in character, and at times fell a bit too far into standard sitcom fare.

But I love this finale. A finale’s number one priority is to be as great a representation of the show it’s capping as possible. “The Last Day” is near perfect by this metric. It maintains the consistent quality of the heist episodes, grounds its heartfelt moments through its characters, and is anything but standard. It embodies everything that makes this series special – the ensemble cast, sharp, witty writing that moves one-hundred miles a minute, and a surprisingly strong heart that beats all the way through to the last scene.

Other Thoughts:

  • I think this was the best episode of the show since the move to NBC.
  • The joke referencing the opening credits is one of my favorites jokes in the entire series. This is the sort of joke that only really works in a finale. I didn’t really “laugh” at it, but I appreciated the heck out of it and felt it was a great 4th wall break that didn’t technically break the 4th wall.
  • You knew Gina would be back, and I love how it isn’t really made into a big deal. She slips in and out of her old role without a trace. Love it.
  • Hitchcock winning is so stupid. It’s the cherry on top of the chaos.
  • I wish we would have gotten more investigation driven episodes this season, as a large part of what made the show so unique was its ability to take investigations and genuine danger and balance them with humor, however that’s more of a season criticism and I don’t think this was necessary for the finale.
  • The epilogue showing us that the heists will continue and will keep these characters in each other’s lives for years to come is a wonderful final scene and very true to the show and its sense of camaraderie.

When I say “standard sitcom fare” I only use that as a negative regarding Brooklyn Nine-Nine. I don’t have anything against standard sitcom fare, as it wouldn’t be standard if it didn’t have some merit! But part of what separated Brooklyn Nine-Nine from other sitcoms throughout its run was how different it was and how sometimes it was closer to a spoof of police procedurals than it was to a sitcom. The closer to The Office or Parks and Recreation that Brooklyn Nine-Nine gets, the less Brooklyn Nine-Nine it becomes. There easily could have been an episode of The Office or Parks and Rec where everyone goes to the cabin for a weekend (I know that actually happens in Parks and Rec and there are similar scenarios in The Office), but no other show on television can do a heist episode like this.

Goodbye, Nine-Nine!

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Brooklyn Nine-Nine Review – Renewal (8×08)

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Brooklyn Nine-Nine - Season 8 Renewal

Brooklyn Nine-Nine is coming to a close, with “Renewal” being the penultimate episode of the series. For me, however, “Renewal” doesn’t feel like the penultimate episode of a series that has run for eight years. Sure, it has the standard setups that the final few episodes of a show should have, such as Amy’s promotion and the implementation of the police reform program, but it all feels so obligatory.

I don’t feel Brooklyn Nine-Nine has really set itself up for this story-wise. It’s just a plot that’s happening. The season seemed to only half-focus on the police reform storyline even when it was at the center of an episode. Amy and Terry spend “Balancing” trying to make sure Amy’s proposal got heard, but the show didn’t really focus too much on the specifics of her proposal or what this proposals means to her at all.

That’s the biggest issue with this season. The plot raises stakes that the characters don’t really react to. Jake admits his wrongdoing in “The Set Up” but hardly reflects on it afterwards. Terry and Boyle get no time to react to the issue of police conduct, and Rosa, while she has a good moment of introspection in the premiere, has mostly just been a side-character ever since.

Without the characters actually reacting to what’s happening to them, these plot points feel by the numbers instead of important. There hasn’t been a real build up to the finale because Jake’s perspective on his work hasn’t really been explored. Whatever happens in the finale, even if it’s really good, will be hurt by the lack of character build up to it.

This episode on its own, though, is solid, and that’s mostly because of Holt. Captain Raymond Holt is undeniably the MVP of this season, and possibly the entire series. His character has been used the best in regards to mixing plot points with character motivation. His journey in this episode is good; he wants to be a better husband to Kevin and believes retirement is the best option to do so, but he wants to work because his work means something to him. This is the sort of character conflict we should be seeing in the rest of the characters this season.

We care about Holt’s retirement because he cares about his retirement. It isn’t just a plot point to deliver a message like Jake’s suspension turned out to be. Jake’s suspension means little to us because the biggest impact it had on Jake was making him bored. Even Holt questions how little Jake learned from it in this episode when Jake is so excited to break into O’Sullivan’s house. Holt’s dilemma leaving the force is a much better story because we actually see how it affects Holt, and understand the personal struggle he is having trying to make a good decision for himself and for Kevin.

I wish more of the characters would have gotten this sort of introspective look throughout the season. It would have strengthened every storyline and strengthened the messages behind them. Hopefully the finale will provide more of this than the rest of the season has.

Other Thoughts:

  • Why would Holt tell anyone he is retiring before Amy’s report is done? These people are historically terrible at keeping secrets and this was a super lazy way to put this plot into motion.
  • The “bone” callback was a bit forced, but it was fun so I don’t care.
  • I thought Terry screaming at both Amy and O’Sullivan at the same time worked. I actually liked that side plot a fair bit.

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Brooklyn Nine-Nine Review – A Game of Boyles (8×07)

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Brooklyn Nine-Nine - Season 8 A Game of Boyles

I had a lot of fun this episode, and I feel this episode hits an “old-school” Brooklyn Nine-Nine vibe. I think this is one of the funnier episodes of the season so far, and it uses each of its main players well. However, I have one gigantic, glaring issue with it.

But first, the positives. The opening scene is well executed creepiness. It’s a bit disorienting at first because it is filmed so differently from the usual look of the show, and the cheerful Boyle family is played up for creep factor instead of its usual goofy comedy. Removed from context, there is something unsettling about how they treat each other, and the twist of the death that caps the scene hammers the creepiness home. Loved it.

The mystery itself is obviously a Knives Out parody, right down to the reveal of the killer, and as a Knives Out fan, I enjoyed this. I’ll admit it feels a little odd using Knives Out as an inspiration for a show that is already about people solving crimes, since it doesn’t really need an excuse to do this sort of story, but considering how little of crime solving we’ve actually seen this season, I’ll take what I can get.

The Boyle storyline is simple and basic, but their weird family dynamic makes it unique. Making a subject uncomfortable by giving them weak tea is something that only the Boyle clan can do, and those sorts of character specific beats keep this episode entertaining and funny. Jake and Terry are both used well (even if Terry’s excuse for going is a bit flimsy from a writing standpoint), as Jake relentlessly pushes the plot forward and Terry provides Jake an easy and willing ally.

The twist that Boyle isn’t actually a Boyle is almost excellent, but since it doesn’t amount to almost anything, it ends up being sort of moot. That’s sort of the point, though, and I like that the episode frames Boyle as a “true” Boyle despite not being a full Boyle by blood. I’m disappointed that Boyle’s adopted son isn’t spoken of considering how hard he takes the news of his heritage, but most the kids in this show are forgotten about until the show feels like bringing them up, so this isn’t unexpected. In this case, I think Nikolaj should have been referenced, though, as it would have been thematically relevant. Either way, the message that you are who you choose to be and not who you’re born as is a positive one, and the show gets there in entertaining fashion. Good stuff.

Holt’s storyline may be even better, though. It’s a perfect blend of trope-ridden sitcom romance and Holt specific humor, just like the Boyle story blended classic mystery with Boyle humor. This is a new character beat for Holt, as we’ve never seen him date before, and I wish we could have gotten more storylines like this the last few years.

Amy and Rosa’s knowledge of Holt’s personality also come into play, which is great for two reasons. First, it’s Season 8 and these characters should know each other very well. Second, it’s a great way to bring a “final look” at Holt as a character, since this is the final season.

And the bonus on top is that the storyline leads to a real emotional payoff. I complained last week that “The Setup” was an episode that seemed built to deliver Holt’s speech. “Game of Boyles” doesn’t fall into this trap, and earns Holt’s emotional realization naturally through the actual experience of the character. 

This is also the first time we ever see Holt and Kevin kiss, which is awesome! I’m sure part of the slow build to this on-screen kiss had to do with some antiquated behind the scenes content control, but in this very particular case, it works. Kevin and Holt aren’t characters that we would see show affection in public very often. The kiss here works on a character level; it shows how far they’ve come as a couple and how much they care for each other that they would kiss in the rain in the street.

I’m not the biggest fan of this subplot as a whole, as I don’t feel the show used it too well and it is a bit of a trope (and kind of an easy way to drum up drama), but “Game of Boyles” takes advantage of the storyline and has a character driven payoff. Thumbs up.

Now for my gigantic, glaring issue. Jake was just suspended for tailing an innocent man without evidence and he immediately does it again to Boyle’s cousin. What is this? How is this happening? It’s completely at odds with the story they attempted to lay out last episode. I maintain that “The Setup” really missed the mark by having Jake apologize for one mistake instead of a career full of “I have a gut feeling,” and this episode supports that argument. “The Setup” flat-out stated Jake was wrong for his conduct in that episode, and “Game of Boyles” allows him to do it again, freely, without consequence, and to have fun while doing it.

It’s maddening. This is completely inconsistent. If you want Jake to be able to be a “loose-cannon cop that doesn’t play by the rules,” fine, but don’t have him suspended for conduct in one episode and then repeat the conduct without consequence in the next. AND HE IS SUSPENDED. Doesn’t that make this even worse? What authority did he have to conduct an investigation? Shouldn’t Terry have reprimanded him for not learning from his past mistakes? What is the message this show really wants to send?

I’m not sure, and maybe Brooklyn Nine-Nine isn’t sure, either.

Other Thoughts:

  • Lots of fun callbacks this episode, from the Boyle dough to Holt’s method of considering ideas. Great stuff to see in a final season.
  • Scully has been used very, very well this season. His single line this episode was amazing. Great to see his character getting some major small moments in the final season.

Removed from the context of the season and if Jake wasn’t suspended, I’d really like this episode. In context though, oof. I just can’t get past the failure to truly acknowledge Jake’s conduct.

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