Brooklyn Nine-Nine returned this week, for the first time since it’s Golden Globe nomination for Best Comedy, and Andy Samberg’s nomination for Best Actor. Although I’d say it was one of the weaker episodes since the premiere, it still gave viewers a chance to see exactly why Nine-Nine deserves your attention, which says something about the strength the show has on the whole.
The episode centered around Peralta (Samberg) working with Diaz (Stephanie Beatriz) to catch the “Pontiac Bandit”, whom Peralta has been after for the majority of his career. The duo get leads from newly-arrested Doug Judy (guest star Craig Robinson) in their quest to catch the thief. After a series of events that included meeting Doug’s mom, Peralta dressing up as Steve Harvey, and a failed meeting with a hairdresser, Doug pulls the rug out from under the team, and confesses that indeed, he is the Pontiac Bandit.
Peralta, in the last 11 episodes has always come through with a last minute win, because at his core, he IS a great detective. His eagerness to catch the one criminal that kept getting away, paired with his resistance to listen to his partner, caused him to completely miss every clue that showed that Doug was the Bandit. This time, Doug Judy got away, and Peralta didn’t get that last minute win, and I liked that. Jake doesn’t always get the win, and he still has flaws that he needs to fix. Additionally, the setup allows Robinson to return as a guest star in the future, and sets up a long-term nemesis for Peralta.
The B story of “Pontiac Bandit” was the return of Boyle to the precinct after taking his heroic bullet to the butt (see “Christmas” if you’ve forgotten about it.) Boyle’s cast is still on, he can’t wear pants, and he’s riding a sweet scooter (and driving it terribly.) Boyle has a lot of goodwill with his co-workers, because he is a hero, but his antics test the limits of that goodwill at every turn. (Laugh out loud moment: Boyle spills a boiling hot cup of coffee down his cast, so Gina pours in a cold bottle of milk.) Additionally, Captain Holt can’t find a home for two adorable puppies that came from a tryst between his dog, Cheddar, and his neighbor’s dog, Karate. The entire episode is sprinkled with scenes of Holt carrying them around while saying stern things, each only enhanced by the puppies. After giving the team a scolding for hiding from Boyle when his goodwill finally runs out, Gina points out the ridiculousness of the puppies, and Holt finally decides the solution to Boyle’s problem is for him to take the puppies home.
As I mentioned previously, this episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine was one of the weaker episodes of the season. The laugh out loud moments were great when they occurred (see below for some of my favorites). It wasn’t a bad episode by any means, but not a strong as others have been this season. It’s a mark that shows just how great Brooklyn is… even its weak episodes are stronger than strong episodes of other sitcoms.
Best Laugh Out Loud Lines:
Boyle (while Terry hold him over a urinal): “This cast has a crotch hole…it’s like a doggy door for my penis! Shake…”
Jake: “I don’t look like a cop now!”
Rosa (seeing Jake in a large white suit): “No, you don’t. You look like a Boyz II Men Easter album.”
Holt: “I’d like you to meet Richard and Dan. They are puppies.”
Terry: “They’re very cute sir.”
Holt: “Maybe your twins would like some furry friends.”
Terry: “I’m sorry sir, but that’s impossible. With the twins learning to walk, chaos reigns in the Jeffries household… (to the puppies) TERRY CAN’T DO YOU LIKE THAT!”
Holt: “I understand. Just know, you are disappointing all three of us.”
Terry: “That’s cold, sir.”
Brooklyn Nine-Nine airs Tuesday nights at 8:00pm on FOX.