Up against the Golden Globes, which last year recognized Andy Samberg and Brooklyn Nine-Nine for the show’s impressive first season, “Payback” was a middle of the road episode for the sophomore comedy. There were some fun moments, most of them centered around Jake mistakenly emailing the whole precinct that Terry and his wife were having another baby, but the episode didn’t deliver as many laughs as we’ve become accustomed to, leaving us wanting more.
“Payback” went back to the tired formula of Amy wanting to impress Holt. Melissa Fumero and Andre Braugher have been bright spots in the show since the start, and it seems like almost a waste of their talent to go back to the same repetitive story. I’m not saying that they don’t do a great job with the material they’re given, but I’d like to see their characters interact in different ways. It was promising to see their relationship move forward in this episode, which allowed them to be partners on a case. By the end, they were even able to share a laugh about the ‘street meat’ mishap which led to a bout of food poisoning for Holt. If the show continues to have Amy and Holt inch closer to partners, they might be able to bring new life to the relationship, making it compelling once again.
I did enjoy the opportunity this episode gave us to further explore the character of Jake Peralta. If forced to pick one main character from a show that is all about its ensemble cast, that main character would be Jake. We’ve seen Jake mature over the course of the show, sometimes stumbling along the way. He’s not a character I ever thought I’d find myself enjoying, yet as he continues to grow, I find myself not only finding him funny but also rooting for his character.
There’s no doubt that Andy Samberg is a brilliant comedic actor and Brooklyn Nine-Nine has been able to showcase that since the beginning. What’s been surprising is the depth they’ve been able to bring to the character. In last night’s episode, Jake used his detective skills to discover that Terry was having another baby. Wanting to prove he was responsible enough to be the godfather, he had to keep it a secret from everyone else.
Obviously, like in any good comedy, there were complications, this time involving Jake accidentally hitting ‘reply all’ on an email meant for only Terry. Feeling guilty that the secret was out and that he still owed Terry money, Jake sold his car to fully finish paying him back. He had no ulterior motive for this, simply wanting to make things right with Terry. By doing this, he ended up showing Terry that he was mature enough to handle being a godfather. While Jake will never fully lose his laid back attitude, which makes him who he is, we have seen his character grow, providing a depth to the character that was needed to make him likable.
Favorite Moments:
-The group giving Rosa dating advice.
-”You don’t outgrow punk, sir.”
-Jake working out with Terry.
-Finger Holes. Enough said.
-Yahoo Answers is where Jake gets all his information.
[Photo via FOX]
Follow Us
