Over the past two seasons, Brooklyn Nine-Nine has become one of the best comedies on television. For me, it was the most anticipated comedy to return this fall, and the Season 3 premiere did not disappoint. At the end of last season, we were left on a bit of a cliffhanger. Not only had Jake and Amy kissed, but the Nine-Nine was also getting a new captain, a reveal we had to wait months to discover. The season premiere addressed both these cliffhangers in a unique and hilarious way, assuring the audience that this season would be just as good as the previous two.
Whenever faced with the romantic storyline of two main characters, many shows tend to stumble, unsure how to play off that balance between making the audience wait unrealistically long for them to get together and wanting to create will they/won’t they drama. Parks and Recreation was one show that always masterfully dealt with this balance, so it’s no surprise that Brooklyn Nine-Nine, a series also co-created by Michael Schur, has found the same success. In the beginning, it looked like Jake and Amy were just going to be another frustrating will they/won’t they couple, clearly having feelings for each other but waiting way too long to act on them. However, it quickly became clear that this wasn’t the path the show was going to take, as Brooklyn Nine-Nine had the two acknowledge their feelings for each other early on and created realistic roadblocks to them getting together.
This all led up to the Season 2 finale, where Jake and Amy went undercover as a couple and were forced to further examine those feelings. Unable to resist anymore, the two shared a kiss (outside of their undercover work), realistically showing that they couldn’t ignore those feelings anymore.
That’s where last season ended, leaving Jake and Amy to deal with the immediate aftermath. It was a relief to see them immediately acknowledge that they do have feelings for each other and didn’t want to pretend the kiss never happened. Instead, they decided to enter into a “light and breezy” relationship. In true Amy fashion, this required setting rules, though. They decided not to tell anyone about it, not to fool around at the workplace, and not to sleep together. In the course of the episode, all three rules were broken, once again forcing them to decide whether or not their relationship was a good idea.
Any other show would have taken the easy way out and kept the characters apart for another two seasons, building angst and sexual tension to the point that even the audience was frustrated. And at first, it looked like that’s what Brooklyn Nine-Nine was going to do. Jake and Amy decided to call it quits before their relationship even really got began, noticing a lot of signs pointing towards it not being the right time to start something. In the end, though, both came to the realization that any and all risks are worth it because they care so much about each other. With so many other shows getting romance wrong lately, it’s been refreshing to see Brooklyn Nine-Nine get it right.
Perhaps the most entertaining part of the episode was Boyle’s reactions to the Jake/Amy relationship, as he essentially represented the audience in his feelings about the two. From disappointment that Jake had a date with someone he claimed not to be Amy, to joy that he actually was dating Amy, and finally to being the voice of reason and telling Jake to just go for it, Boyle was there the whole time rooting the couple on. Charles is a consistent bright spot in every episode, guaranteed to bring the laughs while still contributing more than just humor to the show.
Elsewhere in the Nine-Nine, the group was having to deal with a new captain, Captain Dozerman (played by Bill Hader). There was a lot of excitement leading up to Hader appearing on the show because of the great work he’s done with Andy Samberg on SNL. While the character had a few good moments, especially shining in his one scene with just Jake, in the end, I was not disappointed to see him written off right away. He would have quickly gone from mildly entertaining to annoying, and I’m sure the writers realized that when they wrote the character, knowing he wouldn’t be sticking around. Instead, we were introduced to yet another new captain, the infamous Vulture, who is sure to bring a new twist to the precinct and the show.
And looking outside of the precinct, how have Captain Holt and Gina fared with the changes to their jobs? With Madeline Wuntch now giving the orders to Holt, he was less than pleased with his new role. Naming a mascot was not on the top of his to-do list, but it was what he was faced with in this episode. Gina helped Holt cope with the new changes, and this pairing continued to be one that is always enjoyable to watch. I completely understand why Brooklyn Nine-Nine made the changes that they did at the end of last season, wanting to keep the show fresh and interesting. That being said, I hope that Holt and Gina aren’t separated from everyone else the whole season. And while the feud between Holt and Wuntch can be entertaining, too much of it will quickly lose the interest of the audience.
All in all, this was a fantastic start to Brooklyn Nine-Nine‘s third season. Going forward, I hope we see a lot more of Rosa and Terry, who were pushed to the sidelines this week. Also noticeably absent were Hitchcock and Scully, who are usually good for a few laughs each episode. The writers definitely seem to know what they’re doing, though, both in terms of the Jake/Amy romance and the growth of the other characters. Undoubtedly, this season will continue to prove that, and hopefully, Brooklyn Nine-Nine will remain one of the best comedies on television.
[Photo credit: John P. Fleenor/FOX]
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