TV Recap: Brooklyn Nine-Nine - "The Vulture"

Left to right: Joe Lo Truglio and Dean Winters
Welcome to a weekly recap of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, which is one of the funniest and freshest new comedies currently airing on TV. Follow us every Thursday as we break down the episode into all of the important beats from the plot to character moments that are worth giving another shout-out. With an all-star comedy cast, this recap series will hopefully give you the information you need as well as reason to watch Fox on Tuesdays.

Andy Samberg
Crime of the Week: Peralta (Andy Samberg) has solved a case, but he still needs to find the murder weapon with the help of his teammates. 

Dean Winters
Peralta Problem: Since Peralta is unable to close a case, he is having the assignment threatened to be taken away by "The Vulture" (Dean Winters), who steals most of his cases anyways.

Left to right: Terry Crews and Chelsea Peretti
Subplot of the Week: Captain Holt (Andre Braugher) takes Sergeant Jeffords (Terry Crews) to a shooting range with Gina (Chelsea Peretti) with hope of getting him back into using a gun.


Best Joke: While Holt is talking to Jeffords about why he hasn't gone on any cases recently, they begin discussing "The Mannequin Incident," which involves him panicking and shooting a store mannequin. He then goes on to claim that there is another incident in which he panicked and shot a pinata. I have no idea how they manage to get so much mileage out of Jefford's sensitive side, but the last few episodes have really succeeded because of it.


Culprit: It was actually a murder weapon this time, and it was found in the trashcan below a garbage shoot adjacent to the hotel where the murder that they were investigating took place.

Left to right: Stephanie Beatriz and Truglio
Resolution: After Peralta leads the team on a quest to get revenge on The Vulture and gets drunk in the process, they disrupt a crime scene and solve the case. However, with Peralta needing to learn how to work as a team, he gives credit for the case over to The Vulture and instead takes the blame for disrupting the scene. Jeffords overcomes his fear of shooting when he is forced to be alone with Gina, who is hitting on him. He becomes enthusiastic about rejoining the action.


Verdict: One of the show's strengths, and I am glad that it realized it early, is the supporting cast. In this episode, we get a stronger sense of community as they all band together for a common cause. While it is mostly to take down who is perceived as a bully, it does lead to a lot of great conversation points and the bit around creating a revenge concept was great. It was also rather great that this episode managed to be humble and not hog all of the credit by solving the case, but giving it to someone else. It is an episode based around partnership that brings out the best in everyone. While it is arguable that the show is getting a little repetitive in the humor by making Boyle (Joe Lo Truglio) an oddball eccentric and Jeffords somewhat feminine, in the larger context it seems to work. The show manages to satire procedural shows without insulting it, and that remains its biggest strengths.


Rating: 4.5 out of 5

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