TV Recap: Brooklyn Nine-Nine - "Christmas"

Left to right: Andre Braugher, Joe Lo Truglio, and Andy Samberg
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.

Braugher
Crime of the Week: A person from Holt's (Andre Braugher) past is threatening to kill him.


Peralta Problem: Peralta (Andy Samberg) must take care of Holt and take him to a safe house in order to avoid anyone from killing him.


Subplot of the Week: Gina (Chelsea Peretti) and Santiago (Melissa Fumero) are working on a Christmas card for Holt and need a picture of Diaz (Stephanie Beatriz) smiling in order for it to look right.


Best Joke: When Peralta and Boyle (Joe Lo Truglio) decide to take down two rival Santa Clauses, things quickly turn into a brawl. Peralta feels that the violence is morally wrong, but needs to arrest the increasingly violent men. Boyle comes in and saves the day with a crotch shot that takes one down. In a moment of celebration, they look over and see a group of children watching them happy over two fallen Santa Clauses.

Kirk Bovill
Culprit: Haimes (Kirk Bovill) threatens to kill Holt after he arrested him at a swimming pool many years ago, but is eventually taken down by Jeffords (Terry Crews).

Terry Crews
Resolution: After bonding with Holt, Peralta manages to bond with him and they gain mutual respect. After Boyle gets shot in the butt, the team meets him at the hospital and at some point Diaz smiles, thus completing Santiago's quest. Jeffords, who was supposed to have a psych evaluation, is pulled from the meeting and forced to help Holt despite being emotionally unstable. 


Verdict: It is a great episode of role reversal. Where Peralta has always been the bumbling fool in the relationship with Holt, we see him taking control. He wants the best for his captain, even if that means watching Safe House in a safe house. Along with some comical moments involving handcuffs, their time together in closed quarters almost made them seem more intimate and intriguing. The subplot of getting Diaz to smile had plenty of great moments and continues to prove why she has slowly become a deadpan genius of the new Fall season. The episode's focus around bonding and making things stronger is what gives the particular episode some levity. The comedy comes from small character moments and by this point, we understand why they are doing them. It also helps that Holt lightens up a bit and has a few humorous out of character moments. 


Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Comments