TV Recap: Brooklyn Nine-Nine - "9 Days"

The Golden Globe-winning comedy series Brooklyn Nine-Nine returns for a third season of hilarity and crime. After an impressive first season that chronicled one of the best new ensembles solving problems and forming unexpected relationships, the series is back to tackle bigger things. Will it be as great as the first season? Stay tuned every Wednesday for the recap on that week's episode to find out through interesting tidbits including the best jokes and what the crew is up to that week.

Crime of the Week: Peralta (Andy Samberg) digs up a closed case in order to keep Holt  (Andre Braugher) company while his boyfriend it out of town.

Peralta Problem: Peralta and Holt contract mumps after following a suspect who is a carrier, forcing them to be stuck in the same room together until full recovery.

Subplot of the Week: Jeffords (Terry Crews) takes over for Holt while he is out of town by trying to be a more efficient captain, only to find that's it way harder than he thought.

Best Joke: In light of his dog dying, Boyle (Joe Lo Truglio) makes a video in memory of his dog. The only issue is that he liked to hump everything, so the bittersweet tribute rings a little false.

Culprit: Santiago (Melissa Fumero) discovers that the formula she used to make pasta was actually a code that solved the case, even though it was already closed.

Resolution: Peralta and Holt end up being friends again, with the captain thanking Peralta for getting him his old job back. Boyle learns to come to terms with his dead dog when Diaz (Stephanie Beatriz) learns to sympathize with his pain. Jeffords discovers that the reason that he's not doing a great job as captain is because he should've been out doing other work instead of trying to please everyone else by doing their job for them.

Resolution: I was initially worried that the episode would attempt to use mumps as some form of visual comedy. Thankfully, it was more of an excuse to get two characters in the same room and to cover an interesting ground. However, I like everything else about this episode a lot more, especially in regards to how Jeffords attempts to save the day and how Boyle comes to terms with his dead dog. Overall, a very solid episode with plenty of laughs and heartwarming moments that capture what Brooklyn Nine-Nine does best. 

Rating: 3.5 out of 5