Brooklyn Nine-Nine
continued its second season run with another great episode -- “Chocolate Milk.” Is there something about FOX comedies that they really come into their own
during the second season, or is that just me? Either way, I’m glad to see
B99 with its second fun episode in a row. So let’s get to talking.
Jake helps the Sarge out with his vasectomy, and tries to prove himself a “friend friend.” Although Jake may not be the most responsible guy in the joint,
it’s clear that he really does care about his co-workers, and considers them his actual friends. …Maybe with the exceptions of Scully and Hitchcock…
Although with all the vasectomy talk it seemed clear that Sarge
wasn’t going to get the vasectomy, the highlight of this story was of course Sarge
high on painkillers and with absolutely
no filter. (And Andy Samberg’s head is quite small compared to his much larger cast mate, Terry Crews).
The follow-through on the passing-out bit was classic
Nine-Nine and one of the reason their jokes play so well. When Terry falls over onto Jake,
Jake is actually stuck until the Sergeant awakes, not just into the commercial break.
Holt’s got an enemy in the force, and it looks like she’s out to get some revenge for…well, quite a laundry list of things, but one involves being
embarrassed in front of Derek Jeter, so she’s taking this pretty seriously. Deputy Police Chief Wuntch (Kyra Sedgwick) comes in to grade the precinct,
which does not bode well for Holt due to their long-running enmity. Luckily by sacrificing his dignity and beliefs (aka sucking up to her), he manages to
get the Nine-Nine a passing grade. Not a particularly fascinating story, though it provides for some great Holt/Amy moments, including her brilliant face
when he admits “[Wuntch] sabotaged my career because I refused to bed her.”
Over in C-story land, Boyle once again turns to Rosa for some pseudo-romantic favor. Since he has to attend his ex-wife’s engagement shower (due to his
being a tenant in her building), he really needs a date to the (Jamaican-themed) event. Rosa refuses, of course, though in the end decides to go with him,
and even help him find a new place to live. Is the show willing to push them closer together, only because there’s a Gina-sized obstacle to break them
apart? Will Rosa feel differently about her friendship with Boyle when she finds out that her co-workers are “bone bros”? Also, when did that become a
regular thing? (I’ve got a lot of questions here, guys. I feel like this tiny story was a tiny set-up for larger future stories, and in a fairly episodic
segment, I’m a little hungry for some serialization.)
Sometimes the stories take a bit of a backseat in
B99, but that’s not always to the detriment of the episode. With episodes like “Chocolate Milk”
the show becomes a bit more about the jokes, like
Happy Endings or
30 Rock. Less amusing storylines, more amusing moments. Sure, there
were some bits in this episode that felt a little underdeveloped, like the whole Chocolate Milk gag, but it doesn’t lessen the rest of the laughs. The
premiere episode of the season had a fairly good mix of plot and jokes -- after all, there were a couple loose ends to tie up before proceeding with the
new season. While the odd joke-centric episode can be great for
Brooklyn Nine-Nine, hopefully they’ll be mixed in with some story-centric ones
too, because it’s always interesting to see these characters fight against their own character development.
One of the downsides to a joke-stuffed episode like “Chocolate Milk” is that there’s a bunch of valuable material that flies by, pushed out of the way by
things like vasectomy joke-offs (not that I’d advocate cutting those -- let it be known that I’m staunchly against cutting vasectomy jokes. And testicles.
Moving on). The whole goofy setting of a gourmet/hipster Chocolate Milk establishment got a little bit of play, but for an off-beat setting like that, it
seemed like they could have had a bit more fun with it. The cases are not always the lynchpin of a
B99 episode, but the milk case wrapped up with
a one-sentence exposition about off-screen events. It’s also great to fill out an episode with fun guest stars, but both Brent Morin (a TV lead on his own
show) and Emily Spivey (Concierge!), felt very underutilized in this episode. It might have been better to save them for an episode where their stories
could play out a little more -- anyone could have done the cops’ interview with Milk Backstabber (the character was so unimportant that I don’t remember
his name. And yes, I could look it up, but does Milk Backstabber really deserve it?).
Bits from the Police Scanner
- “I didn’t strike you when you said “knocking boots”, but ‘bone bros’? I will not abide.” (Gina)
- “You don’t get into this kind of business to make friends.” “Really? I would think chocolate milk is a great way to make friends…” (Chocolate Milk Guy /
Jake)
- “I’m not a man of unlimited cajoling.” (Holt)
- “I’m every kind of
Friend.” (Jake)
What did you think of this episode? Did you wish for more serialized stories? Or were you happy with the mile-a-minute jokes? Is Boyle ever going to sort
out his romantic situation? Will Jake ever eat a carrot?
Let us know your thoughts below!
About the Author - Kimberly
Kimberly is a big TV nerd - willing to talk any show, any time. Her tastes are various and sundry, but she’s got a soft spot for comedy. She currently writes the SpoilerTV reviews for Parks and Recreation, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and About a Boy.
