Brooklyn Nine-Nine - Episode 2.08 - USPIS - Review

You learn something new every week, kids. Last week I learned how to bake soft pretzels. This week I learned that Amy Santiago smokes like a chimney. Has that been mentioned in the show before now? If so, my constant desire to eat soft pretzels must have squeezed that knowledge right out of my brain, because I had no idea upon beginning this episode.

Poor Amy wants to quit smoking because she doesn’t have the energy or nerves to continue hiding her habit from Teddy (her currently off-screen boyfriend), and she probably wants to stop spraying air freshener in her mouth. That stuff is not for human consumption. Unfortunately her attempt to quit cold turkey makes her quite on edge and the smokes keep calling to her. It was interesting to see Amy’s perfectionism get in the way of her goal in this instance. None of her co-worker’s therapies help -- not Sarge’s ice water “brain retraining,” Holt’s silent exercise, or Gina’s female empowerment meditation. The only thing that seems to get through to her is Holt’s advice, in which he used a DANGLING PREPOSITION. Gasp! Luckily Holt speaks perfectionist, and lets her know that it’s okay not to be perfect all the time -- if Amy’s going to quit smoking, she’s going to have to take some of the pressure off of herself to do it without making mistakes.

The best bit of the story may have been Amy’s smooth cover in the park Port-a-Potty when Holt spots the smoke. “That’s steam…I’m in the shower.”

While Amy bounced from ineffectual addiction therapy to therapy, Jake and Boyle got down to some serious police work. The case this week is related to the season’s quiet Gigglepig arc, which is finally getting somewhere. Rosa, as the task force leader, assigns Jake and Boyle to work with a USPIS agent, Jack Danger. However, their joint operation proves disappointing from the get-go when the detectives find out Jackie’s last night is pronounced “Donger.” Ed Holmes did a fantastic job as Jack Danger, one of those insanely frustrating douchebag characters everyone loves to hate. The moment when he grabs onto Jake’s leg and prevents him from chasing after a member of a major drug ring was so aggravating. Danger’s incompetent actions make Jake’s decision to leave the USPIS agent out of a major bust. While Danger’s grabbing a “muff with some blubs” (ugh), Jake and Boyle print the information from the USPIS server and take in the dealer. Problem is that Danger’s so pissed about being left out that USPIS gets the case and the Nine-Nine gets nothing.

Rosa, as the detective in charge of the case, is understandably upset that Jake didn’t listen to her very clear instructions about including USPIS in the case. Jake shows some real maturity when he realizes that he not only disappointed his friend and co-worker, but hurt the future of the case by not thinking of the consequences. He actually goes to Danger and apologizes, as well as submits himself to the oral history of USPIS -- at least through the 1800s. Luckily Danger’s fairly easily flattered, and USPIS aren’t great at interrogating, and the police and the US Postal Inspection Service solve the case together and make a major bust. Or, well, the police make a major bust, while Federal Agent Danger knocks himself out on the doorframe and lies unconscious on the floor while the police round up the dealers.

Jake seems like (the sitcom version of) a real TV detective this week. He suffered through government agents, he took chances and broke rules to serve justice, and he stepped up and took responsibility when his actions threatened the case. Actually, no detective in a drama would do the last bit…probably just the irascible rule-breaking. But it’s always nice to seem some semblance of reality in the action of the Nine-Niners, and Jake owning up to his mistake and his disrespect for Rosa’s orders gives him a little more weight as a character. He may be a scarily-immature, goofy detective, but he’s also a really good detective, and he can get things done.

I would like to give a hearty shout out to the cold open this week -- a beautiful example of how a standalone cold open should be. It was short, funny, weird, and attention-grabbing. The first twist was predictable (Scully’s ”birthday” was a scam), and the second twist was hilarious (Scully trying to drink from his thumbtack mug). The Captain’s insistence that he was in Ecuador proved both that he lies about as well as Amy, and that no one in the precinct really cares too much about Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumber.  Seriously, a really nice cold open for B99 this week. Can we give them a small round of applause? *Applause*

Overall this season has been really fun so far, and I can’t wait to see more episodes like “USPIS” which balance the absurd, the procedural, and the well-rounded ensemble cast.

Little Moments:

- “How would you like it if they laid off all your fellow detectives and partnered you with a robocop?” “I’ve literally drawn sketches of that.” Jack Danger/Jake
- Boyle explaining a fax machine to Danger, the UPSIS luddite: “Imagine a letter had unprotected sex with a phone.”
- Holt runs in silence. And short shorts. And apparently it leaves him in “a state of total euphoria.”
- Amy Santiago has some odd dreams… “What’s going on? Is this a dream? No, I’m not holding a label maker.”
- Big congrats to Boyle for kicking in his first door -- I’m sure that’s a really exciting moment in every detective’s life.

What did you think of the episode? Did Jake make the right choice to leave out Danger? Will Amy be able to quit smoking before Teddy finds out? Have YOU ever run a birthday scam, a la Scully and Hitchcock? Is there a place to sign up for Gina’s meditation sessions? Let us know below! (Especially about the meditation classes.)

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.

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