Brooklyn Nine-Nine - The Funeral - Review

Only a week into their relationship and already Jake and Amy are being blamed for a man’s death AND forced to break-up. Sidestepping the usual “co-workers can’t date” story (praise the TV gods), B99 takes an odd approach to the couple’s first major roadblock. The Vulture, newly appointed captain of the Nine-Nine, decides to get back at Jake for pretending to be his bro by ordering him to break-up with Amy, under threat of demotion to beat cop. Although the simply solution for the couple would be to date and just lie to The Vulture about it, Jake knows that Amy wouldn’t be able to lie to her captain (and she agrees). So the two come up with some alternate plans, first trying to enlist Holt’s help, and then trying to record The Vulture’s inappropriate order and play it to a superior. Holt’s discouragement, a mischievous bagpiper, and an unfortunate run-in with the late Dozerman’s widow leave the couple short a phone and a detective position. Jake and Amy ponder their relationship and whether it’s worth it to throw away careers for something so new. Jake feels that it is, and movingly proves his investment to Amy…during a very confusing toast to “Dozerman” at his wake. Luckily Holt pulls through for the couple and gets The Vulture to leave them alone (and return Jake to detective), by offering him some publicity.

It was encouraging to see that there was no confusion and misunderstanding following The Vulture’s order to break-up. Instead of Jake following the absurd order from his boss in order to keep his job, and leaving Amy in the dark, he behaves like a normal person, and they work to solve the problem together. Although the unknowing-break-up-for-a-hidden-but-understandable-reason seems like a ridiculous scenario, it plays out in far too many romcoms and TV shows -- so it was a big relief to see that completely ignored here. The first two episodes have done a great job at showing how Jake and Amy’s relationship is going to function within the precinct and the show -- pretty similar with a little more collaboration and pillow talk.

While Jake and Amy scramble to save their relationship and jobs, Boyle’s looking for something a little more short-term. For the last two police funerals, Boyle had a thing with one Lieutenant Singh, first name unknown. (Note: “Thing” here refers to intense eye-contact, followed by making out.) Boyle’s pretty certain that the third funeral will be the charm, and he’ll get to “put the bone in boneyard,” as he charmingly remarks. Although the Lieutenant is thinking along those same lines, and invites him to join her at a hotel across the street, the funereal tryst is sullied by Gina and Rosa’s earlier remarks about how they hardly know each other. After a little probing, Boyle finds out that the Lieutenant is a gluten-free vegan -- something an extreme foodie like Boyle cannot abide. He rather loudly informs Rosa and Gina of this fact, along with everyone else sitting quietly at the funeral. At the wake his friends/higher levels of being like Her, from the movie Her, remind him that the relationships that meant the most to him (his marriage and his engagement), were important because he connected to them. So Boyle checks out his reflection in Rosa’s (former) sunglasses, then heads out into the wake to go find a woman to have emotional intercourse with.

Captain Holt and Gina triumphantly return to the Nine-Nine prior to the funeral, just a week after leaving, and receive nothing like the welcome they were hoping for. And that’s just one in a long list of disappointments from Holt’s first week in PR. After dropping into The Vulture’s office to inform him of his seating arrangement at the funeral, The Vulture tells Holt that the sooner he realizes that he doesn’t work at the Nine-Nine anymore, the better. A dejected Holt runs into a hopeful Jake and Amy, and passes along The Vulture’s discouraging words -- they need to move on from him. Although Holt is supposed to come up with a hopeful toast for Dozerman’s wake, the best he can do is one, slow, drawn-out, “Paaaaaain.” When the Sarge comes to drink with him, the two spiral quickly downhill, what with Holt’s crushed dreams and Sarge’s extremely low post-children alcohol tolerance. Holt’s actually toast ends up starting with “everything is garbage,” and ending with the heartening message, “never love anything.” Luckily he has a change of heart after hearing Jake’s confusing and poorly-constructed speech (a true indictment of the public school system), and saves the day for Jake and Amy. Even moved away from his precinct and told to forget he was ever there by the new captain, Holt’s still the true captain of the Nine-Nine, and he takes care of his people. Of course sad Holt is a sad sight, but since this is Brooklyn Nine-Nine, it’s also a hilarious sight, as he disregards his usual care in drinking beaujolais and can’t even tell the difference between a burgundy glass and a sauterne glass. Holt, the alcohol truly has rendered you a simpleton.

Another great episode in the third season of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, still opening the season and exploring all the changes in the precinct, from professional to personal. I’m hoping to see some of those killer B99 cold opens come back this season -- give the ninety seconds of the nonsensical Nine-Nine we all know and love!

Best line of the episode: “Once again Scully’s butt is the downfall of the precinct.” - Jake, re: Scully’s revealing (and day-long) buttdial to The Vulture

What did you think about the episode? Do you like how the show is handling Jake and Amy’s relationship? Will Boyle ever find a woman to have emotional intercourse with? Will Holt and Gina ever make it back to their rightful places in the Nine-Nine? Let us know 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 Brooklyn Nine-Nine.

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