Save this article to read it later.
Find this story in your accountsSaved for Latersection.
Brooklyn Nine-Nineisnt only one of the funniest comedies on TV, its easily the most consistent.
(Note: Some episodes have been grouped together by theme or storyline, as youll see.)
It was a tough task, as there are no terrible episodes of this show.
EveryNine-Nineis a lovingly crafted, airtight little package of goodness.
(Hey, title of your sex tape!Noice.)
Those are the problems with this five-episode saga, which spanned two seasons.
The Night Shift (Season 4, Episode 4)What an odd, listless episode.
Herein, he shows up late to roll call and gets assigned a lame graffiti case.
Its kind of nasty and rough.
Chock it up to growing pains.
Its more of a novelty special that tastes like the show but isnt the show.
Its better when the 99 meets fictional celebrities, not real ones.
It is an awkward evening, friends.
(But bonus:Parks and Recreationstar andFremulon sayerNick Offerman guest stars as a doctor.)
The show crackles most when its a workplace comedy, or an interpersonal comedy.
These are some of those off episodes.
The long-lost relative, who is also crazy?
Thats a bit of a cliche.
(Shut up, that show wasgreat.)
After some high-intensity police and spy work, there are three (!)
They feel like a different, lesser show.
Pleasant but forgettable, like a one-season wonder from Comedy Central.
Plus all the easy Florida jokes are made.
Jake has bleached tips and works in a jet-ski store?
This show is capable of so much better character and situational comedy.
It stumbled just a bit with its eighth episode, a somewhat mean-spirited tonal misfire.
The detectives get involved.
Captain Holt takes an interest.
Even his superiors, such as Deputy Chief Wuntch (Kyra Sedgwick) get involved.
What is this,Bones?
Also, Holt sits on a cake, which is very funny.
A lot of Two Turkeys involves a faction of the squad looking for a lost pie.
The Vulture wins and PB gets the credit for saving himself.
Neither gets their way, and that sucks.
This is supposed to be a sitcom, not real life!
Back at the station, Gina and Captain Holt take online quizzes.
So then nobody really does …anythingin this episode.
Then everyone gets stuck in a sinkhole.
Watching this episode is about as relaxing as camping.
It burns up, they lose ten grand, and bring untold stress into their lives.
It was a nice pairing, though, of two characters who dont get a lot of one-on-one time.
That said, her steadfast commitment to her own fleeting happiness is comically fascinating.
That doesnt sound like a very funny sight gag, but it totally is.
That gets him reinstated back at the 99.
After another period in which a dramatic arc is carried out a bit too long, stasis is reacquired!
Cop-Con (Season 4, Episode 17)Drunken party in the hotel after the Tri-State Police Officers Convention.
The 99 needs a break after an eventful year, and so do viewers.
Waiting for him to break Jakes heart anew is not pleasant.
An early episode where writers and cast are just starting to figure out the world of the show.
And look, theres a very young Pete Davidson as a troubled teen!
The idea of a crime family having one is rife with comic potential.
Not only is he stoic and controlled, but hes also into extremely high and obscure culture.
This leaves Scully and Hitchcock in charge of a drug case, and they are dangerously incompetent.
That pair is best for small bits, not whole plots.
They are frosting, not the whole cake, which is a metaphor Scully and Hitchcock would probably appreciate.
Almost immediately, hes in way over his head, and Terry patiently helps him.
Theres even a missinghigh-ranking member.
Hes like the singing frog in those old cartoons, except one that gets off on violence.
9 Days (Season 3, Episode 12)Sick episodes are a rare treasure.
But he didnt send himself the death threats, an assistant wrote both letters.
He did it himself, of course, as a publicity stunt.
Full Boyle (Season 1, Episode 17)Its the sexual awakening of Charles Boyle.
And yet, this confident Boyle interests Gina, lightly telegraphing their future hookup.
This is the kind of thing youd see onBlue Bloods,except its interesting.
He finds the perfect case: a series of arsons linked to clues given in crossword puzzles.
At any rate, its a way for him to live out some Mafia-movie scenarios.
Proof that bad romantic pairings can work on shows if theyre self-aware of how bad they are.
(They need the money for, you know, baby stuff.)
Unsolvable (Season 1, Episode 21)Andy Samberg turns in some subtle, charming work here.
USPIS (Season 2, Episode 8)
This contains maybe the bestBrooklyn Nine-Ninecold open ever.
Scully thinks of himself as a genius until he drinks a coffee mug full of thumbtacks.
In the episode proper, Ed Helms shows up to do what he does best: play a lamestain.
99 (Season 5, Episode 9)Nine-Nineno.
99 jumps the gun on the traditional 100th episode great plot leap forward because it can.
He gleefully visits and drags the whole group… but they get locked inside.
Also, Rosa begins the process of coming out as bisexual.
Thats a big moment for her, but in line with the shows admirable commitment to inclusivity and diversity.
Its a pleasure to watch these two great actors insult each other.
(The same guy who forces Jake and Holt to flee to Florida in season four.)
(Oh, and he pronounces union as onion because he is so very stupid, you guys.)
A party is a good way to do that, like onThe Offices Dinner Party.
The answer: like dumb-dumbs.
Somebody brings an Arkansas-based wine drink and Jake pretends to have read an article to sound smart.
The Road Trip (Season 2, Episode 9)Jake is so noice.
(How noice is he?)
From Dennis Duffy on30 Rockto that insurance-commercial character to this, Dean Winters excels in playing dirtbags.
Respect and love can fuel just as much comedy as sniping.
Johnny and Dora (Season 2, Episode 23)
This is the one where Jake and Amy kiss.
And there will be no Ross-and-Rachel will they or wont they?
nonsense here; theyre gonna be togetherforever.
Hooray to sweet resolution and two wonderful characters finding love!
But wait, this is a season finale, not a series finale, so theres trouble afoot.
The evil Deputy Chief Wuntch completes her goal to destroy Captain Holts professional life.
Andre Braugher is a national treasure.
Theres a fire (R.I.P., Hitchcocks nap couch).
You know, the way guys do.
It also gives us the joyous gift of Captain Holt in a dance-off with street toughs.
Yippie Kayak (Season 3, Episode 10)At long last, theDie Hardtribute episode.
And then Fox canceled the show after this episode completed production, so we almost never found out.
Jake & Amy would have made a lovely if premature finale, though.
And yet this installment from the middle of the fourth season feels like a last episode.
For all of those reasons, its a vital installment.
The Doug Judy episodes are an annual treat.
The Ultimate Detective / Genius who wins is the only character who isnt officially a detective: Gina.
(She fakes an injury and creeped around the precinct in disguise, wearing Amys bland pantsuits.)
Halloween III.Amy Santiago is an even-keeled, by-the-book detective, but dont sleep on her.
HalloVeen.Few things are as important to Peralta as the annual heist only Amy Santiago outranks them in his heart.
The Box isnt only one of the bestBrooklyn Nine-Nineepisodes, its also one of the bestLaw & Orderepisodes.
Jake heroically outsmarts the dentist and tricks him into a confession at the last possible moment.
The bare-bones approach means the writers and actors had to be flawless, and everyone came through.
