Brooklyn Nine-Nine: Honeymoon (6x01)

I love this show with every fiber of my being. I was a little nervous that changing networks would dull the magic somehow, but I'm happy to report that this didn't happen!

Cons:

I honestly can't think of much to complain about. Maybe I would have wished for a bit more time for the whole gang to be together, because I've been missing their group dynamic. But there's plenty of time for that this season, so really I didn't mind the smaller stories here at all! The weakest was probably Rosa and Terry's, because it felt very predictable, but even that plot thread I liked quite a bit.

Pros:

Let's start with that, then, shall we? Terry is insecure being in charge while Holt is taking time off, but Rosa helps to give him confidence by showing him that Holt believes in him and trusts him completely. I like seeing Terry get a chance to lead, because he is very good at it, even though his style is so different from Holt's. Also, it was fun that Gina had this somewhat invisible role in the story, as she was dealing with her subplot with Boyle, and yet her lack of help kept influencing Terry's spiral into despair. She could have helped him from the first moment there was a problem, but instead Terry breaks Holt's laptop and researches religion all to get Holt's manual, a copy of which Gina had the whole time. That was pretty great.

Speaking of Gina and Charles - their relationship has always been one of the weirdest and funniest on the show. In this episode, we learn that Gina's mom and Charles' dad are getting a divorce, and while at first Charles is confused, and then angry when he learns that Gina told her mom to go through with the divorce, in the end we learn that Gina was trying to help, because her mom was cheating on her husband. Gina ultimately cares about her friends quite a bit, but unlike with other characters who act unfeeling but secretly have a heart of gold, with Gina you get the sense that she genuinely does put herself first. If she had selfish reasons for wanting her mom to stay with Boyle's dad, I'm actually not sure what she would have done in this situation. She's self-serving, but she's an argument for why that doesn't always have to be a bad thing.

Before I get to the main (and best) part of the episode, I want to compliment the fact that this episode served as a season premiere for a long-running sitcom, while at the same time serving as a series premiere for anybody who might be hopping on board to check out this show that got so much buzz for being cancelled and then saved by NBC. Each character has a moment to shine, each of their personalities are established, and some of the relationships are starting to be teased out. There's still so much more to discover for newcomers, as we haven't had much time to see Jake interact with Rosa or Charles yet, or Terry with Holt, etc. This show really is the gift that keeps on giving in terms of the relationships between the entire ensemble cast.

So, it turns out Holt doesn't get the job as police commissioner. In his despair, he takes some time off from the Nine-Nine. Meanwhile, Jake and Amy go on their honeymoon. Turns out... Holt is at the luxurious resort in Mexico where they've chosen to take their trip! Suddenly, the honeymoon is all about cheering Holt up and getting him out of his funk. Perhaps it works a bit too well at first, as Holt decides there's more to life than his job, and he wants to quit. Jake and Amy then need to convince him otherwise, but they end up getting angry at him. In the end, all is well as Holt decides to go back to work and keep trying to affect positive change. When Jake and Amy get home, they discover that Holt has gone over the new commissioner's head and complained to the mayor about some of his new boss's out-of-touch suggestions. The commissioner has taken revenge by forcing the entire Nine-Nine to share one floor!

So much to unpack here. First of all, I love that this episode continues from Jake and Amy's wedding in that it has tons of fun sitcom shenanigans, but the conflicts are always external, and there's no pointless squabbling between the couple. Jake and Amy really love each other, and that shines through in all of their scenes together. I love that they decided to dress up in very specific outfits tailored to their spouse's desires, but that the role playing gets too complicated so they just give up. I love that they're out there planning activities and doing fun couple things, but that they're also really worried about their friend and boss, and want to do what they can to help out.

And Captain Holt. I was torn as to whether I wanted him to get the commissioner position or not. Honestly, the fact that he didn't is kind of... well, initially I was bummed out, because it feels like the safe route to take. They could have used this opportunity to really shake the dynamic up. But on the flip side of that, I like that instead of watching Holt grapple with the balance of authority, we instead get a psychological shift where he decides he needs to defeat corruption through fighting the power, instead of becoming the power. I think this could be a really fun thread to follow throughout the season, and I'm excited to see where it goes. I also have to praise the performance. It would be so easy for Holt's constantly flat delivery to come across as bland, but it never does.

There were too many funny jokes in this episode to count, and I'm always bad at remembering specific lines that I enjoyed, but just a few highlights include Charles wearing a mask of Gina's face, Jake's reaction when he sees Amy dressed up as a character from Die Hard, Holt bumping in to Jake and Amy in the pool and telling them to push him away... "because everyone does", Terry researching the answer to Holt's security question: "what is God?" and so much more.

That's what I've got for the time being! It's always exciting to start reviewing a show I haven't reviewed before. This was my first "live" episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine! I'm thrilled to have caught up!

9/10