Brooklyn Nine-Nine: The Tattler (6x03)

Please try to tell me after this episode that Jake Peralta is straight. I dare you. Dude is totally bi.

Cons:

This was only an okay episode, not a great one. It felt kind of pointless, and while a lot of the jokes were funny, it was lacking a message or underpinning that could lend the episode some weight. So, Charles and Rosa talk about Rosa's love life, and there's lots of comedy there, but the resolution doesn't feel like it added anything to the characters. Terry, Holt, Hitchcock and Scully try and win a radio contest, and Holt learns how to have fun while wasting time, but we don't see any continuing development of Holt's main goals, or see how taking a break is an important part of accomplishing his ideal life. It's just funny, as opposed to funny and poignant. That's fine, but it's not mind-blowing or anything.

Is the girl that Rosa was dating but has since broken up with supposed to be Gina Rodriguez's character? If so, what a waste! I wanted to watch that romance unfold!

Pros:

I did like the beginning of the subplot with Rosa and Charles though, where she walks up to him and just info-dumps her relationship history. Charles replies and says the last thing he knew about her was that she was bi - he has no context for any of this, but he decides to roll with it. I also liked seeing Rosa hanging from the ceiling like a bat. That was super funny. I hope we actually get to watch Rosa in a relationship with someone. The last one was so funny to watch, that I want to see Rosa get another chance at love.

I didn't think there was much to enjoy with Holt's plot line with the radio show, but I did want to bring up one way that it was funny specifically for me: there was this morning radio show on in my area, and they had a crinkle noise that nobody could guess for weeks and weeks. Every day they'd add like $100 to the pot or something like that, and it kept getting bigger and bigger. Eventually someone guessed it, and it was the sound of a plastic water bottle being opened!

The main story is where most of the good humor is, and it's also the only part of the episode that ended up having some heart as well. Jake, Amy, and Gina go to Jake and Gina's high school reunion, where Jake is forced to relive memories of his awful senior year, where he was branded "the Tattler" for getting his cool friend in trouble for breaking a rule. Jake is haunted by it, and he and Amy decide to investigate the truth. We then learn that Gina was the real Tattler, and Gina tells Jake that she was trying to help him from getting mixed up with a bad crowd. Meanwhile, Gina tries to con a tech investor guy with a fake app, only to find out in the end that the other guy was lying just as much as she was. Jake tells Gina that maybe her talents are being wasted at the Nine-Nine, and she should find something else to do. Gina agrees.

Lots of good stuff in here. Amy was totally over the top with how much she was enjoying being back in a high school setting. She was turned on by Jake's attendance record, and stayed behind in the library to write a book report on Jane Eyre. All of this is way over the top and too much, but it works because Amy is just there as comic relief, and there are other characters who are (rightfully) getting the focus.

I love any episode that focuses on Jake and Gina's friendship. Often the show forgets that these two have been friends their whole lives, so it's fun to see a bit of that here. I love that Gina is totally out for herself, and she lets Jake continue to take the fall for being the "Tattler." But, we know that if Jake had asked her, Gina would have told the truth. She really was just looking out for her friend. We've been winding up for a departure from Gina for a while, and while I'll definitely miss her, I think it makes so much sense for her character. She has this brilliant creative mind, and she shouldn't be stifled by working in administration if she doesn't want that.

I'm mostly joking about Jake being bi, but I'm also totally not. Dude had a crush on that cool friend of his from high school. He even confirms to Rosa that "he was hot." I love it. I love the idea of a young Jake Peralta, trying to cultivate a cool image and fit in, but being happy in the end that his life went down a better path. I want to learn even more about Jake's past!

That's all I've got for the time being. Like I said, this was an okay episode, but not one of the ones I'd use to try and recommend this show to new watchers. I have every faith that I'll be more blown away in future!

7.5/10