Brooklyn Nine-Nine: Casecation (6x12)

I'm... kind of mad.

Cons:

I liked the angst and deep emotions of Jake and Amy's conversations. But I'm honestly really frustrated with both of them, that they didn't discuss kids before getting married. That feels like a rookie mistake, and not something that Amy would ever let happen, even if Jake screwed it up somehow. It feels unrealistic to what we know of them as a couple, because they're normally such great communicators. This is a situation where the premise of the episode itself is a bit annoying to me, but what they did within that premise was really strong.

Pros:

I'll admit, the reveal of Pam as a sleeper villain was something I did not see coming, even though I totally should have. I think the episode was smart to keep the case-of-the-week very low-key, and not have it come into play very much at all until the end. It means that we're focusing on the interesting character work, not on the case for which we have no personal connection. Pam was there to be a silly color commentator, adding comedy to Jake and Amy's anniversary. And she was hilarious the whole way through, especially when she was rambling while holding an explosive device, and Jake was trying to calm her down. Antonio Banderas in Outlander? Okay, I'm interested!

I like that even when this show stretches my credulity a lot, the emotional underpinnings still feel sincere. So, yeah, it's annoying and unrealistic that Jake and Amy wouldn't have already talked about having kids. But with that scenario in place, it feels enormously true to life that Amy would try to solve it with logic and competition, before realizing that she needs to be open and honest. That moment when Amy talked about "starting over" and Jake just froze... that was really cutting, and hard to watch. Of course, this is sitcom land, where Jake, who had previously never wanted kids, can come around to the idea within a single half hour episode. But this is a good sitcom, one where Jake, true to character, can be brave and can grow as a person, but who will probably also have a hard time with the thought of fatherhood, no matter what. I want to watch Jake and Amy navigate the challenges that come with deciding to start a family. I think they're up to the task.

I like that there wasn't really a subplot in this episode, just moments when the rest of the cast came in and contributed to the central theme. It was smart to keep Charles out of things for the most part, because dealing with his personal feelings on Jake and Amy having kids together could easily take up a whole episode all on its own. Instead, we see Holt attempting to be an impartial judge during the debate. This was played mostly for laughs. I loved the bit with Kevin being on the phone, and then various other certified debate judges. Jake talking about his daddy issues, and Amy, Holt, and Kevin all immediately confirming that, was really great. This was a good bit for comedy, but it also warmed my heart to see that Jake was willing to go along with Amy's method of discussing the issue. He's very ride-or-die for her, and that was evident throughout this entire episode.

Rosa and Terry also had their sides in the debate. Rosa decides that Amy should definitely have kids because of how cute they'd be. I liked this brief moment of uncomplicated solidarity between these two colleagues. And then you have Terry, who loves being a father, but who actually tells Jake not to have kids. Why? Well, Terry doesn't regret his family at all, but he knows how hard being a parent can be. He tells Jake that if he's not 100% sure, he shouldn't become a father. That's really important. There's this annoying thing that happens where people just make a default assumption that everyone wants and is going to have children. I firmly believe that the default should be the opposite - why would you assume that someone would want to bring a life into this world? That's a huge decision, and one that should be made actively and carefully.

This show is a comedy, and Jake is often portrayed as silly or ridiculous, but I've got to say, I absolutely love the moments when he gets to be a bad-ass. The way he kept calm during such a tense situation was really impressive. He's ultimately very, very good at his job, and the fact that he was able to handle a terrifying situation with a bomb so well proves to him that maybe he'll be able to handle being a father too.

So, yeah, this episode has a big problem, in that the premise itself feels out of character. But I really enjoyed the scenes and moments that we got!

8/10