Ollie Gratzinger | Opinions Editor
01/17/19
Last spring, fans of Fox’s gold-hearted police sitcom went into mourning when the network announced the cancellation of Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Disappointed viewers lamented the loss of the show and eulogized its importance. In tackling issues like police brutality, racial profiling, corrupt prisons and anti-LGBT discrimination, Brooklyn Nine-Nine became a gem among stones. After a handful of A-List names — Lin Manuel-Miranda and Mark Hamill, to name a few — took to Twitter to protest Fox’s decision, talks began of another network picking up the show, and barely 31 hours later, NBC swooped in and saved the day.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s NBC premiere dropped on Jan. 10, after a slew of promotions, trailers and treats from its new network. There’s a reason the show was resurrected faster than Jesus; with a history of compelling characters, real-life plots and storylines that teeter on the sweet spot between heartwarming and hilarious, Season 6 of Brooklyn Nine-Nine had a pretty big pair of shoes to fill. But fear not! Episode one, “Honeymoon,” hit all the right notes.
Season 5 ended sweetly, after Jake and Amy tied the knot at a ceremony officiated by Captain Holt and decorated beautifully by the always-overzealous Charles Boyle. Holt received a letter whose contents had been a full season in the making — it would let him know whether or not he’d gotten the position of NYPD Commissioner, a title he’d been working toward for 30 years. Season 6 picks up exactly where its predecessor left off, in a bar with the squad gathered around their captain, whose characteristically unreadable facial expression gives no insight into what the letter says.
As it turns out, he was rejected. I wouldn’t usually spoil such an anticipated bit of info, but “Honeymoon” revolves almost entirely around how Holt copes with his rejection. To sum it up, he doesn’t take it very well. He interprets it as not only a major personal setback, but a regression of the whole NYPD, as the man who did get the job was the old, conservative white man, John Kelly. Kelly’s restrictive policies seek to bring back the power-driven and corrupt ideals that Holt — a black and gay policeman — fought avidly against.
The episode gets its title from the main plot, in which Jake and Amy celebrate their getting hitched with a trip to a small resort in Mexico. Going into Season 6, I had a few concerns regarding Jake and Amy’s new status as a married couple. Too many shows fall into typical newlywed tropes, or worse yet, allow characters to change and become little more than so-and-so’s husband or wife.
Fortunately, Brooklyn Nine-Nine avoids the downward spiral, and when a dejected Captain Holt accidentally ends up at the same Mexican getaway, the pair responds in a typical Jake-and-Amy fashion: coming up with a plan to get Holt out of his funk, and then barely sticking to it in a way sure to bring a laugh to even the most skeptical viewer.
The B-story, or subplot, will indulge anyone who loves Gina’s wit or Boyle’s awkward charm, and the C-story takes Sergeant Terry Jeffords out of his comfort zone and into a leadership position as Captain Holt’s time off leaves Terry as the highest ranking officer at the Nine-Nine.
Rife with Die Hard references and subtly heartwarming moments, Brooklyn Nine-Nine is still the same feel-good sitcom we’ve come to know and love. Switching networks changed only one thing, and that’s the show’s ability to use bleeps and blurs to censor excess profanity and nudity. If “Honeymoon” is any indication, Brooklyn Nine-Nine will be taking full advantage of this little perk.
NBC drops Season 6’s second episode on Jan. 17 at 9 p.m. Entitled “Hitchcock & Scully,” the episode will feature Jake and Boyle digging up an old case from the 1980s, which was once investigated by the Nine-Nine’s most senior (and useless) detectives.
