I've always found Brooklyn Nine-Nine (B99) to be one of the most consistently solid comedies ever put on TV. There are no downright bad seasons and no unbelievably amazing seasons, and regardless of which episode you watch, you are bound to have a good time. So it only seems right that its first season is a sturdy framework for the series to come.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine is a workplace comedy about the entirely fictional 99th precinct of the NYPD, who get a new captain in the stoic Raymond Holt. The series begins with Holt butting heads with the childish Jake Peralta, who's also a great detective. While Holt and Jake's relationship form the main conflict and backbone of the series, the precinct is populated by a wide host of likable and colorful characters like the aloof Rosa Diaz, the hysterical Terry Jeffords, the intelligent Amy Santiago, and the insanely narcissistic Gina Linetti. Thankfully, I like pretty much the entire cast, and their chemistry is apparent really early on in the series. Outside of the uneven tone of the pilot, B99 is generally pretty lacking in growing pains, which is rare for a sitcom like this one. With a few exceptions, the first few seasons of B99 are nearly entirely episodic, with what few storylines there are being entirely character-driven. Some of these storylines are really fun, like the aforementioned tension between Holt and Jake, along with Jake and Amy's arrest bet that results in the latter developing feelings for the former. However, this season does seem to have a bit of trouble figuring out what to do with some of its characters, with Charles's feelings for Rosa at the start of the series not feeling quite right. Thankfully, that storyline got quickly dropped once Charles gets another girlfriend.
One of the biggest strengths of Brooklyn Nine-Nine is in the cast, all of whom are fantastic in the roles. Terry Crews being the strongest highlight is to be expected given how much energy he puts into every single one of his comedic roles (he's by far the only good thing about White Chicks), but other highlights include Stephanie Beatriz, who's so convincing in the role I was shocked to find she doesn't act like Rosa at all in real life, Andy Samberg, who's as funny as always, and Andre Braugher, who nails the subtly hilarious moments that make Holt such a great character. As for the humor, B99 is a really funny show with sharp dialogue that's only made better with the great acting. However, similarly to shows like Arrested Development, B99 is so built on running gags (slow mo sequences, "title of your sex tape", Halloween, Pontiac Bandit) that this season does need to spend a lot of time establishing them. Not to mention, like many sitcom first seasons, B99 does seem a bit scared to really go out there with its storylines which is a shame since many of its funniest episodes (Halloween, Tactical Village, The Party) tend to be the most experimental ones. As a whole, though, I think Season 1 is a really consistently solid first season for the series, with no truly bad episodes but no legendary ones like in later seasons.
In spite of its consistency, there are a few highlights worth pointing out:
Halloween: Easily the best and most iconic thing about Brooklyn Nine-Nine is the Halloween heists that the characters hold every year. The basic gist is that the competitors have to try and steal an important item and whoever has it in their custody by midnight wins, and each seasons add more and more characters and twists as the heists become more convoluted. While Halloween is easily the simplest Halloween heist, it's still an incredibly fun and creative competition between Jake and Holt that brings the tension between them to a hilarious head.
The Bet: This episode easily could have been the season finale and I would have been more than satisfied. The storylines about Amy and Jake's bet and Charles getting shot in the ass are both resolved, with Jake realizing that he has feelings for Amy, Charles getting a medal only to be upstaged by a horse, Holt spilling that Terry is returning to the force, and thankfully, the end of Charles's feelings for Rosa.
Tactical Village: While it's not quite as over the top as Community's paintball episodes, I'm glad B99 had its own action movie homages as the formula lends incredibly well to it. The titular "tactical village" sim led to some really fun sequences and teamwork within the team, but even the more small scale subplots like Amy's ex-boyfriend and Kwazy Kupcakes were really entertaining.
Charges And Specs: Brooklyn Nine-Nine's season finale they tend to feel like an entirely different show a lot of the time, tossing out the characters for a more dramatic plot-driven episode that ends on an easily-resolvable cliffhanger. And while "The Bet" may have worked a bit better, I still Charges And Specs was one of the show's better endings. The In Medias Res opening leaves you wondering why Jake could leave his job, the detective work throughout the episode was interesting, the Gina and Charles twist was pretty crazy, and Jake confessing his feelings to Amy before going undercover left me wondering how it would all be resolved. To put it simply, this one engaged me.
Overall, Season 1 is a really solid start for Brooklyn Nine-Nine, with strong comedy and an excellent if slightly underutilized cast, and does a good job at laying the groundwork for future seasons.
3/5 Stars
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