My biggest issue with Brooklyn Nine-Nine has always been its attempts at drama, which tend to come into conflict with its comedy. While Season 3 isn't the best or funniest season of the series, I think its dramatic storylines are the strongest, doing a great job of merging dramatic stakes and comedy.
In a rarity for the series, Season 3 actually doesn't resolve the loose ends from the previous season finale by the first episode. The opening storyline where Holt and Gina leave the precinct and the 99 has to deal with a new captain (revealed to be The Vulture) lasts four episodes, and it's actually a lot of fun. Between seeing Holt in another location and seeing the rest of the 99 grapple with someone who isn't on their wavelength, this storyline had a lot of humor while still having stakes in terms of how Holt will get out of his situation. After that, there's a lot of breathing time for comedic episodes, most of which are pretty fun, until Pimento appears. The final few episodes of the season are about the hilarious Pimento, who is being targeted by a mob boss forcing the 99 to scramble and protect him. While this might seem serious, this storyline lets the cast go out into the field leading to a ton of manic chase scenes, crazy twists, and fun situations for many of the characters. Despite the serious premise, B99 never lets its storylines get too heavy in tone, and as a result, they end up being the highlight of the season.
However, while the arcs that start and end the season are series high points, the rest of the season isn't anything too special. While there are definitely some strong comedic episodes, I found that the show wasn't quite as consistently funny as the last two seasons, with a few noticeable duds like The Swedes and 9 Days. It doesn't help that the series still isn't willing to experiment all that much outside of the staple episodes like the Halloween, Pontiac Bandit, and action-heavy ones. Thankfully, the characters are still incredibly likable and fun, and the addition of Jake and Amy's relationship adds a new layer to the series. Last season, I mentioned that Jake and Amy became more interesting once they started dating, and that's probably because of how natural and realistic their relationship is. Not only do Jake or Amy both accept each other for who they are (so Jake is still a goofball and Amy is still a lovable dork), but they never rush their relationship for the sake of plot progression. You'd expect there to be a proposal by the end of the season, but at most they just discuss moving in together. This is a trend that continues through the rest of the series and it helps make Jake and Amy's relationship one of the most mature I've seen in a TV show.
Between the arcs and the few strong comedic high points, there are definitely some memorable episodes this season:
The Oolong Slayer: Ending the initial story arc on a satisfying note, The Oolong Slayer isn't comfortable with just having Holt and Gina return to the 99th precinct, as this episode also has Jake and Holt reunite on the field, and a hilarious embarrassment for The Vulture after everything he put the precinct through.
Halloween III: There isn't much that needs explaining for this one. Nearly every Halloween heist episode is great, and this one widens the conflict to more than just Jake and Holt. Now that Amy managed to win a heist, nearly anyone can participate and ultimately win, and that made the event so much more exciting.
Yippie Kayak: It was only a matter of time until we got a Die Hard parody, and what a glorious one this is. While Jake finally getting a chance to have his "Die Hard moment" definitely leads to a lot of comedy, it does lead to some pretty awesome moments of resourcefulness from Jake and Boyle, along with the hilarious botched line: "Yippie Kayak, other buckets!".
Greg And Larry: I think this is one of the weaker finales overall and the point where I started to get frustrated with B99's cliffhangers, but I can't deny that on its own merits, this is one of the most manic and frantic episodes in the entire series. I think the crazy chase through the hospital is one of the funniest moments in the season, and the entire interrogation (plus faked assault) of Annderson was pretty badass.
Overall, I wouldn't call Season 3 that much better than the first two seasons, but I think it's my personal favorite of the three. While the comedy isn't quite as strong, this is the only season to truly nail the drama, resulting in an excellent start and end to the season.
3/5 Stars
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