Brooklyn Nine-Nine Review: Coral Palms, Part 2 (Season 4 Episode 2)
Now this is more like it.
After a kind of slow, kind of boring season premiere, Brooklyn Nine-Nine Season 4 Episode 2, “Coral Palms, Part 2,” feels more like the show we all know and love.
The season premiere dragged quite a bit without a B-plot, so the return of the squad in Episode 2 helps move the episode along much more smoothly. Splitting the episode between New York and Florida helps to keep everything — the jokes, the plot — moving along at a quicker pace.
Besides just helping with the pacing of the episode, this show has such a perfectly balanced, excellent ensemble, so the return of the squad is very welcome.
Ken Marino also makes his first appearance as the Nine-Nine’s newest captain on Episode 2. Brooklyn Nine-Nine often has fun guest stars, and they use them without turning it into “The [Guest Star] Episode Of Brooklyn Nine-Nine.” Marino is no exception.
He has a funny introduction, he shares a scene or two with the squad, and that’s pretty much it. He’s used just the right amount to add humor to the episode, without taking time away from the ensemble.
Back in Florida, the Jake-and-Holt storyline continues with their plan to lure Figgis to them.
In my review of “Coral Palms, Part 1,” I wondered if the season premiere would have worked better if it had aired back-to-back with Episode 2, but now I don’t necessarily think it would have.
The Florida-focused season premiere set everything up so that the action could get moving, and while that made it a little boring, the Florida plot of Episode 2 ends up being pretty strong because of it.
This episode also features two moments of something Brooklyn Nine-Nine often does really well: balancing the comedy with subtle emotional moments. At the Nine-Nine, Amy gets upset with the rest of the squad for going along with C.J.’s lax attitude.
Amy: Listen, you selfish jerks! That guy in there … he thinks we’re killing it. So he’s just staying out of our way. Well, the only reason we’re killing it is because Captain Holt never let us be satisfied with ourselves. He always inspired us to work harder and smarter, to be better. And if he were here right now, he’d be ashamed of us.
Holt, meanwhile, is embarrassed to ask the Nine-Nine for help since they’ve already had to rescue him once before (in the last two episodes of Season 3).
Neither moment is a grand speech; they’re a couple of sentences apiece. Neither moment is over-the-top, cheesy, or forced. They add a little more depth to a storyline that’s more serious than usual for the show, and they reinforce just how much these characters care about each other.
Overall, “Coral Palms, Part 2” stands on its own pretty well, even considering there’s a third installment coming. Hopefully Brooklyn Nine-Nine can stick the landing of its first major multi-episode arc.
If “Coral Palms, Part 3” is as good as “Part 2,” fans can expect an action-filled, funny conclusion to the fight against Jimmy “The Butcher” Figgis.
What did you think of “Coral Palms, Part 2”? What do you want to see in “Part 3”? Share with us in the comments below!
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Brooklyn Nine-Nine airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on FOX.
Katie Houlis
Katie is a recent college graduate who spent most of her free time at school binge-watching shows like Battlestar Galactica, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Fringe, and Hannibal. She has watched every single episode of Lost at least ten times each (yes, even “Stranger In A Strange Land”). Current favorites include a bunch of comedies, lots of superhero shows, and a few shows with quite a bit of murder in them.