Brooklyn Nine-Nine Review: Halloween IV (Season 4 Episode 5)
It’s the fourth year of the precinct’s annual Halloween heist, and even though Brooklyn Nine-Nine Season 4 Episode 5, “Halloween IV,” has a twist similar to last year’s Halloween episode (both start off as a tie-breaker and have a surprise winner), it manages to be fresh, entertaining, and the funniest episode of the season so far.
The previous Halloween episodes have brought out the competitive sides of Jake, Holt, and Amy, but with the three of them picking teams in “Halloween IV,” we get the comedic chaos of everyone in the squad desperately trying to win.
Like in previous Halloween episodes, Andre Braugher steals almost every scene he’s in, as Holt goes a little overboard while in his extremely competitive mode.
From over-the-top lines (“I will slit you both open from mouth to anus and wear you like jackets”) to over-the-top reactions (smashing his office window to escape after Jake locks him inside), Braugher delivers tons of laugh-out-loud moments.
His partnership with Boyle only adds to the humor. Holt and Boyle have been paired together before, including last season’s memorable squash game, but Holt’s refusal to trust Boyle, and his insistence on calling him “pork chop,” are especially entertaining.
Amy and Rosa’s partnership is also a highlight of the episode. For once, Amy isn’t teased about her binders and detailed plans. It’s so fun to see Rosa supporting Amy and going all in on her plans, and Amy’s uncontainable excitement is absolutely charming — even Rosa can’t resist smiling as she rolls her eyes.
Jake also has some strong comedic chemistry with Boyle’s weird body double, Bill (Winston Story), who fits right into the Halloween heist madness.
Of course, it’s Gina Linetti who steals the show in the end. She’s absent for much of the episode, but her recount of how she managed to trick everyone proves she truly deserves the title of “Ultimate Human/Genius.”
OTHER THOUGHTS:
- When Bill first came out of the bathroom stall, for a second I thought they were just having Joe Lo Truglio play Boyle’s body double. That is an uncanny resemblance.
- I loved the throwback to Season 2 Episode 22 with Holt saying, “Bingpot!” (Jake started to say “bingo,” then tried to switch to “jackpot.”)
- Fact: Cheddar, Holt’s dog, automatically improves any episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine .
- It will be interesting to see where the Halloween heist tradition goes from here. These episodes are always a treat and something to look forward to every fall, but they’ve already pulled the “someone who wasn’t even playing won” twist twice. Will the heists still be as satisfying if Holt, Jake or Amy were to win again?
- Gina accurately summed up my feelings for this episode: I freaking love these losers.
What did you think of “Halloween IV”? What do you want to see in future Halloween episodes? 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.