Brooklyn Nine-Nine Review: Captain Latvia (Season 4 Episode 10)
Brooklyn Nine-Nine Season 4 Episode 10, “Captain Latvia,” puts the spotlight on Boyle for a delightful Christmas episode.
It might seem weird to be pleasantly surprised by how often we actually see Nikolaj and hear Boyle talk about him, considering his desire to be a father came up a few times in Season 3, but other sitcoms might have made that a big arc one season and then barely mentioned it in subsequent seasons.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine follows through with it. They don’t treat it like it’s not important anymore just because it’s not the focus of an arc. It’s a significant part of Boyle’s life and who he is now.
When Boyle is introduced back in the pilot, he drops his muffin, hits his head on the counter when he bends down to pick up the muffin, and then steps on the muffin. At first impression, this does not seem like the most competent guy in the world.
Although Brooklyn Nine-Nine plays up a lot of Boyle’s weirdness and lets him be the butt of the joke sometimes, he’s still a detective, and episodes that show how good at his job he can be are always enjoyable.
The writers and Joe Lo Truglio portray Boyle’s new reckless determination perfectly. He still has that same Boyle confidence and the same weird Boyle way of thinking — “I felt like a superhero. Like the Hulk’s mom!” It’s just turned up to 11 in a way that ends up working in his favor.
Even though Terry isn’t directly involved in Boyle’s storyline in “Captain Latvia,” it’s interesting to compare how both of them reacted to new fatherhood. Back in Season 1, huge, intimidating Terry was afraid of the dangers of his job because he was a new father. Boyle, on the other hand, is willing to put himself in danger just to get a toy for his kid.
Just like in “The Night Shift” and “Skyfire Cycle,” Jake’s role in this episode is supporting his friend. He’s not exactly the straight man, since he’s willingly going along with Boyle’s kind of wacky ideas, but he is the voice reason, from small things, like telling Boyle not to use a tablet while driving, to big things, like telling Boyle it’s more important to be home with Nikolaj for Christmas Eve.
Also, the running gag where Jake is kind of worried his undercover shirt is offensive is exactly the kind of joke that makes Brooklyn Nine-Nine so wonderful. Jake Peralta could have easily been the kind of self-absorbed, man-boy character that’s so common on TV and in movies, but instead, he’s a decent, thoughtful guy. After four seasons, it’s still refreshing.
The Nine-Nine caroling B-plot is in the same vein as several other plots we’ve seen before — the squad gets into a low-stakes competition and everyone goes overboard in an effort to win. It’s entertaining enough, without really being laugh-out-loud funny.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine is a show that’s full of love, and the Christmas episode ends with the perfect heartwarming scene to hold fans over until the end of the holiday hiatus.
What did you think of “Captain Latvia”? 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.