Brooklyn Nine-Nine Review: The Audit (Season 4 Episode 13)

Things have been business as usual at the Nine-Nine for a little while now, so a new threat to the precinct is introduced on Brooklyn Nine-Nine Season 4 Episode 13, “The Audit.”

The episode also, of course, reveals what happened to Gina after she got hit by a bus in that winter finale cliffhanger.

She was legally dead for two minutes and met God (“What does she look like?” “Ethnically ambiguous.”), but two months have passed, and she’s been cleared to get back to work.

She does, however, have to wear a back brace and halo. It’s an amusing visual gag that also allows for some great physical comedy — like when she tries to dance while screaming in pain, and when Terry has to help her drink her tea.

Gina mentions that she only has to wear the halo for another week, so it’s unclear if she’ll be back to normal on the next episode, or if the events of the next few episodes will all take place over the course of one week.

It would be a shame to only get to see Injured Gina for one episode, although knowing Gina, her injuries will probably continue to come up after the halo is off. The bus accident was a big stunt to pull, and it certainly pays off on “The Audit,” and hopefully they’ll continue to milk more humor out of the situation in the coming episodes.

While Gina’s return is obviously a big deal, it’s not the focus of the episode.

Holt announces that one Brooklyn police precinct will be permanently shut down due to falling crime rates, and an auditor is inspecting every precinct to determine who gets the axe, inspiring the Nine-Nine to do everything they can to make sure they receive a good evaluation.

For Jake and Amy, this means playing nice with the auditor, who just happens to be Amy’s ex-boyfriend, Teddy (Kyle Bornheimer).

Being forced to act interested in someone you don’t particularly like is a familiar TV plot, and while it’s not necessarily an uproariously hilarious A-plot, it’s still an enjoyable one.

It’s a fun return for poor, boring Teddy. His delighted stories about the “exciting” things he’s interested in now (adult coloring books, San Diego, jazz brunch) make for some pretty funny moments, as do Jake and Amy’s fake responses.

Jake and Amy really shine later, though, when they fake a fight so they can delete a voice memo off Teddy’s phone without him noticing. Their fight is clearly based in real annoyances, but it doesn’t fall into the cliche of the fake fight turning into a real fight (“If you don’t like my shoes, you can just tell me,” Jake tells Amy).

The A-plot is entertaining enough and has its moments, but the B-plot packs a little too much silliness into one subplot as Holt, Terry, Rosa, and Boyle try to make sure the office is in perfect condition.

Terry tries to fix a weird Japanese copier that C.J. (Ken Marino) bought while he was captain, which is goofy enough. At the same time, Rosa and Boyle deal with rats in a story that involves Boyle having wolf urine, wearing a sexy cat costume, and getting attacked by cocaine-fueled rats.

The story peaks in a moment where Terry, Holt, and Rosa yell, “My copier!” “My precinct!” “Charles!” It’s a short, odd little moment that doesn’t feel like it belongs on Brooklyn Nine-Nine. It seems more like the kind of joke you’d see on a multi-camera sitcom with a laugh track.

The Nine-Nine gets into silly situations on a regular basis, but this particular B-plot is just a little too much ridiculousness at once.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine often works well when the gang is united against a common enemy, like Madeline Wuntch or the Vulture. “The Audit” is an entertaining introduction to the concept of the gang vs. an auditor, but Teddy isn’t much of an enemy, since he does genuinely want to do his job fairly.

Terry’s ex-girlfriend, Veronica Hopkins, on the other hand, is determined to bring the Nine-Nine down, despite the sweet demeanor she shows everyone else. It certainly seems like the precinct is getting a true adversary.

 

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Brooklyn Nine-Nine airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on FOX.

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