Brooklyn Nine-Nine Review: The Bank Job / Crime and Punishment (Season 4 Episodes 21 and 22)

In previous season finales, the Nine-Nine has lost its captain and detectives to undercover assignments, job transfers, and witness protection, but Brooklyn Nine-Nine Season 4 Episodes 21 and 22, “The Bank Job” and “Crime and Punishment,” raise the stakes higher than they’ve ever been before.

“The Bank Job” continues where “The Slaughterhouse” left off — Jake and Rosa now know that Hawkins (guest star Gina Gershon) is a dirty cop, and they’re trying to take her down from within her task force.

The first half-hour is the funnier of the two episodes, especially since Holt, Jake and Rosa turn to Pimento for advice. A little bit of Pimento goes a long way, and he’s used just enough in this episode, where he’s eager to get beaten up and “accidentally” does some cocaine.

Both episodes benefit by only having one subplot each. The first addresses Chelsea Peretti’s real-life pregnancy, which has become more noticeable on the past few episodes.

Last season, they wrote Melissa Fumero’s pregnancy into the show by having Amy go undercover as a pregnant woman, but instead of just ignoring and hiding Peretti’s baby bump or coming up with some other absurd explanation, Gina is actually pregnant, which is maybe the funniest path the writers could have chosen.

To add to the absurdity, the baby daddy is a Boyle cousin — a handsome one (played by Ryan Phillippe), who Charles loathes.

Amy, Boyle, and Terry make a great team for this particular subplot, especially considering their various relationships with Gina, and Phillippe’s introduction as a Boyle who is weirdly perfect for Gina is a fun little scene.

It’s not the most hilarious subplot ever, but the prospect of future storylines with Gina as a mom is exciting enough to make it worthwhile.

The B-plot in “Crime and Punishment” ties more closely into the episode’s A-plot, and it’s mostly just a string of one-off jokes to help lighten the mood. Boyle’s hair going completely white is a silly visual gag, and the increasingly embarrassing revelations about Terry are goofy and fun.

Even though in the end the hackers do end up finding information that’s crucial to the A-plot, the B-plot itself is mostly just Boyle and Terry sitting around while the hackers provide a few laughs. But given how dire circumstances are in the A-plot, it’s kind of okay that the B-plot isn’t that substantial. It lightens the mood without taking too much time away from the A-plot, which is all a B-plot really needs to do in an episode like this.

Meanwhile, the A-plot is a bit more serious with Jake and Rosa’s trial. Some jokes are made during Jake and Amy’s road trip, but the situation at hand is still hanging over their heads the entire time and every smile or laugh is a little nervous.

Considering the episode ends with Jake and Rosa being found guilty, pairing Jake and Amy up for “Crime and Punishment” is satisfying if only because it serves as a reminder of how strong they are as a couple, something you need to keep in mind when faced with the prospect of Jake being sent to jail.

Meanwhile, Rosa considers fleeing the country and ends up paired with Holt for her half of the A-plot. Rosa and Holt have been paired together before, but it’s more emotional here, with Holt reminding Rosa that the Nine-Nine is her family and that they’re here for her.

Rosa was questioning the possibility of losing her friendship with Jake just a few episodes ago when they thought the Nine-Nine would be shut down, so it’s sweet to see Holt remind her that everyone at the Nine-Nine cares about her and considers her family. It is, as Gina points out, a genuine moment of friendship and respect between the Nine-Nine’s most stoic members.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine went big in the Season 3 finale, when Holt and Jake were sent to witness protection in Florida, but the resolution wasn’t totally satisfying. The three-part season premiere was a low point for the season. It was an uneven arc and not a great start to Season 4.

With Jake and Rosa found guilty, what will happen in the aftermath of “Crime and Punishment” should be even bigger than the Coral Palms arc. It will be interesting to see where Season 5 will pick up and how long it will take before things, inevitably, get back to normal for the Nine-Nine.

The 2017 Tell-Tale TV Awards: Results! Comedy, Musical, and Reality Categories

 

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Brooklyn Nine-Nine Season 5 will air Tuesdays at 9:30/8:30c on FOX this fall.

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