Tell-Tale TV Panel: Brooklyn Nine-Nine Season 4
Brooklyn Nine-Nine Season 4 raised the bar for comedy and heart. The series provided its signature laughs while also tackling sensitive storylines, showing viewers how versatile they can truly be.
We took a trip to Coral Palms, the precinct almost shut down, and a surprise pregnancy left many a jaw dropped on the floor!
Our panelists are:
- Katie Houlis, staff writer for Tell-Tale TV
- Erin Allen, staff writer for Tell-Tale TV
- Christine Laskodi, contributing writer for Tell-Tale TV
On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate the season overall?
Katie: I would give this season an 8. It had a lot of really, really strong episodes and overall. It was a pretty solidly great season.
Erin: 8, as well. I didn’t love the beginning of the season that took place over three parts and away from the Nine-Nine, for a lot of it. But, overall it was a really strong season.
Christine: I’d also go with an 8. This show is always reliably funny.
What was this season’s biggest problem?
Katie: I think they went a little overboard with the arcs. This year they had the Coral Palms witness protection arc, which went right into the night shift, and then the Nine-Nine thought the precinct was going to be shut down.
The precinct possibly being shut down felt a little bit like overkill. The storyline was introduced so close to the end of the season, but it only ended up lasting three episodes. It didn’t feel necessary to cram another arc into the back half of the season. I would have been happy with more standalone episodes.
Erin: Good point, Katie! I agree. Too many complex arcs. I didn’t care for the Coral Palms one, and the threat of shutdown felt superfluous.
Christine: Yeah, the arcs were definitely the weak spot. Like Katie, I like the standalone episodes.
I also think they’re starting to toe the line a little about how cartoonish some characters are. I don’t want Terry and Charles to become too ridiculous, and sometimes they go a little overboard with their eccentricities.
What worked really well this season?
Katie: So many of the standalone episodes this season were really excellent — “Monster in the Closet,” “Skyfire Cycle,” “Chasing Amy.” Plus, the way they handled the racial profiling story in “Moo Moo” was really nicely done.
Also, Jake and Amy continue to be one of my favorite couples on TV. They’re in love. They’re in a healthy, stable relationship, and the writers don’t add unnecessary drama or fighting to “keep things interesting.” I’m so pleased with how the show has handled their relationship over the past few seasons.
Erin: Again, I agree with all of Katie’s points. “Moo Moo” was perfectly executed.
The dialogue continues to be sharp and witty. The amount of hilarious one-liners they get into each episode is insane. And I pretty much want everything Holt says in GIF form.
Christine: I have to echo Katie’s sentiments about Jake and Amy. I love when a television show allows a couple to stay together and doesn’t feel the need to add crazy drama to keep the spark alive. I love that the writers have enough faith in their ensemble that they can focus their attention elsewhere and not keep Jake and Amy as the central story.
What was the biggest surprise of the season?
Katie: Honestly, I’m really surprised they actually wrote Chelsea Peretti’s pregnancy into the show. Gina as a mom is not something I ever imagined.
Erin: The finale cliffhanger surprised me. I really wanted them to expose Hawkins. And I am surprised about Gina’s pregnancy, too. They were hiding Peretti’s baby bump for some of the season, so to write that in was unexpected.
Also, that the father is a Boyle. That is a funny plot twist. I love the casting of Ryan Phillippe in this role.
Christine: Yeah, we all agree. Gina as a mom. Like… WHHHHAAAAT?!
What are your hopes for next season?
Katie: I really hope the resolution to Jake and Rosa’s guilty sentence goes better than the Coral Palms arc. Obviously, we all want to see Jake and Rosa back at the Nine-Nine, but with this particular storyline, I wouldn’t mind if it took more than just two or three episodes for things to get back to normal at the beginning of Season 5.
I also really hope the show doesn’t forget about Amy taking the sergeant’s exam. A promotion for Amy could shake things up just a little bit at the precinct. And, of course, I’m looking forward to some zany Mommy Gina storylines.
Erin: Once again, I’m on the same page as you, Katie. This cliffhanger is going to take more than a quick one or two episode resolution, but I also don’t want it to drag on either. It will require some careful writing, and I’m interested to see how they do it.
Gina as a mom sounds like such a wellspring of funny material. I can’t wait for that. And, if it includes more Ryan Phillippe, you will find no complaints from me.
I forgot about Amy’s sergeant exam in all the finale drama! I hope the writers don’t forget, too. I would love to see Amy in an authoritative role.
Christine: I’d like less arcs, more silliness, and HOPEFULLY not a repeat of Coral Palms with Jake and Rosa.
I’m stoked about Gina having a baby – that’s sure to provide some humor, especially if Charles and Terry start trying to impart parental “wisdom” to her.
I’d also like to see a little more Holt next season. He was beginning to feel like an afterthought character – am I alone in that? I like when Holt has ridiculous storylines. I’d like some more of those again.
What did you think of Brooklyn Nine-Nine Season 4? Share your thoughts in a comment below! You can also check out all of our other season review panels right here. There are more to come!
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Brooklyn Nine-Nine returns this fall to FOX.
Allison Nichols
Allison is in a love affair with television that doesn't seem to be letting up anytime soon. Slightly damaged fictional characters are her weakness. She loves to spend her free time curled up with a cat and a show to binge-watch. Allison is a Tomatometer-approved critic (Rotten Tomatoes).