Brooklyn Nine-Nine Review: Return to Skyfire (Season 5 Episode 8)

Brooklyn Nine-Nine Season 5 Episode 8, “Return to Skyfire,” is a throwback to past seasons, with its episodic structure and commitment to poking fun at fandoms. Unfortunately, rather than instilling a sweet air of nostalgia, the episode is stale and has me checking twice to make sure it is actually a new installment.

Even though it feels like Brooklyn Nine-Nine déjà vu, the fantasy novel affinity shared between Terry Jeffords and Jake Peralta remains charming. The duo skips along, arm-in-arm, to a superbly silly song, as they make their way to solve the crime of a leaked manuscript.

The pair also delights in the carefully-crafted cosplay that they don in order to go undercover and catch the thief.

The real magic of the episode is all Rosa Diaz. Her incredulous stank face upon entering the convention center and seeing the Rosa look-alike is perfection.

Rosa also gives the episode its only fresh perspective, as she comes to embrace the world of fantasy fiction fandom. It makes sense that an author would create a character that is a witty warrior woman who ends up looking a lot like Rosa. She is all of those things.

Stephanie Beatriz has an incredible mastery of her facial expressions. Just as in Brooklyn Nine-Nine Season 5 Episode 5, “Bad Beat,” when her face is filled with glee on her elevator ride to the hot-dog stand, Rosa is able to bring out tears of laughter from the audience’s ducts with just a look.

Beatriz’s performance as Rosa makes “Return to Skyfire” worth watching.

Terry and Jake do share a nice moment when Jake assures Terry that even if his writing is terrible right now, he can get better. He continues on with uncharacteristically wise words, telling Terry that if he enjoys writing, it is worth keeping at it to get better, bit by bit, even if he will never be the best.

The twosome develops a deeper friendship by the end of the episode that is based on acceptance. It is a refreshing relationship to see fostered, because it avoids the toxic masculinity tropes that plague many male friendships on TV.

It is rare to see two male characters bonding over a shared love of books.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine thereby gives us even more representations of masculinity that replace the tired and harmful idea that violence, wealth, power, and women are core to all male identity.

The plot line with Amy Santiago, Charles Boyle, and Captain Holt, on the other hand, is barely worth mentioning.

The trio are involved in a contest of forensic acumen. In their determination to secure the win, they reject Boyle’s quirky loquaciousness. In doing so, they end up risking losing the contest, and they definitely lose my attention.

It isn’t bad and the acting is stellar, as always. But it just also makes me want to push the snooze button.

Reggie Lee manages to bring power and charm to his very brief role as Dr. Ronald Lee. He is an excellent foil to the absurdity of “full Boyle,” and Brooklyn Nine-Nine would be smart to bring him back for a longer arc.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine takes a nose dive in the ingenuity and cleverness departments this episode. However, Season 5 is still very strong and a bit of a slump does not come close to tarnishing the incredible run of episodes so far.

 

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Brooklyn Nine-Nine airs Tuesdays at 9:30/8:30c on FOX.

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