Brooklyn Nine-Nine Series Finale Review: The Last Day, Part 1 / The Last Day, Part 2 (Season 8 Episodes 9 and 10)

Workplace sitcoms may be fleeting but the Brooklyn Nine-Nine heist is forever.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine Season 8 Episodes 9 and 10, “The Last Day, Part 1 / The Last Day, Part 2,” sees the squad ditch the traditional goodbyes for a one-hour heisting extravaganza. It’s the kind of fan-service series finale that proves we were never worthy of this loveable show.

Eight seasons, one cancelation, and a ton of fun pop culture references later, the Nine-Nine prove they will always understand the assignment for a good time.

By allowing this final episode to be a love letter to Brooklyn Nine-Nine‘s happiest accident — the Halloween Heist — this series gifts us something so much better than a goodbye.

There is nothing on television that comes close to the squad’s yearly heists, both in terms of comedy and share insanity. The heist is an excuse for these somewhat dignified co-workers to let loose on each other with horrid insults while showing off their other-worldly detective skills.

This makes it the perfect catalyst to bring together the Nine-Nine for a life-altering event. The chaotic game of wits allows the one-hour final a perfectly paced hijinks that incorporates deceit, procedural crime, and several lulls for emotional speeches.

The Heist is to Brooklyn Nine-Nine fans what the Red Wedding was to Game of Thrones fans. So, it’s incredibly genius of this comedy to use such an iconic bottle episode as the footnote of the series.

And because this episode does not miss, even the disappointment of missing another Halloween-themed heist is short-lived as the finale returns one year later to assure us the Nine-Nine will live on not through unsolved cases or disastrous Thanksgiving get-togethers, but the spookiest game of all.

Acknowledging the Halloween Heist will continue on, and become the main reason for the Nine-Nine to reunite every year is something so personal to fans of this show. A love letter indeed.

There’s something incredibly rewarding and personable about this farewell episode.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine essentially takes the gimmick of a “greatest hits” clip show and turns it on its head with razor-sharp wit. Yes, the series known for its pop-culture-infused humor uses self-awareness to revisit our favorite Nine-Nine bits through savage mockery.

Almost every piece of dialogue is calling back to an iconic moment from past seasons. It’s impossible to choose favorites when we get confirmation the slow-mo group scene from the intro is canon just moments after learning Jake attempted to recreate his infamous “Tell Me Why” singalong multiple times.

Holt reinstalls a balloon arch over Wuntch’s grave every week for god’s sake! If there was an obscure joke that made you fall in love with Brooklyn Nine-Nine, it’s referenced during this episode in a new and exciting way.

We should expect nothing less from a comedy that has been all but fully formed since its pilot. However, it’s good to see the final hour cling to its winning formula with such invigorating confidence.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine ditches flashy celebrity guest stars for its wonderful revolving door of characters and their cherished dysfunctionality.

Fan-favorite Gina makes her grand (and arguably imperative) return, but we also get an abundance of small players in the form of Caleb the Cannibal, creepy Charles look-alike Bill, and crazy-loveable Pimento.

This hour also doubles down on the relationships at the core of this series in emotionally debilitating ways.

There is something so incredibly satisfying about Jake Peralta’s fully formed character arc. To see him enter a healthy relationship that blossoms beautifully from rivals to lovers is already enough. To have this man-child develop to a point where he has passions greater than solving cases is *chef kiss* perfection.

And Brooklyn Nine-Nine rewards him (and us) with one final father-son chat between Jake and Holt that does away with the snide workplace banter. Not only does Holt recite most of his first interaction with Jake in a compassionate tone, but he admits he would be proud to have a son like Jake.

That’s all that really needs to be said between Jake and Holt to put their dynamic to bed peacefully. Like everything on this episode, the script is intricate but in the hands of actors who understand their characters so deeply, the execution is simple.

No comedy has had to face more curveballs during its run than this one. The series was canceled by Fox in 2018 after five seasons, only to be renewed hours later after a plea from millions was heard by NBC executives.

The upbeat workplace comedy was meant to elevate NBC’s roster, until a pandemic and a spree of police brutality had the network parting with its sitcoms, leaving the Nine-Nine a remnant of a bygone era. The long-running series was crammed into a summer timeslot and left to exit quietly on its own terms.

But when has Brooklyn Nine-Nine done anything quietly? This outlandish comedy has always allowed its characters to love proudly and laugh loudly, and this finale is no different.

Not even a network change and shortened season could dim its heart in these final days.

For those that have grown up in the era of gold-tier NBC workplace sitcoms, this farewell hits close to home as Brooklyn Nine-Nine‘s departure marks the last of a great comedy dynasty. So, it’s comforting to know this one will go out on top, next to legendary comedies like The Office thanks to its resilience and heart.

In a fashion true to its colorful lens, Brooklyn Nine-Nine forged a unique path. One that swapped diary room confessions in favor of lighthearted murders, Die Hard references, and epic action scenes.

It became a show of acceptance and accountability, allowing actors of all backgrounds and sexualities an equal piece of the material. The sitcom created tangible characters that were likable for their flaws and deeply relatable obsessions.

Few TV shows understand a woman’s right to be both vulnerable and independent from a romantic partner like Rosa, or Amy’s desire to keeping moving forward in her career, or hell, Holt’s weaponization of gay stereotypes to gain the upper hand.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine understood these things on a fundamental level and continued to translate them to screen with overwhelming heart and hilarity in under thirty minutes.

The realization that this show fought tooth and nail to go out on its terms, and then devoted the entire series finale to its fans is something special. Like Jake Peralta’s signature catchphrases, this ending is one we will cherish for many years to come.

Cheers to Brooklyn Nine-Nine, the last great American workplace comedy. You truly were the cool, cool, coolest.

—

What did you think of the series finale of Brooklyn Nine-Nine? What are you going to miss most? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Critic Rating:

User Rating:

 

Brooklyn Nine-Nine is streaming now on Peacock, and streaming internationally in select countries on Netflix.

 Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram!

Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!

Brooklyn Nine-Nine Saved! Series Picked Up By NBC