S07.E05: Debbie

[formerlyfreedom]

Quote

When cocaine and weapons are stolen from the evidence lock-up, the squad must investigate the Nine-Nine itself.

Airing Thursday, February 27, 2020.

[Spartan Girl]

Debbie might not have been evil, but she was nuts.

Holt and Amy's read-off was gold.

[ClareWalks]

Vanessa Bayer did an AWESOME job in this episode.

[Ms Blue Jay]

aww.   i was really disappointed with this one.

Debbie having a machine gun at Rosa and Jake's head for 20 minutes?  Not enjoyable to me whatsoever.  And not realistic that they'd be so calm, or get out of it alive, or that their crew would not have found them earlier.  The 99 almost had no urgency towards the situation.  Also come on, Jake and Rosa couldn't outsmart or outmaneuver Debbie?  I wasn't a fan.

Edited February 28, 2020 by Ms Blue Jay

[Bort]

Hey, that was Mrs. Huber from Desperate Housewives as Debbie's mom.

[thuganomics85]

Well, that went in some unexpected and insane directions!  I really thought Debbie stealing the cocaine was going to be connected to her line about her sister being murdered, but nope!  She was just a nut job that was finally unleashed, and working for a drug kingpin!  Also, apparently she took self-defense classes and if you mix that with come coke, she is able to even take out Rosa in a fight (although, in Rosa's defense, she really had her guard down during that exchange.)  But, hey, it could have been worse?  At least she's not like her brother Jared "the sandwich guy!"  Vanessa Bayer was a blast here.  I hope they find some way to work her back in, even if she's apparently going away for ten years (they did find a way to bring back Caleb the Friendly Cannibal after-all!)

Jake and Rosa are always a fun pairing, and I liked how they played off one another as always.  Again, Andy Samberg and Stephanie Beatriz really have nailed down a chemistry where you can buy that these two have worked close together at the police academy and throughout their years on the force, and get each other in a way that others don't.  Probably one of the best non-romantic pairs out on television and very refreshing.

Holt and Amy's read-off was delightful as expected.  It's always fun when those two compete against one another.  And then bond, like them laughing at Boyle's "slow and steady" approach.  And then Amy finding herself attracted to Holt briefly with his boast that he read the Urban Dictionary in 42 minutes.  I know he would hate it, but being demoted has made Holt so much fun!

Good to know that trying to steal the orange chicken will cause Scully to hulk out!

Ah, who doesn't want to do network censored acts to the almighty sex symbol, Mr. Bean?!

[MrWhyt]

mmm cocaine

[anna0852]

I really want to know what the censors blocked about Mr. Bean

I love that SNL castmembers keep popping up on each other's non-SNL projects. They must all bond pretty tight with each working in 8H.

[hoodooznoodooz]

 

 

Santiago and Holt’s deranged laughing about Charles thinking that reading is relaxing!!

Loved the Mansion Girl song. She’s got a kitchen island.

 

[Joimiaroxeu]

I'm gonna start blaming everything on Hot Tub Brian. You know how those kind of people are. 🙄

Yeah, I seriously want to know what Rosa would do to international sex symbol Mr. Bean. Sounds like she definitely doesn't swing his way--whatever way that might be. 🤔

Edited February 28, 2020 by Joimiaroxeu

[Seelouis]

I love that on any other show the plot would have been them not realizing it was Debbie, or at least then only finding out because Hitchcock was in the ladies room, but these very competent cops immediately knew and weren’t surprised at all by what Hitchcock heard. 

[iMonrey]

If we have to lose Debbie it was nice to get a big double dose of her as  going away present. I also loved the read-off between Amy and Holt. 

[DXD526]

"Guess who just did more coke? This is my thing now!"

It was totally OTT, but I found Debbie all coked up and waving machine guns around to be hilarious! Hard to perceive her as a threat when she's always wearing that big smile!

Quote

 And then Amy finding herself attracted to Holt briefly with his boast that he read the Urban Dictionary in 42 minutes.

Well, she admittedly did date several gay men in college...

[tennisgurl]

I think dont know if I trust Hot Tub Brain. You know how those hot tub people are...

That was a seriously wild ride, i had no clue what was going to happen from one minute to the next! I thought that this would tie into Debbie's murdered sister, but it turns out that Debbie is a ticking time bomb of neurosis and crazy that was just waiting to go off! Vanessa Bayer was on absolute fire this episode! And by fire, I clearly mean coke! I hope that she can come back, even if its them visiting her in jail. Maybe her kooky aunt vibe will play better in jail anyway? 

I always like Jake and Rosa working together, and their reactions to the increasing madness of the whole situation, and Jake trying to see the best in Debbie and Rosa seeing the worst was an interesting dynamic. 

So dont mess with Debbie, and dont ever steal Hitchcock's chicken! And international sex symbol Mr. Bean would never *******

[peeayebee]

7 hours ago, hoodooznoodooz said:

Santiago and Holt’s deranged laughing about Charles thinking that reading is relaxing!!

Ending with a big, simultaneous sigh. 😄

Loved this ep. Debbie was hilarious, and Vanessa deserves an Emmy nom.

Holt: Call her Virginia Slim because I'm smoking her.

 

[UNOSEZ]

Holy and Amy are still my fave duo their completely weird energy is always golden.. That simu-laugh at Boyle was spectacular 

[Harvey]

I kept expecting Debbie to accidentally shoot Rosa or Jake when she was holding the guns because of how clumsy she is. She even mentioned last week that she was anti-dexterous.

[theatremouse]

21 hours ago, thuganomics85 said:

Well, that went in some unexpected and insane directions!  I really thought Debbie stealing the cocaine was going to be connected to her line about her sister being murdered, but nope!  She was just a nut job that was finally unleashed, and working for a drug kingpin! 

I think what they were going for was that Debbie's the kind of mess where first she just seems incompetent and you expect very little from her - but then every time she reveals a personal detail it's some huge major WTFery, rather than any one single detail having ongoing meaning.

21 hours ago, anna0852 said:

I really want to know what the censors blocked about Mr. Bean

Occasionally when there's a bleeped rant like that where it's implied random extremely dirty things but not clear  what might've been said, the script might not actually say anything specific. Just that it's a long bleeped out rant. No idea if that's the case here, but wouldn't be surprised.

[possibilities]

12 hours ago, Seelouis said:

I love that on any other show the plot would have been them not realizing it was Debbie, or at least then only finding out because Hitchcock was in the ladies room, but these very competent cops immediately knew and weren’t surprised at all by what Hitchcock heard. 

That's one of my favorite things about this show-- that the humor doesn't depend on the ensemble being incompetent.

[Danny Franks]

I appreciate that the whole squad figured out it was Debbie, by the end of the cold open. It's nice that the writers never forget that these people are actually good cops.

But man, Debbie was a terrible criminal. If she'd just said nothing and got on with her job, none of them would even have considered her as a suspect.

I loved that Jake's example of getting in over his head was a subscription music club. 

The disagreement between Rosa and Jake didn't really make sense, though. Of course you try to use the low level criminal to reel in the big fish, and getting Nucci wouldn't mean Debbie was off the hook. She hadn't cooperated at all.

And she was clearly batshit crazy, I don't know how she managed to become a police officer. I feel like someone combined Cheryl and Pam from Archer, to create this unholy nutball.

Competitive Holt is always great, but I love that he was honest enough to admit that Amy had "pwned" him.

[Catfi9ht]

I realize Debbie was extremely incompetent as a criminal but I wanted her to be a foil for more than one episode. I really enjoyed having her on screen. I hope she works with the 99 and comes back later on in the season.

[possibilities]

Debbie might be good as a recurring criminal, like Doug Judy. She creates an off-kilter chaotic dynamic, but it would be too much if it was every episode.

[Harvey]

4 hours ago, Catfi9ht said:

I realize Debbie was extremely incompetent as a criminal but I wanted her to be a foil for more than one episode. I really enjoyed having her on screen. I hope she works with the 99 and comes back later on in the season.

Maybe if we will have a 10 year time jump ;).

[Sarah 103]

On 2/27/2020 at 10:42 PM, thuganomics85 said:

I know he would hate it, but being demoted has made Holt so much fun!

I think Holt now gets a do-over and is able to experience something he wasn't able to the first time around. When he was rising through the ranks, due to his sexual orientation and race, he was never allowed to be one of the guys and he regrets that he missed out on that. Now that's been demoted he gets to be one of the guys. 

[Ilovepie]

On 2/28/2020 at 1:43 PM, peeayebee said:

Holt: Call her Virginia Slim because I'm smoking her.

Totally going to steal this next time I'm playing a game with someone and I'm winning!

 

On 3/2/2020 at 6:59 AM, Danny Franks said:

I loved that Jake's example of getting in over his head was a subscription music club. 

My husband and I guffawed over this one! Anyone who was a teen or in their twenties in the late 80's to mid-90's understands this! We were in college in the early 90's and I got suckered into Columbia House AND BMG! I was a sucker for get 10 CD's for the price of 1 😜

 

On 2/28/2020 at 6:27 AM, hoodooznoodooz said:

Santiago and Holt’s deranged laughing about Charles thinking that reading is relaxing!!

My favorite part of this was when Charles thought he gleaned more because he was reading slower and they rattled off every fact about Debbie's mom!

[DearEvette]

This entire episode was made of win. 

Debbie -- she broke bad in a big way.  At first I was bummed, but the sheer ridiculous insanity of it just killed me.  She was essentially the Debbie character we had been introduced to, except working for a drug kingpin.  Whoever thought up the concept of he character is genius.  I stan.

Holt and Amy stay a fun pair.  I love any episode we learn about some eccentric talent/certification/hobby they both have. 

Also I always enjoy a good Jake and Rosa pairing.  This was excellent.

[CrazyDog]

2 hours ago, Ilovepie said:

Totally going to steal this next time I'm playing a game with someone and I'm winning!

 

My husband and I guffawed over this one! Anyone who was a teen or in their twenties in the late 80's to mid-90's understands this! We were in college in the early 90's and I got suckered into Columbia House AND BMG! I was a sucker for get 10 CD's for the price of 1 😜

 

Seriously my favorite parts of an already fantastic episode. I *have* to find somewhere to use the Virginia Slims line. Holt and Amy are amazing together...Holt said "pwned"!

Was there any better present than getting all those CDs in the mail? Sigh. The good ol' days.

I love Vanessa Bayer, and she obviously had so much fun in this role. 

Edited March 4, 2020 by CrazyDog

[meep.meep]

Hey you young whippersnappers!  As a card-carrying Baby Boomer, I have to point out that long before Columbia sent out CD's, they sent out tapes and even vinyl records.  Americans have been bamboozled into that trap for decades.

Now, I have to go find a way to avoid large gatherings.....

[Kel Varnsen]

On 3/2/2020 at 3:49 PM, Harvey said:

Maybe if we will have a 10 year time jump ;).

Or when season 17 rolls around. NBC loves its shows about the NYPD. 

[Tachi Rocinante]

Awful.  Watched it in 5 minutes on fast-forward because Vanessa Bayer's character was unwatchable, unlistenable, and unbelievable.

Made me miss Chelsea Peretti's Gina.  And that's fucking sad.

[John Potts]

I'm on Team Rosa, not Team Jake on this one. No matter what reasons Debbie had for stealing the coke, she mad her choices. Don't do the crime if you can't do the time. It's sorta ironic that it'll be Rosa's testimony that ensures she actually does less time than she otherwise would have.

On ‎3‎/‎2‎/‎2020 at 2:59 PM, Danny Franks said:

Of course you try to use the low level criminal to reel in the big fish, and getting Nucci wouldn't mean Debbie was off the hook. She hadn't cooperated at all.

It will (I imagine - definitely not an expert) if they testify that she did. And she did agree (yes, at the last minute) to go along with the sting operation, including taking down the Kingpin herself.

[WritinMan]

Hopefully this means we'll never see Officer Debbie ever again.