S08.E03: Blue Flu / S08.E04: Balancing

[formerlyfreedom]

Capt. Holt and Amy manage an understaffed precinct. Jake and Charles investigate.

and

Jake and Amy create a system to balance work and childcare. Rosa gets a new houseguest.

Airing Thursday, August 19, 2021

[Galileo908]

Blue Flu:

Don't know what was the better Scully bit: his colorblindness awareness ribbon, or the entire precinct full of Hitchcock and Scully clones and he was in paradise. Good god, how many sex barges are there?!

God, I love that Charles calls mono "the cousin disease" since he got it at age eight. Also loved "SPENT TWELVE THOU ASS CHEESE." especially out of context. So happy Charles didn't have cancer.

The union rep is such a realistically shitty person. Holt realized what it's like to argue with someone on twitter. LOVED Holt finally cursing out O'Sullivan. And yep, isn't there evidence that Blue Flu actually reduces bad arrests, insufficient evidence, etc?

"There it is...the petard."
"The petard...it just won't stop hoisting."

Andre Braugher needs a dozen emmys just from this episode. Can't believe we're not gonna find out what Holt's real tattoo is. The "decimal point" was a great fake out.

Balancing:

Franzia! Love that Jake got so jealous that Charles was able to solve his riddles. And Franzia turned out to be the creepy cuddler babysitter!

Loved Jake and Charles harmonizing that "son of a bitch," and I was DYING at that interrogation scene.

The one way to make Scully horny: cover your head in syrup. His nap room also made him the ideal babysitter...until he stubbed his toe so bad it was blurred.

It was good to see our fluffy boi Cheddar again. Loved Holt and Kevin sharing their "robust data sets." God, this was a great episode.

And Mac was actually precious.

"We're not giving our baby to a serial killer!"
"Oh, grow up!"

I'm surprised how much I like seeing Jake and Amy as parents.

[Spartan Girl]

Omg Holt swearing! Holt sending dick pics! Holt having a secret tattoo! All pure gold!

That cop union is such an asshole. Just listening to him was exhausting. Hope the show doesn’t end without him getting comeuppance.

16 minutes ago, Galileo908 said:

Loved Jake and Charles harmonizing that "son of a bitch," and I was DYING at that interrogation scene.

Same! God, I don’t want this show to end, this was the most I laughed all week!

[DanaK]

Really enjoyable, funny episodes this week and some great lines

[Angeleyes]

I love that Cheddar has his own French teacher. The one liner about Cheddar’s French understanding regressing was great. 
 

It’s nice that they are including real world issues that people have been facing like lack of child care and which spouse’s important stuff takes precedence. 

[Catfi9ht]

I liked some parts of both episodes, but overall, I thought they were just "meh" compared to typical 99 standards.

The whole maple syrup lice treatment plot was way too contrived. Amy would have researched a home remedy, and it would have taken like 5 seconds on Google. Also, I googled to see if maple syrup was a lice remedy and was unable to find anything. Can they please stop with neurotic parenting stuff? You're not supposed to tip toe around a baby when they are sleeping. Getting them used to normal background noises actually helps them sleep through the night sooner because they're used to all kinds of noises in the womb. I guess Amy researches at what age Simone Biles started walking but not simple baby sleeping tips.

I really wished we would have seen a drunk Holt. I feel like that could have been really funny.

The room of Scullies and Hitchcocks was pretty funny. Surprisingly, I'm enjoying their relationship and contributions to the story this season so far. 

I thought the mouse burrito plotline would be "too soon", but I thought they navigated that topic well. It was a nice balance of current events and comedy while handling what could be controversial topics.

I really liked that Jake was supportive to Charles in the first episode, and in the second episode, it was reversed. Their friendship is so sweet, and I love it when it shows they're equals rather than Charles's man crush in the earlier seasons.

Edited to add: in thinking about the lice storyline, they could have used mayonnaise which is an actual treatment and still had the shower cap scene with the Scully joke, but I think it would have been funnier because it was grosser. Then to resolve Amy's story, the mayo could have made her hair shiny so she could out style AND out substance her rival. They could have finished the parenting story with her and Jake the same way without resulting into making Amy look like, as she put it, "a psycho". I do like the focus on trying to be full time working parents is hard, because it is, but I really didn't like how tropey they made it. I'm not a fan of tropey writing. It usually ends up punching down, and this time Amy was the target. I think this show is capable of doing better.

 

Edited August 20, 2021 by Catfi9ht
Poor Amy. She deserved better.

[Evie]

I liked last week's episodes but absolutely loved these two. So many great lines.

Andre Braugher continues to outdo himself. Loved Holt swearing and the trident, prongs, and petard. Drunk Holt sending a "digital phallus portrait" to Kevin made me laugh so hard. I'm glad things escalated quickly after Holt re-sent the dick pic with Kevin responding with a very robust data set.

Poor Cheddar's French comprehension has regressed because of the split.

Jake and Boyle's friendship is sweet, and I like that Boyle took the lead on the case. 

Mac is adorable.

[Harvey]

I thought these two episodes were better than what we received last week. Specially episode 4, was very strong. Jake’s smile when he saw Mac pull himself up made me totally melt. It was a short scene but so powerful and adorable. 🥺

[vibeology]

I don't know any spoliers but between Holt's frustration at dealing with the union and Jake's response to being with Mac when he pulled himself up for the first time, I wouldn't be surprised if there isn't at least one other departure from the department before the series ends. 

Andre Braugher needs an Emmy for this role. I worry because it'll be in the distant past when the nominations happen next year but he has been so perfect this season. Every scene with him and Rosa was gold but digital phallus portrait is the best combination of words this show has ever had.

[Traveller519]

4 hours ago, vibeology said:

I don't know any spoliers but between Holt's frustration at dealing with the union and Jake's response to being with Mac when he pulled himself up for the first time, I wouldn't be surprised if there isn't at least one other departure from the department before the series ends. 

Andre Braugher needs an Emmy for this role. I worry because it'll be in the distant past when the nominations happen next year but he has been so perfect this season. Every scene with him and Rosa was gold but digital phallus portrait is the best combination of words this show has ever had.

The fact that Andre Braugher, Ted Danson, and Nick Offerman have all gone 0-fer in their roles on Schur shows at the Emmys is just ridiculous in my (obviously biased) opinion. All have been perfect supporting character's for their respective shows' leads and damn funny in their own rights.

This season especially, he has the most weight to carry in the "Defund the Police" balancing act the show needs to carry. It may not be his best work on the show (Season 2, for me) but it will likely be his most important.

[thuganomics85]

Cheddar!  Glad we got an appearance from him here.  Another one of the many reasons that Holt and Kevin need to work things out.  Realistically, it makes sense that they are still going through some issues and counseling hasn't solved everything yet, but it's still sad to see them going through a rough patch like this.  But, hey, Holt texting (like a teenager!) a "digital phallus portrait" and getting a positive response from Kevin is a good sign, right?!

O'Sullivan might already be one of the biggest assholes the Nine-Nine has had to deal with.  He even almost broke Holt at one point and even then, lead to Holt cussing him out like a sailor.  That takes talent when it comes to scumbaggery!

Of course every precinct has their own Hitchcock and Scully!

Terry can be brutal when the time calls for it.  Wherever it is doing what it takes to win the competition or silencing Jake with one well-placed put down ("That's because I actually solved all my cases!")

Figured Jake would end up giving up his quest to takedown his nemesis, because Amy's presentation was more important in the long run when it comes to police reform and so forth and Jake has matured enough to the point to realize this.  Plus I liked seeing Boyle run with it and prove once again that looking past his Boyle-ish ways of saying things, he really is a good detective in his own right.

I really wouldn't be surprised if someone else ends up leaving the force when this is all said and done.  The contenders are probably Holt after realizing there is only so much he can do to change things (and how it is effecting his relationship with Kevin), and/or Jake in order to have a more balanced life: especially since Amy's career is more on track to grow.

[possibilities]

I couldn't possibly love this show more than I do. I don't even want to nitpick it.

But I agree with the suggestion that they use mayo instead of maple syrup--  because it would have been even funnier that it turns Scully on.

 

[Sandman]

On 8/19/2021 at 9:01 PM, Galileo908 said:

Don't know what was the better Scully bit: his colorblindness awareness ribbon

That was brilliant!

What does it say about me that I think a Tiny Terry spinoff would be vastly more entertaining than either Young Sheldon, or Young Rock, for that matter?

Loved the moment that Mac stood up in his playpen. From the casting of the kid to Samberg's wonder-filled response -- just about perfect all around. Amy and Jake's maple-scented flailing was endearing, and the end of the episode was just sweet enough.

ETA: Between Holt's signing his digital phallus portrait to Kevin with his usual hauteur, and his genuinely surprising (to me), sailor-like "Not too thinky" cussing out of O'Sullivan, André Braugher was more than usually brilliant.

Edited August 21, 2021 by Sandman

[iMonrey]

Quote

The fact that Andre Braugher, Ted Danson, and Nick Offerman have all gone 0-fer in their roles on Schur shows at the Emmys is just ridiculous in my (obviously biased) opinion. All have been perfect supporting character's for their respective shows' leads and damn funny in their own rights.

"Dear Kevin, here is a photograph of my penis. Please see attached."

Quote

The fact that Andre Braugher, Ted Danson, and Nick Offerman have all gone 0-fer in their roles on Schur shows at the Emmys is just ridiculous in my (obviously biased) opinion. All have been perfect supporting character's for their respective shows' leads and damn funny in their own rights.

First of all, the Emmys have zero credibility at this point if Andre Braugher doesn't have one. ZERO.

Second, I think the rise of streaming platforms has really made awards voters look down their noses at and outright ignore network shows. 

Third, even if voters looked at his reel, it's likely they don't watch the show on the regular. Taken out of context it's harder to see how brilliant Braugher really is on this show.

[Tiggertoo]

2 hours ago, thuganomics85 said:

Cheddar!  Glad we got an appearance from him here.  Another one of the many reasons that Holt and Kevin need to work things out.  Realistically, it makes sense that they are still going through some issues and counseling hasn't solved everything yet, but it's still sad to see them going through a rough patch like this.  But, hey, Holt texting (like a teenager!) a "digital phallus portrait" and getting a positive response from Kevin is a good sign, right?!

O'Sullivan might already be one of the biggest assholes the Nine-Nine has had to deal with.  He even almost broke Holt at one point and even then, lead to Holt cussing him out like a sailor.  That takes talent when it comes to scumbaggery!

Of course every precinct has their own Hitchcock and Scully!

Terry can be brutal when the time calls for it.  Wherever it is doing what it takes to win the competition or silencing Jake with one well-placed put down ("That's because I actually solved all my cases!")

Figured Jake would end up giving up his quest to takedown his nemesis, because Amy's presentation was more important in the long run when it comes to police reform and so forth and Jake has matured enough to the point to realize this.  Plus I liked seeing Boyle run with it and prove once again that looking past his Boyle-ish ways of saying things, he really is a good detective in his own right.

I really wouldn't be surprised if someone else ends up leaving the force when this is all said and done.  The contenders are probably Holt after realizing there is only so much he can do to change things (and how it is effecting his relationship with Kevin), and/or Jake in order to have a more balanced life: especially since Amy's career is more on track to grow.

I feel like they’ve always shown Boyle as being a good detective. That’s one thing I always liked about the show is that they’re all good at their jobs.  Except Scully and Hitchcock, of course.

I’ve been watching old episodes and since they’ve shown Rosa as the most ‘violent’ and aggressive, it’s an interesting choice to have her be the one to quit.

I’m not sure I’m loving this season.  I feel like they’ve always done a good job of weaving in stories about me too, being stopped for being black (Terry), sexual orientation, etc.  Without hitting us over the head with it.  I watch a lot of news and I wish it was a little less heavy on the current events stuff.  Although I understand it’s difficult to avoid.

It’s like one of my favourite mystery authors just wrote a new book,  I normally love his books but this one was clearly a fictionalized account of a Jeffrey Epstein type of character, and it was just too much.

Baby Mac pulling himself up was adorable though.

 

[TimothyQ]

I was kind of worried that since this is last season, and with the current climate, they’d be shying away from police storylines and focusing more on the character’s home lives, but they really are continuing to tackle real life issues. Good on them!

[Sandman]

38 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

"Dear Kevin, here is a photograph of my penis. Please see attached."

It's the "... [signed] Raymond J. Holt" that always kills me -- still.

But I don't want even to imagine a world in which the smell of mayo is enough to turn Scully on. It just ... NOPE.

Edited August 20, 2021 by Sandman

[CrazyDog]

If this separation with Holt and Kevin isn't just the perfect path to a reconciliation and them renewing their vows in the finale, then I don't even know.

I am really enjoying the episodes, though they have a very different feel to them, but the whole does Charles have cancer storyline was fairly stressful and too real. But I did love the moment of Jake's tears at Charles's speech. They are such brothers.

1 hour ago, Sandman said:

ETA: Between Holt's signing his digital penile portrait to Kevin with his usual hauteur, and his genuinely surprising (to me), sailor-like "Not too thinky" cussing out of O'Sullivan, André Braugher was more than usually brilliant.

So much yes. A swearing session is such more meaningful coming from Holt. 

So many great lines and moments in these episodes.

[madmax]

2 hours ago, iMonrey said:

First of all, the Emmys have zero credibility at this point if Andre Braugher doesn't have one. ZERO.

Second, I think the rise of streaming platforms has really made awards voters look down their noses at and outright ignore network shows. 

Third, even if voters looked at his reel, it's likely they don't watch the show on the regular. Taken out of context it's harder to see how brilliant Braugher really is on this show.

I have always felt Braugher deserved all the Emmys for every show he was on.  He is fantastic, whether in drama or comedy.  He's the reason I started watching this show in the first place - I figured his brilliance would overpower my disdain for Samburg, but Samburg has grown on me.  I agree that network shows aren't as "trendy" as streaming shows and thus,  don't get as much recognition.  Of course, on the other hand, there's not a ton of outstanding network shows/performances.

Onto the episodes:

John C. McKinley is a perfect foil for Holt.  Just loved all of their interactions.

The best part was how the show cut off just as Rosa was going to say what Holt's tattoo was.

I liked the second episode better because it wasn't just bringing up the problems with the NYPD, but the problems of two working parents.  It really is a bitch when both of you need to work to pay your mortgage and you don't really have many options.  I was lucky in that my mother and mother-in-law watched my kids while Mr. Max and I worked.

The multiple Scullys/Hitchcocks was great.  I knew where it was going as soon as Amy said "they were happy to."

I'm glad that they aren't letting current events take over everything.  I watch sitcoms for the comedy, not the social awareness.  I was really afraid that they were going to mess up this season, but so far, they have a good balance.

[AnimeMania]

Maybe Holt would get better results if instead of sending a "digital phallus portrait" to Kevin, he sent him a "digital phallus landscape". A little printer humor there.

[Galileo908]

3 hours ago, Tiggertoo said:

I feel like they’ve always shown Boyle as being a good detective. That’s one thing I always liked about the show is that they’re all good at their jobs.  Except Scully and Hitchcock, of course.

They're good in their own ways. Does the case involve food and/or trying to do as little as possible? You call them.

[peeayebee]

Like everyone else, I keep thinking "Give Andre the Emmy." He's ALWAYS great, but so many of his speeches, esp in the first ep, were wonderful and hilarious and just perfectly delivered. It's all in the delivery:

"Operation Trident is now Operation Fork."
"Seems I didn't know what a tramp stamp was."
"Oh… this is a very frustrating conversation."
"The petard, it just… won't… stop… hoisting."

I felt so bad for Charles with his huge, misshapen, and icy testicle. But we got to hear his explain his sadness to Jake and then to see Jake's shared sadness.

I was sure when Jake brought up his mother's maple syrup lice remedy that he would be told he misremembered, that it was actually mayo. If we couldn't get that explanation, I wish we had heard a funny explanation for why she used maple syrup.

Really, my only complaint about the show, particularly the second ep, is that Rosa's role is... odd. I assume her new pro bono job will become more significant in a future ep.

Loved seeing Cheddar.

[possibilities]

It says a lot about the marriage that Holt assumed that saying "I miss you" meant sending a dick pic, as did him being unable to control his obsessive blather about Kevin when he moved in with Rosa. 

Edited August 21, 2021 by possibilities

[Brandi Maxxxx]

Something has occurred to me: Could this Holt/Kevin drama actually just be a set-up for the Halloween Heist? After all, Holt himself admitted to being a "con man" in the season premiere.

[AnimeMania]

29 minutes ago, Brandi Maxxxx said:

Something has occurred to me: Could this Holt/Kevin drama actually just be a set-up for the Halloween Heist? After all, Holt himself admitted to being a "con man" in the season premiere.

I would guess no, since the last episode is on September 16, 2021, a long time before Halloween. 

[Brandi Maxxxx]

12 minutes ago, AnimeMania said:

I would guess no, since the last episode is on September 16, 2021, a long time before Halloween. 

Life finds a way!

[Harvey]

9 hours ago, CrazyDog said:

If this separation with Holt and Kevin isn't just the perfect path to a reconciliation and them renewing their vows in the finale, then I don't even know.

 

Spoiler

If you look at the episode titles of this season, ep 8 is called renewal so it is likely we only need to wait 2 weeks to see it, it happens before the finale.

 

[Kel Varnsen]

The only thing that was missing in the lice debate was Jake considering buzzing his (or Amy's) hair. I mean his personal hero is Bruce Willis.

16 hours ago, iMonrey said:

"Dear Kevin, here is a photograph of my penis. Please see attached."

First of all, the Emmys have zero credibility at this point if Andre Braugher doesn't have one. ZERO.

Braugher has a few doesn't he? I know he has at least one from his Homicide days. I hope already having other Emmys isn't working against him since he totally deserves one here.

[rejnel]

Amy's parents were out of town, Jake's dad was just "out," but did we hear why Karen Peralta couldn't babysit? 

Also, the little actor playing Mac is so gorgeous! 

[Sandman]

32 minutes ago, rejnel said:

Also, the little actor playing Mac is so gorgeous! 

Not only is his colouring similar enough to Fumero's to make a resemblance plausible, but it's easy to imagine Jake as a sweet-faced, serious-eyed baby with a mop of dark hair, too.

[peeayebee]

2 hours ago, Kel Varnsen said:

Braugher has a few doesn't he? I know he has at least one from his Homicide days. I hope already having other Emmys isn't working against him since he totally deserves one here.

I just checked. He has one Emmy for Homicide and one for Thief.

[tennisgurl]

Oh man, Jake's face when Mac pulled himself up for the first time really got me, he was absolutely glowing. What a great moment, and Mac is such a cutie. Its always a real gambit to add a baby to a show, but I have really loved Jake and Amy as parents, its been loaded with funny moments and a lot of really sweet moments. Jake and Amy continue to be one of my favorite couples on TV, and having a baby has just made them even more fun. 

"We're not giving our baby to a serial killer!" 

"Grow up!" 

I thought that both episodes were good, although I am always going to give extra love to episodes with a lot of Jake/Amy content. And with bonus Cheddar! Poor Cheddar, his dads separation is making him so upset that he's falling behind on his French. I know we've had a great run and have been lucky to get this much of the show, I am still going to be so sad to say goodbye to the Nine Nine. We got more of that mix of funny and serious which the show usually does really well, as they continue to explore issues within the police department, and even Charles having a cancer scare, while first played for laughs, did end up getting pretty real near the end. Jake getting really emotional about Charles possibly dying was really sincerely heartfelt, as was Charles saying how he was happy to get to spend the little time he might have left hanging out with Jake. Yeah of course he wont actually have cancer, but the characters don't know that.

I know that everyone has said it, but its worth repeating. Andre Braugher is just a freaking treasure, ever scene he's in is just gold, but he's on a whole different level this season. I could watch him stone face curse out the union guy (and I love that he's becoming a reoccurring character" all day long. "Sir, your insults get a little think-y..." 

[possibilities]

I actually love the idea that the break up is somehow a con, related to a heist episode. I don't know if they're going that way, but I have found it hard to believe that marriage really faltered, even under the pressure of current times. Holt has been through a lot of work-related horrors, none of the current issues are actually new. The only thing that's new is the publicity and public pressure has increased-- but it's increased in the direction that would HELP rather than undermine his agenda. 

I've been going along with the separation story because it's being told in a highly amusing way, but even so-- if it turns out to be fake, I'll for once not mind being tricked by a long con plot twist!

[Sandman]

2 hours ago, possibilities said:

I don't know if they're going that way, but I have found it hard to believe that marriage really faltered, even under the pressure of current times. Holt has been through a lot of work-related horrors, none of the current issues are actually new. The only thing that's new is the publicity and public pressure has increased-- but it's increased in the direction that would HELP rather than undermine his agenda.

I actually find it quite believable that Holt could feel discouraged, dogged by the feeling that his thirty-odd year career hasn't resulted in the kinds of change he's been working so hard for, even if the public is more aware of the problem now. There is significant backlash as well, and concepts like defunding the police and critical race theory are mangled and shouted down by a large faction of the right wing without even really attempting to understand what these ideas actually mean.

I will find it heartbreaking if Holt's and Kevin's marriage doesn't end up in a better state, but I'm not sure I have trouble believing in the reasons why it's (or might be?) faltering.

[possibilities]

But Kevin and Raymond have been together a long time, through a lot of hell. I would have thought that Kevin would be more aligned with what his boo is experiencing, so it's the marriage being threatened by it is where I am most surprised.

Either way, though, I think making the separation a con is FUNNIER, and in keeping with the show's overall culture of character-based shenanigans.

[LaJefaza]

On 8/20/2021 at 5:53 PM, Tiggertoo said:

I’ve been watching old episodes and since they’ve shown Rosa as the most ‘violent’ and aggressive, it’s an interesting choice to have her be the one to quit.

I'm guessing the decision to have Rosa quit was more to do with disguising Stephanie Beatriz' pregnancy (they're doing a good job, actually) and giving Rosa a reason to curl up on couches in baggy clothes and not be on a beat. Because I agree: Rosa, who for sure has some brutality complaints of her own, seemed the least likely to quit even if she was disgusted with the system. I wonder if they'll eventually write Stephanie's pregnancy in somehow.

Loved Jake and Charles relaying info by way of a lullaby. Loved it. The chemistry between these two actors in phenomenal.

I also loved that this episode was somewhat of a callback to the earlier argument that Amy and Jake had as newlyweds, when they were deciding whether or not to have kids (still boggles my mind that they didn't discuss that before marriage, but whatever) and they had a debate to be settled by Holt, Kevin and several other accredited moderators. Everything Jake was scared of, lost opportunities and sacrifices, has ended up happening. But everything Amy predicted is also happening...their son makes everything worth it and they're working things out together, owning their losses  and their wins as a team. Continuity (and reality) for the win.

[Brandi Maxxxx]

1 hour ago, LaJefaza said:

I'm guessing the decision to have Rosa quit was more to do with disguising Stephanie Beatriz' pregnancy (they're doing a good job, actually) and giving Rosa a reason to curl up on couches in baggy clothes and not be on a beat. Because I agree: Rosa, who for sure has some brutality complaints of her own, seemed the least likely to quit even if she was disgusted with the system. I wonder if they'll eventually write Stephanie's pregnancy in somehow.

It makes sense to me. Rosa doesn't have kids to support and seems to actually have a life outside of work.

Or maybe it's another con...

Edited August 22, 2021 by Brandi Maxxxx

[ItCouldBeWorse]

15 hours ago, Kel Varnsen said:

The only thing that was missing in the lice debate was Jake considering buzzing his (or Amy's) hair. I mean his personal hero is Bruce Willis.

Technically, what was missing was a complete cleaning of all fabric surfaces, sheets, hair implements and clothing they had recently worn, plus the bagging of all stuffed toys, in order to really eradicate the lice. I'm not saying I wanted to watch all that, but Amy's research would have shown that eliminating lice from your scalp is just part of the ordeal. (Plus, if Jake and Amy have lice, they must have gotten it from Mac, so he would need to be treated for it too.) 

[peeayebee]

16 hours ago, LaJefaza said:

I'm guessing the decision to have Rosa quit was more to do with disguising Stephanie Beatriz' pregnancy (they're doing a good job, actually) and giving Rosa a reason to curl up on couches in baggy clothes and not be on a beat.

I didn't know she was pregnant. Now Rosa's storyline makes sense to me. Thanks.

[Enginerd]

On 8/21/2021 at 9:07 AM, rejnel said:

Amy's parents were out of town, Jake's dad was just "out," but did we hear why Karen Peralta couldn't babysit?

She's an art teacher, so presumably she was working also.

[BellyLaughter]

I live for Rosa and Holt's friendship! God I love this show!

[perkie1968]

On 8/20/2021 at 10:18 PM, peeayebee said:

is that Rosa's role is... odd.

Stephanie Beatriz just had a baby so it's possible they wrote her out of the 99 into a smaller role since she was pregnant and may not have wanted to be on set that much, even with the strict Covid protocols.

Has there been an explanation as to why Dirk Blocker/Hitchcock is not onscreen but only appearing through Scully's ipad??

[MaggieG]

My favorite part was Jake and Boyle singing everything in lullaby.

Cheddar!!

[Bumblebee84047]

On 8/20/2021 at 5:03 PM, CrazyDog said:

If this separation with Holt and Kevin isn't just the perfect path to a reconciliation and them renewing their vows in the finale, then I don't even know.

This must happen.  Their handshake at the altar would melt television screens across America.

[AnimeMania]

1 hour ago, Bumblebee84047 said:

This must happen.  Their handshake at the altar would melt television screens across America.

Their notarized contracts to love, honor, and cherish each other will be the inspiration for all future Lifetime movie marriages.

[Kel Varnsen]

5 hours ago, Bumblebee84047 said:

This must happen.  Their handshake at the altar would melt television screens across America.

Handshake? It wouldn't be some kind of peeping show. It would be more like a serious nod to each other, possibly with eye contact, if the mood is right.

Edited August 24, 2021 by Kel Varnsen

[Brandi Maxxxx]

Take your erotic fanfiction elsewhere, people.

[Ilovepie]

One of my favorite scenes was the beginning and the conversation of how to say "no big whoop". I laughed when Holt says "The Whoop is big after all!"

[Sarah 103]

On 8/20/2021 at 3:10 PM, thuganomics85 said:

I really wouldn't be surprised if someone else ends up leaving the force when this is all said and done.  The contenders are probably Holt after realizing there is only so much he can do to change things (and how it is effecting his relationship with Kevin), and/or Jake in order to have a more balanced life: especially since Amy's career is more on track to grow.

If Jake leaves the police department as part of the series finale, he will start a career as a writer. Either screenwriter (TV or movies), a graphic novel, or maybe an actual novel without pictures.

Edited August 27, 2021 by Sarah 103

[Lugal]

I thought Jack becoming a writer seemed a natural fit with the way he always comes up with characters.