Brooklyn Nine-Nine Bests and Worsts

[mstaken]

This is the place to gush and snark about the bests and worsts of our show! Favorite and least favorite seasons---oh, yeah, there's only been one ;)  Still, that one awesome season has given us tons to talk about: favorite and least favorite episodes, plotlines, characters, character combinations, types of humor, types of cases, etc.  

For now, what would you say are your three favorite and three least favorite episodes of the season...and why?! 

Edited March 28, 2014 by mstaken

[thuganomics85]

Hard to choose, but I think I came up with a list:

Favorites:

1. "The Party."  I thought the episode did a great job at including the entire ensemble.  I loved seeing Terry basically being the parent to all the squad acting like rambunctious children, meeting Kevin, a ton of awesome one-liners, and my favorite sight-gag, of Holt seeing Jake, Amy, and Terry in the bathroom with Cheddar.

2. "The Vulture." The first episode I just flat-out loved.  Dean Winters was perfect as The Vulture, and I loved how his character caused the squad to be on the same page in bringing him down. I also loved the B-plot where Holt and Gina help Terry get over his fear of being on the field.

3. "The Bet." One of my favorites that focused on the Jake/Amy relationship.  I liked how they took one of the plots I was worried about from the pilot, and changed it in a way that was awesome.  And it really made me dig their partnership and the chemistry between Andy Samberg and Melissa Fumero.  The rest was equally great, with a drugged up Boyle "truth-bombing" everyone, and Holt actually being a bit goofy this time, by consistently putting his foot in his mouth around Terry's wife.

Special mentions: "Full-Boyle", "Fancy Brugdom", "48 Hours", "Thanksgiving", and "Charges and Specs" (this one is still growing on me, and might even get in the top 3 some day.)

Least Favorites:

1. "The Apartment." I have to admit that I'm someone who just isn't all that wild about Gina, so the A-plot didn't grab me like it should have.  I did enjoy the stuff with Holt, Amy, and the performance reviews, but I can't remember much about this episode.

2. "Pilot."  Not a bad one, but I still remember thinking it was rough in a lot of ways.  Jake was a bit too obnoxious, Amy was more sour and one-dimensional, pretty much the rest of the supporting cast was too, and Holt was fun, but more of the typical "serious" character.  I do think it's should be viewed to appreciate these later episodes, but it did take them a couple of episodes to find their footing.

3. "The Tagger."  Mainly because I couldn't even remember what this episode was.  It turns out it was the one where Jake was hunting down the graffiti artist.  Also didn't care about the subplot with Gina and the psyhic "helping" Boyle.  Still, it showed signs of improvement over the pilot.

Edited March 28, 2014 by thuganomics85

[Danny Franks]

Three favourites (not necessarily in this order):

1. "The Vulture" - Loved Dean Winters, and he seems to be having the time of his life in the role. He's a great antagonist for Jake, in that he loves to throw his weight around and there's really not much Jake can do to stop it. Even when he wins, he has to give the win to the Vulture. The flashback sequence of him vulturing cases (and coffee) were brilliant. But also, we got some really fun interactions between the team. Jake and Amy had a sweet moment where she calls him on his need to do things alone, Charles had Jake's back all the way through, but never tried to steal his thunder. After all, he'd "be afraid to borrow it". A good subplot with Holt getting Terry to renew his firearm certification, and Terry Crews bringing the ludicrous procrastinating, like forgetting how to breathe and recapping the plot of Top Gun.

2. "The Bet" - Jake and Amy really were sweet in this one. First, we saw how competitive they are, and that they're both damned good cops. I didn't think Jake's win lessened Amy at all, which it would have on a lot of shows. Then we saw the efforts (and expenses) Jake will go to to razz Amy. He spent so much time planning the worst date ever, but never went out to actually humiliate Amy. Because he likes her, even if he didn't know he 'likes her' likes her at that point. But then we had the rooftop scene, and the two of them just having so much fun together. Amy being her adorable self ("the key is volume!") and Jake turning down the relief team because he's having a blast with her. They work so well as friends, and as potential romantic partners. Plus, Sgt. Peanut Butter and Boyle's drugged out confessions.

3. "Operation: Broken Feather" - The Vulture returns! And he's having even more fun. That scene of him just striding through all the B99's attempts to stop him was pure gold, and again Dean Winters just killed it. There was more good stuff with Jake/Amy, and him being so upset over the idea of her leaving, then setting himself the task of convincing her to stay by reminding her how much fun they had together. The climax of which was the two of them realising that they'd really rather work together than apart, and it was genuinely sweet. Joe Theismann can't act, but the dark humour of him breaking his other leg amused me. I don't care for Adam Sandler, but I didn't mind him sending himself up. The Holt/Terry subplot of precinct social engineering was fun, if a little undercooked.

Least favourites:

1. "The Apartment" - Too much Gina, and I didn't buy the Jake/Gina childhood friendship backstory. It felt like it came out of nowhere, and was included to reflect Samberg and Peretti's real life friendship. I also didn't buy that Gina is smart with her money and invests in sensible things like property. Beyond that, I just didn't find the storyline very funny. I liked Matt Walsh making an appearance, but that storyline felt unfinished. I did enjoy the staff self evaluations, though.

2. "The Tagger" - An odd, relatively serious episode, at least, as far as the A plot went. The idea of the commissioner's son being a petty criminal and them having to decide between arresting him and keeping the commissioner happy felt like one for a drama rather than a sitcom. Or perhaps it was just the execution of it that did. Anyway, I wasn't crazy about any of that storyline. And the B plot, with Charles and the psychic? No thanks.

3. "Sal's Pizza" - While I thought the portrayal of firemen as overgrown fratboys was amusing, and the lack of reverence for the FDNY was actually a little edgy, I just didn't really get a whole lot out of the episode. It did make me hungry for pizza, though. Oh, and I didn't think the storyline with Gina asking inappropriate questions in those IT worker interviews achieved what the writers think it achieved.

[amensisterfriend]

Has anyone's favorite or least favorite episodes changed now that we've had time to rewatch Season 1 and see the first couple of Season 2?

[Traveller519]

The show continues to rise in my opinion. Ever since Episode 14 of Season 1, which was the first show after receiving the full season order. Things seemed more relaxed and the character development really took off.

 

"The Party" still remains my favourite for having so many quotable lines, "I'll take your eight dollar-est bottle of wine" "I see myself as the Paris of people" "Needle him a sweater. Even when you're angry, you're hilarious."

 

"Full Boyle" may be my least favorite, since there was no restraint on Boyle even in his self aware state. He's the most frustrating character for me, and his whole arc with Marilu Henner was a little over the top. I get that flies in direct opposition of my comment that the show got better in the second half, so make of that what you will. I love the whole show.

[amensisterfriend]

Traveller, I agree that overall the second half of the season is stronger, though some of my favorites are surprisingly early on, like The Vulture. If I could keep just three from Season 1, I think I'd go with The Party, Tactical Village and...maybe Unsolvable? Or the Vulture? Pontiac Bandit? Old School? I really love this show! 

[Rinaldo]

My top three would have to include "The Party," "Thanksgiving" (for many things, but especially Barley & James and the glorious I'm-so-happy-to-be-alive-right-now moment of "My wife was killed by a man in a yellow sweater!"), and... I can't decide right now.

[amensisterfriend]

So now that Season 2 is over, which were your very favorite episodes? Least favorite episodes? And did you guys generally prefer S2 to S1, or is S1 still your favorite season?! 

[FurryFury]

S2 disappointed me in major way. It started out with a bang, plus I really loved Kyra Sedgewick's character and her relationship with Holt, Gina and Boyle were hilarious together, it was interesting seing Jake's father, but most other stuff felt flat. For instance, I loved Jake/Amy in s1 and I didn't feel anything when they've kissed in the finale. The build up hasn't been good at all. Some of the episodes just forgot their relationship at all so as to artificially slow down its development. It was annoying and bad writing, because romance or not, Jake/Amy relationship was one of the best thing about season 1.

Also, Rosa in love should have been awesome and hilarious, but it was a huge misfire. 

 

My favorite episode in s2 is probably the premiere. Loved the hell out of it.

[amensisterfriend]

FurryFurry, I'm totally with you---I, too, preferred S1 to S2. In addition to pretty much everything you mentioned (especially liking the Jake/Amy dynamic better in S1), S1 was just a little funnier to me. S1 took a little while to click for me, and the 'lows' of that season are probably lower than S2's lows, but the highs were also higher for me. If I had to name my 5-7 favorite episodes overall, I'm pretty sure that nearly all of them would come from S1. 

 

In general, I view this show much as I do Parks---I really love the (non-Gina) characters and their interactions with one another, adore the cast, and greatly appreciate the cheerily optimistic tone and moments of heartwarming sweetness, but the shows don't usually happen to hit my funny bone. Somehow, though, most of S1's humor generally worked for me a little better, though it's hard for me to pinpoint why. In general, I guess I keep hoping the show will take more advantage of the fact that it takes place in a precinct and do more clever satire on the usual crime/mystery stuff and go with sharper wit in general over the goofy/silly stuff. (And I get that most people love silly/goofy stuff---it just doesn't usually work for me as much as I want it to!)  Oh, and other minor strikes against S1 for me are that I didn't really care for S2's Sophia stuff or Gina's mother marrying Boyle's dad.  

That said, S2 had some definite attributes---the stuff with Jake and his father was surprisingly touching, Gina was at times at least a little more tolerable to me, and, like you, I enjoyed the Wunch stuff :)   

Edited June 4, 2015 by amensisterfriend

[amensisterfriend]

---So now that we're about halfway through the third season, which seasons/episodes/storylines/characters etc. would you guys say you love most and least so far?!

[Loandbehold]

I've really enjoyed the Holt/Diaz interactions. And Jake/Boyle is almost always gold. I've also liked how they've handled Jake and Amy, but would like to see more of Amy interacting w/ Jake as well as others. I don't want Melissa Fumero sidelined. The Halloween episode was one of my favorites, along w/ the Die Hard hostage riff.

 

Unless she's going to be made more gleefully evil, I don't want to see any more of Boyle's ex-wife. It's a shame, because I like Kathryn Hahn.

[amensisterfriend]

I've been rewatching S1 (the perks of being too sick to leave my apartment!), and so much of that first season is a 'best' for me. If I had to narrow it down to just five or so S1 favorites, I think right now I'd go with  Halloween, Old School, Sal's Pizza, Pontiac Bandit and The Party. (And The Vulture, The Bet, Thanksgiving, Christmas, The Ebony Falcon, Tactical Village, Unsolvable...yeah, narrowing it down to just five probably wasn't realistic!) 

 

Jake in general is a best for me---easily one of my favorite characters on the show and probably one of my favorite characters on ANY current show. And at first glance he's the 'type' that I normally can't stand, but everything about the acting and writing combines to make him such a genuinely lovable character for me. A lot of what we say to describe Boyle---sweet, eager to please, cares deeply about others, always wanting to make things fun (however they define it!), a little immature but surprisingly emotionally aware in ways that make them good detectives, etc.---applies to Jake as well for me. Obviously there are a few differences between Jake and Boyle as well, but I love how similar they are and that they found each other. (As you can tell, the Jake/Boyle friendship is a true best for me as well!)

 

Rosa is another example of a type of character I would normally think I'm not too interested in, but somehow I adore her and her interactions with most of the other characters.

 

And of course Holt is a best, especially when he's holding a puppy in each arm, but that's probably just a given :)  

[pawneerangers]

I really didn't think I could love any show as much as Parks & Recreation but I already love Brooklyn Nine-Nine even more. It's even funnier, I love anything that pokes fun at cop shows, and there aren't any characters I dislike on B99 like there were on Parks. I even like Gina a lot, but I can understand why some would hate her.  I can't pick a worst thing about because I just love the show and all the characters so much. The cast is perfection to me. I wouldn't replace anyone!  

 

I agree that Season 1 is my favorite and has most of the episodes I love most. Season 3 is really close behind and I love that Jake and Amy are together now instead of making that a source of tension. Season 2 wasn't as perfect but I liked it more when I watched it again. 

 

Pontiac Bandit is the episode that I've probably watched the most. It's just so fun and clever and I love when Rosa and Jake pair up. I love Doug Judy so much and would be happy if we saw him in more episodes! 

Edited February 12, 2016 by pawneerangers

[amensisterfriend]

I grew to love S3, but I think S1 is still my special favorite. 

Holt, Jake and Amy are still my three favorite characters, though Amy's characterization was at its best in S1 for me. I've grown to love Boyle and Rosa too. The Boyle/Jake friendship is one of my favorite things about the show, and the Piemnto thing made Rosa a lot more interesting and human to me. 

Now that we finished three full seasons, which 10 or so episodes would you name as your very favorite ones?!

[Loandbehold]

I don't recall the names of most of the episodes, but the first and third Halloween episodes and "Cheddar" have to be close to the top. Never has a dog been more gleefully evil and conniving. Oh, also the Doug Judy (am I getting the name right?) episodes and the one at the beach house.

[amensisterfriend]

Oh my gosh, yes, Doug Judy is the best!!! Pontiac Bandit is definitely one of my 5-7 favorites of the series :)

[FurryFury]

On 16.09.2016 at 9:22 PM, amensisterfriend said:

I grew to love S3, but I think S1 is still my special favorite. 

Holt, Jake and Amy are still my three favorite characters, though Amy's characterization was at its best in S1 for me. I've grown to love Boyle and Rosa too. The Boyle/Jake friendship is one of my favorite things about the show, and the Piemnto thing made Rosa a lot more interesting and human to me. 

Now that we finished three full seasons, which 10 or so episodes would you name as your very favorite ones?!

TBH everything after s1 is a letdown for me. I love s2 premiere but after that it's all downhill with a few highlights.

[DearEvette]

Season 1 - my favorite was 'The Party' and my least favorite was The Pilot

Season 2 - my favorites were the premiere episode, 'Beach House' and Halloween II my least favorite I think were the Eva Longoria episodes -- they felt too designed to showcase her guest starriness.

Season 3 - I think S3 was pretty strong overall.  My favorites were 'Cheddar', 'The Bureau' and 'Greg and Larry.' The last two eps of the season were fantastic. The whole cast was deployed perfectly, they managed to use Melissa Fumero's pregnancy cleverly, all the revelations about Rosa, and my God, Dennis Haysbert was perfect with Andre Braugher.  My least fave was probably 'Into the Woods'.

[DXD526]

I liked the Eva Longoria episodes. I thought she and Jake were good together. I was never a Jake/Amy shipper, though I do think they've handled their pairing well. 

"The Party" is an all-time favorite. So many great lines, including this, when Jake discovered Amy snooping in Holt's house:

Amy: "If I'm going to bond with him, I have to massively violate his privacy!"

It's always funny when they address Amy's weird platonic, yet strangely intimate love for Holt. 

[Inquisitionist]

On ‎9‎/‎18‎/‎2016 at 4:30 PM, DXD526 said:

"The Party" is an all-time favorite.

I've watched it at least 5 times and I'm sure I'll watch it again. 

[biakbiak]

14 hours ago, Inquisitionist said:

I've watched it at least 5 times and I'm sure I'll watch it again. 

Did you learn to stop eating crab wrong?

[Inquisitionist]

3 hours ago, biakbiak said:

Did you learn to stop eating crab wrong?

I think I was always OK with crab, but I've curbed my urge to look in other people's kitchen cabinets.  ;-)

[Vikitty]

On 9/21/2016 at 5:20 AM, Inquisitionist said:

I think I was always OK with crab, but I've curbed my urge to look in other people's kitchen cabinets.  ;-)

Hummus. Thoughts?

[romantic idiot]

I'll have to confess I love hummus. 

I think the Jake/Amy kiss is still one of the hottest I've seen in a while. Ranks there with Logan kissing Veronica and Angel kissing Buffy.

[lostandfound]

I've spent the past few days binge watching this show, and I consider it time extremely well spent! I think I love it even more than Parks, which might have to do with my lifelong love of crime shows and mysteries and severely limited affection for politics, even when focused on satircally.  

Worst: Gina

Best: Every other aspect of the show 

I'm surprised by how much I love Jake and Amy, both as individuals and together. I'm like Charles, gushing about how they need to be together and way too invested in their relationship :-) Holt is amazing, and he has perfect comedic chemistry with every other character. Jake's friendship with Boyle is golden. I've grown to appreciate the evolving Amy/Rosa friendship as well. I even love Terry despite normally disliking anyone who's prone to refer to himself in the third person! The humor is a great combination of gleeful over the top silliness and subtler, sharper wit. And the plotting is actually good!

I'm so happy that I have a new TV love. Even just thinking about it cheers me up. Now all I need to do is find a way to better tolerate or ignore Gina!  

[Danny Franks]

59 minutes ago, lostandfound said:

I'm surprised by how much I love Jake and Amy, both as individuals and together. I'm like Charles, gushing about how they need to be together and way too invested in their relationship :-

I think Jake and Amy have one of the best written relationships I've seen on TV. The writers managed to tease any number of the annoying, 'will they, won't they' tropes, and then adroitly sidestep them. They never lost sight of the reality that Jake and Amy are two people, with their own wants and needs, and their own agency, and neither owes the other anything. One of the worst aspects of TV romance, for me, is this idea that just because one character likes another, they're given licence to be complete shits to that person, and to anyone that person chooses to spend time with, and it's okay because they just want to be with them.

The writers have also managed to keep the show interesting, varied and extremely funny, even after having them get together. Too many other shows just make their writing all about that central pairing, and all about trying to keep viewers invested in it by repeatedly trying to throw more 'obstacles' in the way. It's proof of something I've long held to be true: good writers can make relationships fun to watch, only bad writers rely on excuses like 'once the chase is over, viewers switch off'.

As for my worst, a year ago I'd have said it was absolutely Gina. Hate her. But then they introduced Pimento, and we got about four weeks of The Pimento Show, starring Jason Mantzoukas and that character that he always does. And it was awful. I hope he never comes back, and is quietly just forgotten about.

[lostandfound]

I think some of you did this upthread, but we've had more episodes since then, so which five episodes would you pick as your favorites so far?How would you rate the four seasons from best to worst, at least based on what we've seen of the fourth? And if you had to pick just three favorite characters?

I think maybe I would go 3,1, 4 and 2, but it's close. 

My three favorites are Amy, Jake and Holt, but it really hurts to leave off Boyle, and I became more and more fond of Rosa as the series went on. 

And I don't know the episode titles yet, but I'm going to spend/waste time this morning studying them and picking out my favorit episodes because have I mentioned I am obsessed with this show? :-) 

Edited April 19, 2017 by lostandfound

[AnnaRose]

4 hours ago, lostandfound said:

And if you had to pick just three favorite characters?

I don't have three favorite characters... I have three tiers of favorite characters:

First tier - Jake and Boyle

Second tier - Amy, Terry and Holt

Third tier - Rosa and Gina  (I like Gina more than most, and often find her pretty funny... so maybe I should bump her up to second tier.  Rosa's character suffered during the dreaded Pimento episodes.)

I do love them all, though. 

[betweenthebanter]

My three favorite characters are: Amy, Rosa, and Holt.  Jake is #4, though and I do love him a lot too.

I have mixed feelings about Gina. There are parts of her personality that I love: she's smarter than she lets on, eccentric- One of my favorite Gina scenes is when she and her mom were talking about their psychics, and I love when she is actually a good friend to other characters. On the other side of things, I hate all of the times where Gina treats others badly and either learns nothing or is proven right in her behavior.

Favorite Seasons: 2, 1, As long as 4 stays continuously good for the rest of the season I think it will tie 3 for me.

Top 3 Favorite episodes (because I couldn't chose between the rest of my favorites to make a Top 5:

1. The Party - Introduction of Kevin (my favorite guest star) and I love episodes where everyone is together.

2. Season 2 Finale (Johnny and Dora) - Mixture of happy and sad emotions. Loved Jake/Amy getting together, Holt having to leave the 99 was heartbreaking (Another one of my favorite Gina moments was her deciding to go with him).

3. Season 1 Finale (Charges and Specs) - Amy standing up to Holt for the first time, Holt and Jake trusting each other, and Jake confessing his feelings to Amy. This was the perfect way to end the Season 1 story arcs.

Other favorites:

Season 1 - Tactical Village.

Season 2 - The Road Trip, Beach House (this might also be in my Top 5, because of it being a great group episode), Windbreaker City, Boyle-Linetti Wedding.

Season 3 - Halloween III, Yippie Kayak, Paranoia, and Burea.

Season 4 - Halloween IV

Edited April 19, 2017 by betweenthebanter

[thuganomics85]

Man, I love almost all the main characters (really mixed on Gina), but I know Amy and Holt are automatically in my top two (not sure who is my favorite though.)  I will probably give Terry the third spot, but Jake really is right behind him, which is surprising considering how I initially thought about him in the pilot.  He's still one of my favorite comedic leads of all time.

As for episodes, referencing my earlier post before season 2, I still think "The Party" is my favorite, and both "The Bet" and "The Vulture" are in my top five, but I will probably round it out with "Johnny and Dora" and "Halloween III."  Really though, there is too many that I like, that there are numerous episodes that are probably just as great as my top five.

[jhlipton]

On 4/18/2017 at 9:16 AM, Danny Franks said:

I think Jake and Amy have one of the best written relationships I've seen on TV. The writers managed to tease any number of the annoying, 'will they, won't they' tropes, and then adroitly sidestep them. They never lost sight of the reality that Jake and Amy are two people, with their own wants and needs, and their own agency, and neither owes the other anything.

Add to this that Jake is based on the "man-child" trope, but doesn't have the disgusting personality of one, and it makes the relationship all the more awesome. 

[Inquisitionist]

On ‎4‎/‎19‎/‎2017 at 3:20 PM, betweenthebanter said:

Top 3 Favorite episodes (because I couldn't chose between the rest of my favorites to make a Top 5:

1. The Party - Introduction of Kevin (my favorite guest star) and I love episodes where everyone is together.

2. Season 2 Finale (Johnny and Dora) - Mixture of happy and sad emotions. Loved Jake/Amy getting together, Holt having to leave the 99 was heartbreaking (Another one of my favorite Gina moments was her deciding to go with him).

3. Season 1 Finale (Charges and Specs) - Amy standing up to Holt for the first time, Holt and Jake trusting each other, and Jake confessing his feelings to Amy. This was the

All 3 of these are still on my  DVR, with The Party being the one I have watched the most.  The scene where Holt and Kevin open the bathroom door to find Jake, Terry, and Amy hiding in there with the dog (to which Amy is allergic) is absolute perfection.

[whateverhappened]

I forgot about this site for a little while but had to come back because I've become hopelessly obsessed with this show! You all have no idea how great it is to read this thread and see that I'm not alone. Let's put it this way: when my best friend recently commented that I seemed happier and in a better mood, I told her in all sincerity that it's due primarily to watching B99. I've hereby prescribed myself at least a few episodes per week even though I've seen them all three or four times already. 

Five favorite characters: Jake, Amy, Terry, Rosa, Holt, but the exact order changes depending on the episode.  

Favorite friendships: Jake/Rosa (weird choice for the top of this list, but whenever they team up it's so great comedically and usually sweet and revealing too), Jake/Boyle, Jake/Terry, Jake/Holt (so I may be a little obsessed with Jake), Amy/Rosa (but I want more of it, preferably without Gina around). I really like Rosa/Boyle too once Boyle got over her romantically. Basically I like nearly every combination of characters, though the Amy/Holt pairing can be a little repetitive and like others here I fluctuate between barely tolerating Gina and completely hating her. 

Favorite seasons in order: 3, 1, 2, 4. I love all of them, so this was painful!  

Most unpopular opinion: I really like Pimento and root for him and Rosa. I love Parks but think B99 is even funnier and with characters I love even a little more overall despite the presence of Gina. Also that Jake and Amy are nearly perfect and I have very few complaints about how they've been written either before or during their relationship. 

Favorite episodes: So many! How did you all pick? A few are Old School, Pontiac Bandit, The Party, The Pontiac Bandit Returns, Captain Peralta, The Oolong Slayer,  The Swedes, The 9-8, House Mouses, Cheddar, Coral Palms Part 1, Skyfire Cycle, The Last Ride. Those were just the ones that jumped out as ones I'd rewatch constantly without ever tiring of them. One pattern is that I don't love this show's season finales. They tend to stress me out.  

Wish list: Even more stories that focus on cases and crimes and, like someone said, satirizing the usual cop drama tropes. I agree with whoever said they love when B99 takes advatage of its unique niche that way rather than doing some of the same stories you'll find on any other workplace sitcom. Also that another bus hits Gina and this time either results in her permanent departure from the show or miraculously leaves her with a whole new personality. And that this show lasts at least two or three more seasons! 

Edited June 5, 2017 by whateverhappened

[AsYouWish]

I really can't wait for this show to return! Some disorganized opinions, unpopular and otherwise - 

I feel like this show gets better with every season. The fourth was my favorite of the series so far. 

Jake and Amy are fine, but I think I'm in the minority who feels like their chemistry is a little forced and awkward and that they don't seem to have as natural and deep a connection as couples like Leslie/Ben, April/Andy and Jim/Pam. They don't in any way make the show less enjoyable for me, but they don't really make it more enjoyable for me either. 

Even more unpopular is that I think Jake has a much more natural and interesting chemistry with Rosa :)

Gina is my least favorite, but I actually think she's gotten better. Either that, or I just became immune to her. I agree that the writers have to nix the storylines about Gina triumphing despite never trying, caring or deserving the win. 

I'm mixed about the show's humor. Sometimes I like that it's so silly, and other times it feels like dumb, immature people saying and doing dumb, immature things for 22 minutes. I love Jake Peralta and he might even be my favorite character, but the thing where he deliberately mispronounces words and just generally acts like a 12-year-old can get really annoying. And I love Terry, but every time he refers to himself in the third person I want to mute my TV. 

I like Amy, but I should love Amy and for some reason don't. Like someone else said, she's a grownup Hermione Granger in a lot of ways, and that type of character is usually my favorite. I don't know if it's the actress, the way they write her or if she's somehow been limited by being Jake's girlfriend, but I don't find Amy as lovable and interesting a character as I expected to when I first started watching the series. I warned you that many of my opinions are unpopular! :)

Jake/Boyle's friendship is so special and one of my favorite things about the show. 

I don't like any of the friendships among the female characters as much as I want to. I feel like the show could benefit from a "softer", warmer female character to balance out the super competitive Amy, tough and detached Rosa, and proudly nasty Gina. 

Quote

Wish list: Even more stories that focus on cases and crimes and, like someone said, satirizing the usual cop drama tropes. I agree with whoever said they love when B99 takes advatage of its unique niche that way rather than doing some of the same stories you'll find on any other workplace sitcom

Yes! I agree so much. That may be part of why I love Doug Judy so much. His presence allows for them to tweak the usual cop-criminal dynamics. 

It's strange how when I start writing these posts it's the criticisms that first jump to mind, but I really do love this show! Watching it just makes me so happy.

Edited September 10, 2017 by AsYouWish

[strongercoffee]

I know we're still in the midst of it, but S5 is already my favorite! It's such a perfect culmination of everything that makes this show such such a happy, heartwarming, hilarious modern masterpiece without the one element that dragged it down for me (aka Gina). 

Halloveen, Two Turkeys and 99 are probably three of my top five episodes of the series.

I liked Jake/Amy from the beginning, but as late to the party as this makes me, it's actually not until this season that I fell completely in love with them. (What can I say - I'm slow on the uptake, lol)

If I were to list my 15 favorite TV characters of all time, I honestly think that at least four or five of them would come from this show.

[Sandman]

On 9/18/2016 at 5:30 PM, DXD526 said:

"The Party" is an all-time favorite. So many great lines, including this, when Jake discovered Amy snooping in Holt's house:

So much love for that episode! I'm only into season 2, so it might be premature for me to declare absolute favourite -- but the introduction of Kevin ("Oh, look: He brought us some wine ... drink" ), about my love for which I've already posted, is priceless.

The episode does contain one awkward note for me: Not for nothing, but why would a professor of Classics be an expert on Beowulf? 

Also: I thought the Season 1 finale, "Charges and Specs," was brilliantly done.

Edited June 29, 2018 by Sandman

[Ailianna]

7 hours ago, Sandman said:

Not for nothing, but why would a professor of Classics be an expert on Beowulf? 

Because not every academic limits "classics" to just Greek and Roman.

Edited June 29, 2018 by Ailianna

[Sandman]

If you say so, but I would argue that most reckonings of Classical Antiquity don't include Anglo-Saxon literature.

Edited June 30, 2018 by Sandman

[Loandbehold]

On 6/29/2018 at 11:32 AM, Sandman said:

he episode does contain one awkward note for me: Not for nothing, but why would a professor of Classics be an expert on Beowulf? 

I took this to mean that Kevin, as any well-rounded person would do, has not only read, but mastered every piece of literature, both published and unpublished. 

[Sandman]

Heh. Kev's setting a high bar for well-rounded.

[jhlipton]

The single best change was having Boyle get over his pursuit of Rosa.

[possibilities]

I love that the show lets people have feelings and get over them like adults, and stay friends. Or have feelings and pursue them and not ruin their friendships.

[jhlipton]

14 hours ago, possibilities said:

I love that the show lets people have feelings and get over them like adults, and stay friends. Or have feelings and pursue them and not ruin their friendships.

YASSS!!!

[Lady Calypso]

Is this show even capable of having Worsts? 

Even their worst is better than a lot of other shows. For example, despite my least favourite character being Gina, I'd still take her over several other characters like her on different shows because of her genuinely good friendships with Jake and Boyle. 

15 hours ago, possibilities said:

I love that the show lets people have feelings and get over them like adults, and stay friends. Or have feelings and pursue them and not ruin their friendships.

So true. Boyle's crush on Rosa was so fleeting and they allowed both characters to progress past that arc and develop a truly deep friendship. On other shows, there'd still be a little tug toward "what if Rosa reciprocated his feelings a few seasons down the line?" but not here. They allowed Boyle to become a better version of himself, and that allowed for Rosa to open up to him about her sexuality and for him to openly embrace it as if he never had a crush on her several seasons earlier. 

[Loandbehold]

Boyle's a great example of allowing a character to grow while still remaining recognizable. I love that he idolizes Jake, but Jake still thinks of Charles as his best friend. Or that he can still go The Full Boyle, yet we continue to see that he's a good cop and not a buffoon when it comes to actually doing the job. I think how the Boyle character is handled is one of the better things the show has done.

[jhlipton]

3 hours ago, Loandbehold said:

Boyle's a great example of allowing a character to grow while still remaining recognizable. I love that he idolizes Jake, but Jake still thinks of Charles as his best friend. Or that he can still go The Full Boyle, yet we continue to see that he's a good cop and not a buffoon when it comes to actually doing the job. I think how the Boyle character is handled is one of the better things the show has done.

So true.  Even Hitchcock and Scully are treated with a light touch, and are given victories (like "unshredding" paper) from time to time.

[scrambled eggs]

I loved the way Hitchcock and Scully were used in Season 5, and I'm hopeful/excited to see more of that in Season 6. 

[Ceindreadh]

On 7/1/2019 at 10:51 PM, jhlipton said:

The single best change was having Boyle get over his pursuit of Rosa.

Now if only he could get over his creepy obsession with Jake and Amy. 

[pivot]

I am so happy this show is back. It remains the best comedy on television. I actually find it bizarre that this is from the same creators as Parks. I found Parks such a mean spirited show which is completely opposite of B99. On B99, they may tease each other but they also seem to like each other. The way the entire Parks cast treated Jerry was so mean that it ruined the show. Also, this show is better at being an actual ensemble. Parks was the Amy Pohler show to the detriment of the other characters. Lastly, all the characters are fully rounded on this show unlike Parks where they were just a list of cliches. 

The only bum note on this show is Gina. 

And the best episode of the show is the one where Jake and Kevin are in the safe house together.