S03.E11: Hostage Situation

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Charles and Genevieve want to take their relationship to a new level, but his ex-wife, Eleanor, steamrolls their plans. Meanwhile, Amy asks Terry to write a recommendation letter with disastrous results, and Holt and Rosa enlist Gina's help to solve a case.

[Inquisitionist]

Have we seen Eleanor before?

[Ms Blue Jay]

No, I do not believe we have ever seen Eleanor before, played by Kathryn Hahn.

 

Tunefind says that

 

- Captain Holt danced to Freak-A-Zoid by Midnight Star!!!!!!! 

- Jake was listening to Whole Lotta Rosie by AC/DC in the car

 

My favourite scene was Hitchcock negotiating with Jake.  I am crying!

 

What an episode!  I loved seeing Boyle so desperate he was willing to do something illegal.  I'd put my future children over getting arrested and going to prison too.  Plus, he's a cop!  Though it could screw up his career later on.....  

Edited January 6, 2016 by Ms Blue Jay

[possibilities]

I love that Jake advocated for DNA not being the basis of parenting.

[VCRTracking]

Holy crap, Boyle is right. Home Alone IS "Die Hard for kids"!

[snarktini]

The episode was ok, but I think it would be a lousy intro for anyone new checking it out because of the new night! Wonder if they tried to plan for that.

 

I always love how well they write Jake and Charles. And agree with possibilities about Jake's take on parenting. (It really bothers me IRL how many people won't even consider it. Adoption can be a really hard road so i get why people don't do it but when they reject it because they want "their" kid or none at all it makes me rage-y.)

 

On Amy's story, it jumped out at me she didn't say whether she wanted to be mentee or mentor and figured that would roll around. Both B plots were kinda meh.

[VCRTracking]

I admit to laughing really hard at poor Boyle getting repeatedly hit in the crotch in the flashback.

 

We finally meet Boyle's ex and Kathryn Hahn did not disappoint in the role. Eleanor is beyond awful and I loved finding how out much in that the person she hit with her car is first, 90 years old, then a priest and finally was sitting on a bench!

Edited January 6, 2016 by VCRTracking

[thuganomics85]

Wasn't a huge fan of this one.  As much as I love Kathryn Hahn, I feel like I understand now why some aren't fans of Wuntch, in that Eleanor was so awful, that there wasn't any humor in this conflict.  I just felt bad for Boyle, and even though the resolution of that being a parent is more then just DNA was decent (especially coming from Jake and pointing out his own awful dad), it still felt like she won on some levels, which left a sour taste in my mouth.  Still, I continue to love how loyal of a friend Jake is to Boyle, and is always there for him, and would do anything for him.  Well, except say "Boyle oil", which is totally understandable.

 

The Terry/Amy plot was pretty predictable, but watching Terry freaking out any time Amy got near him at the end, provided easy enough laughs.

 

At least the Holt/Rosa/Gina stuff didn't end with Gina magically solving the case herself, but Rosa doing it by bonding with the guy over how horrible Gina can be.

 

Loved that Holt's version of the "hard way", was informing suspects how tedious and frustrating the legal system can be.  Totally in character, especially since his mom is a judge, so he probably really knows a lot about how that stuff.

 

I wouldn't be against every episode having Holt randomly street dance.  Throw Terry in there and it would be the greatest episode ever!  Hell, I would actually watch one of those Step Up movies, if Andre Braugher and Terry Crews were in it.

[Mama No Life]

The only thing better than Holt dancing was Jake's reaction.

 

As always, Boyle and Jake are gold.  Jake actually called him best friend tonight....so sweet. Their relationship has evolved so much.  I thoroughly enjoyed their SL and laughed quite a bit. 

 

The Gina/Holt/Rosa thing wasn't as funny, but Holt's 180 from "let's see what she can do" to "get out of there Gina" in two seconds was amusing. As was "Gina culpa."  Bwahaha

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Dude, I'm totally with Holt. Drop down menus that you can't click on are THE WORST.

 

I was also with Jake on Siri interrupting a song just to tell him to continue going straight. Don't interrupt a perfectly good song unless you're giving me pertinent information, Siri!

 

Loved Holt dancing to diffuse the situation.

[dusang]

Dude, I'm totally with Holt. Drop down menus that you can't click on are THE WORST.

 

Is that a thing?  How can that possibly be a thing?

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Sadly, they are a thing on terrible websites. You can click on the thing to get the dropdown menu but then if you click on anything on the actual dropdown menu, nothing happens. Rage inducing!

[Maya]

I thought this episode was really bad. Very sitcom-y, not smart and subtle like it usually is. Getting hit in the crotch humor? Really??

[tennisgurl]

I HATE when my GPS interrupts songs just to tell me to keep going straight. Drives me up the wall. Jake, you speak for all of us. 

 

We can ALL bond over how much Gina can bug you. 

 

Eleanor is just as bad as I always pictured her as being. 

 

Jake saying how having someones DNA cant make them a real parent was wonderful. 

[Seelouis]

She once called me "Gina."   That's. Her. Own. Name

Hilarious

Edited January 6, 2016 by Seelouis

[NutmegsDad]

Wow. Eleanor makes the Vulture look like Charles and Wuntch look like Amy. High praise to Kathryn Hahn. At the end, I was hoping this would end up a crossover with "Gotham" and have Bullock and Gordon show up to 'persuade' Eleanor. (On the back side, if Barbara Kean showed up at the Nine-Nine....)

 

Amy/Terry was just a plot to have Terry freak out in pain. It served its purpose well.

 

Even the perps can't stand Gina! Rejoice!

[hoodooznoodooz]

Boyle should have known their marriage was doomed when she said, "I suppose," instead of "I do" at the wedding.

All volume, no sheen.

A window.

Didn't like the Terry subplot. Terry gaining weight in a previous episode and then Amy breaking his nose in this one. Too sitcom-y.

[iMonrey]

 

Dude, I'm totally with Holt. Drop down menus that you can't click on are THE WORST.

 

Holt's whole idea of "scaring" the perp with a litany of red tape he'd have to suffer through was hysterical. 

 

The thing I don't get is that the whole training exercise was meant to show how someone as small as Amy could take down someone as big as Terry, and she did. So he shouldn't have gotten mad about it. I mean, I get that he was pissed she broke his nose but what exactly was he expecting, that she'd be able to flip him over her shoulder or something? She must weight half of what he does. The point is, she took him down. 

[Traveller519]

Once again Rosa and the Captain steal the show with their sub plot, with a nice sprinkle of Gina being the worst to get them there.

 

Guys, figure out Amy ASAP. It seemed like we were moving her into a good spot of being ambitious, but not a suck up and being the mature adult, but she's backslid magnificently lately.

 

Ben Wyatt was so great because he had his little eccentricities that balanced out his straight-man persona. Amy's eccentricities have become really painful.

[peeayebee]

I admit to laughing really hard at poor Boyle getting repeatedly hit in the crotch in the flashback.

OMG, I had to pause the DVR I was laughing so hard. And I'm not one for this type of joke, but it cracked my shit up.

 

I liked this one. First off, the cold open was great. Not only did we get Holt dancing, but Charles and Jake were unable to video it. "Dancing over. Situation defused."

 

Loved Holt's idea of what "the hard way" is. 

 

I love Kathryn Hahn. She was excellent, as always. I noticed her awful hair right away, so I'm glad that turned out to be of some import. Eleanor, the destroyer of worlds. The photos of her and Charles were hilarious. Why the hell did she marry him? 

 

Jake: Eleanor.

Eleanor: Jake.

Charles: Charles.

Jake: You just said your own name.

Charles: It was the only one left.

 

So funny that Charles was suddenly excited that by having Jake's father be a donor, the baby would be Jake's brother.

[Texasmom1970]

Andre Braugher is sheer perfection as Holt. I say I cannot love his character anymore but with each episode prove myself wrong. Dancing to Freakazoid, love!

He deserves an award for his performance on this series!

[hoodooznoodooz]

OMG, I had to pause the DVR I was laughing so hard. And I'm not one for this type of joke, but it cracked my shit up.

 

I liked this one. First off, the cold open was great. Not only did we get Holt dancing, but Charles and Jake were unable to video it. "Dancing over. Situation defused."

 

Loved Holt's idea of what "the hard way" is. 

 

I love Kathryn Hahn. She was excellent, as always. I noticed her awful hair right away, so I'm glad that turned out to be of some import. Eleanor, the destroyer of worlds. The photos of her and Charles were hilarious. Why the hell did she marry him? 

 

Jake: Eleanor.

Eleanor: Jake.

Charles: Charles.

Jake: You just said your own name.

Charles: It was the only one left.

 

So funny that Charles was suddenly excited that by having Jake's father be a donor, the baby would be Jake's brother.

My DVR cut off after Yale University. Would you mind describing what was said with regard to Jake's father being a donor? Thank you in advance.

[jah1986]

My DVR cut off after Yale University. Would you mind describing what was said with regard to Jake's father being a donor? Thank you in advance.

There were pictures of possible donors and Jake said that one looks like my father, it is my father. He told Charles he could not use his father as a donor with clear panic in his eyes but Charles was already too psyched "my son will be your brother" or vice versa. You can see where this might go.

[iMonrey]

 

 

Andre Braugher is sheer perfection as Holt. I say I cannot love his character anymore but with each episode prove myself wrong. Dancing to Freakazoid, love!

He deserves an award for his performance on this series!

 

Word. He got nominated for an Emmy last season, but I think supporting actor/actress is a very competitive category and Braugher is hurt by the fact that Brooklyn 99 isn't a ratings powerhouse or a critical darling. That cast of Parks & Rec always got shafted for the same reason. 

[Rockstar99435]

The thing I don't get is that the whole training exercise was meant to show how someone as small as Amy could take down someone as big as Terry, and she did. So he shouldn't have gotten mad about it. I mean, I get that he was pissed she broke his nose but what exactly was he expecting, that she'd be able to flip him over her shoulder or something? She must weight half of what he does. The point is, she took him down. 

 

You're not supposed to actually hurt people when you are in a training exercise. You're supposed to pull your punches (or knees). There are some self-defense moves that can cause permanent damage so you go through the motions but you don't use your full strength unless your partner is wearing self-defense equipment.

 

There were so many great moments. Rosa telling the perp that Gina has "on multiple occasions" called her Gina's own name, Charles' agreeing in contract form that his ex-wife now "owns his dignity," Holtz dancing while Jake and Charles tried and failed to tape it, Jake pointing out that DNA does not make one a parent, Charles getting super excited about his possible kid being Jake's brother, the ex-wife saying "I suppose" at the wedding, etc. 

[Loandbehold]

I've been trying to figure out why I wasn't feeling Eleanor. I have really liked Kathryn Hahn in other roles, but she didn't seem to be enjoying herself as much as the other villains, like Wunstsch and the Vulture. And then it hit me, we didn't get any flashbacks. We saw why Wuntsch hates Holt and can understand the glee she takes in trying to ruin his career. We saw how he got the nickname The Vulture. In this episode, we really only heard about Eleanor's treatment of others. And, that was from others. We didn't get to see her say, "I suppose" at the wedding. We learned from Boyle that the old man was a priest and from the priest that he was sitting on a bench when the car hit him. Given how well the show does flashbacks, I would have liked to see Eleanor in them. 

 

I enjoyed the Rosa-Holt-Gina subplot and Holt dancing to diffuse the situation was great. I was only meh on Amy-Terry. Which made this episode below average for me.