S03.E13: The Cruise

[formerlyfreedom]

Jake and Amy are excited to go on their first real vacation together, but Amy’s perfectly planned cruise ship itinerary is thwarted when they discover an old adversary is on board with them. Meanwhile, Gina and Terry help Captain Holt survive a visit from his sister, Debbie, and Charles and Rosa vie for the same apartment.

 

[dusang]

Sneak peek:

 

 

Based on the promo linked above, I think this "different perspective" thing will end up being a non-issue.  But I choose to believe that Jake would have gotten equally (if not more so) involved in the activities as Amy.

[Danny Franks]

Also based on that first promo, they just decided not to give a shit about hiding Melissa Fumero's pregnancy. That's a fair enough direction to take, I guess. Though I doubt it'll work by the time they come to film the finale.

 

And yeah, there's no way Jake could just sit around a pool for a whole week. He has way too much energy and is way too easily distracted for that. If there weren't activities on the ship, he'd make up his own.

[bethy]

I think Jake is the kind of guy who THINKS he's going to like sitting by the pool eating shrimp, but when it comes down to it, actually hates it.

I really get a kick out of the Judy/Peralta dynamic. Everyone wants to be best friends with Jake, I guess.

Sweet moment of Holt building the forty to support his sister.

Also really liked the "I love you" exchange between Amy and Jake at the end. It was perfect for the two of them, I thought.

[CMH1981]

Holt had the best lines...

 

 

Fun?  I was never fun.  You take that back!

 

In response to Terry asking how his sister feels about ballon animals....

 

 

I'm sure she has a complicated relationship with them.

 

I also loved Gina turning her idea of showing the Captain's sister around the sites of NY to just being about Gina's errands she needs to run.

[thuganomics85]

The opening scene with Amy and Jake about the cruise pretty much went the way I figured it out.  Amy would totally be one of those people who would have every activity planned down to the minute, while Jake would be content with just laying around and eating shrimp all day.  I kind of imagine that is how they would be like for any vacation.  That said, I agree that Jake probably would get bored with that after too long, so I thought it was fitting that it ended with him deciding to do the activities with Amy.

 

Of course, that didn't end up being a big factor because of the return of Judy!  I was completely unspoiled going in for this episode, so I had no idea he was popping back up.  I still love him and the weird rivalry between him and Jake.  Especially all the times Jake briefly forgets about it and gets along with him.  They really could have been great friends in a different life... one, where Judy wasn't a criminal and keeps escaping.  Not surprised he did it again, but after his line about how he didn't want to die because he was only on the second season of Game of Thrones, I thought for sure Jake was going to get a form of revenge by yelling a spoiler at him or something.

 

Cool to see and hear more about Holt's family life.  Not surprised he has a younger sister, who is louder and more open then he is.  I did like how it was resolved and how he supported her, once he realized what was really going on.  I still want to meet his mother sometime.  Terry and Gina were used decently.  I cracked up over Terry's "There is a prison break!  And the mafia is at it again!" line, when they were trying to make it look like Holt was so busy.

 

Rosa and Boyle fighting for that apartment was one of the better throwaway C-plots.  Joe Lo Truglio and Stephanie Beatriz always crack me up.  Although, I had a feeling the landlord was going to be the killer.

 

Jake and Amy saying "I love you" to each other was a big step for them, but done in a way where I didn't find it eye-rolling, but kind of sweet.

[Kanner]

I just really like how this show knows its characters.  I feel like in all the scenarios it throws them in they are stll true to themselves.

[ClareWalks]

I like that they're not trying to hide Melissa Fumero's pregnancy too much. They had only one cliche'd pregnancy-hiding device (the giant tote bag), and it felt organic enough. It's often more distracting when they try too hard to hide a woman's stomach in every second of every scene.

[hendersonrocks]

I love Doug Judy so much. And I also love that they limit him to one special episode a year - it's just right.

 

Not as many laugh out loud moments as last week, but this was still a totally satisfying episode. Please be like this FOREVER, 99!

[peeayebee]

I loved this. All the plots were good.

 

Doug Judy is so great. Terrific character. Loved when he's singing his song "Rosa," but then it turns into giving directions to Peralta about where the killer is. Loved his talking about smooshing and "Don't be a tang in the mud."

 

Honestly, I don't even notice Melissa's pregnancy. Probably if I thought about it while watching I would notice, but it hasn't jumped out at me.

 

Niecy Nash is terrific. Loved her as Holt's sister. Loved the end when Holt built the fort for her, but I was disappointed we didn't get to hear him sing any Gershwin songs.

 

Charles and Rosa's story was fun too. My favorite part was when the guy told them he was going to rent to someone else, and Rosa glared and said, "I smiled at you. For WHAT?"

[tennisgurl]

LOVED this episode. Loved every sub plot and every use of character, just loved it so much, I want to take it to a widows salsa dancing class. 

 

The highlight was, of course, the return of Doug Judy. I really hope we keep seeing him once per season, and he keeps escaping until the series finale (which will be YEARS from now). I liked that there really was someone trying to kill him (I wasn't sure if he was telling the truth), and that he still honestly really likes Jake and considers him his friend, even though he`s a criminal and always betrays him in the end. Plus, he is clearly a Jake/Amy shipper, something I can certainly relate to. The "I Love You" were so sweet and in character. I just really love how they are writing them and their relationship. It just seems so natural. 

 

"I myself am a tax evader" 

 

"The mafia is at it again!" 

 

"I smiled at you! And for what?" 

[Primetimer]

They're the original odd couple!

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[iMonrey]

Holt trying to be a drama queen was hilarious. Also, Rosa's idea of "buttering up" the landlord was a dead-eyed stare followed by "Mint?"

[Rinaldo]

One of my favorite things about this episode is that they took the "failed trip" sitcom scenario (nicely skewered in this blog post), in which the cast goes on a trip but never gets there, or doesn't get to enjoy it, etc., and avoided the cliché. Yes, Jake and Amy got sidetracked for a day or so with Doug Judy, and I feared the worst. But then they got to settle down and enjoy the rest of the week in a snazzy suite, so they got their vacation after all.

 

This show is so good at taking well-worn premises and doing something new with them.

[Happytobehere]

Craig Robinson is always a awesome addition to any offering.

Niecey Nash makes everything better. Maybe Fox can sign her for something permanent. IMHO she was the best thing in the awful Scream Queens, and she played of off Andre Braugher beautifully.

The more I see Rosa, the more I love her.

Terry continues to be the quite cornerstone of the show.

[Danny Franks]

"Non-stop, totally scheduled fun" could, I'm sure, be the title of Amy's sextape.

 

I love Jake and Amy's relationship. It's sweet without being saccharine, and they so clearly enjoy each other's company as friends as well. Her doing all her research into cruises and cruise ships was adorable, and absolutely Amy. And she has a Magnum PI crush and moustache kink? Okay, fair enough. The "I love you" moment was done really well, and felt very natural to both characters. I'm so glad the show has (thus far) decided to avoid real drama in the Jake/Amy relationship. It doesn't need it.

 

Doug Judy is always a welcome return, and I really enjoy his mutual bromance/nemeses relationship with Jake as well. As someone else said, these two would be such great friends if one wasn't a criminal and the other a cop. Amy being the perplexed observer when they were bickering and being "an adorable couple" really just highlighted Melissa Fumero's comedy reactions. As did her increasingly dismayed reactions whenever Jake decided to stick even closer to Judy.

 

Also, "it's hard to find normal people who want to live on a boat". Now he says that, it makes so much sense. I'll look forward to seeing Judy again, and it's a fun running storyline that Jake can never catch him. You get similar stories in serious procedurals, but they always end up being about some evil serial killer, and the plots get more and more ridiculous. I feel like the show is gently poking fun at that sort of nonsense.

 

They played the reveal of Holt's sister really well. The initial, 'oh, Holt calling someone a drama queen, I bet she's just liable to raise her voice once or twice a month', and then we get his crazy sister asking him if he can even? Which... he cannot... even. I laughed out loud at "Fun? I was never fun, you take that back!" Holt trying to be a drama queen himself was amusing, 

 

Charles and Rosa's storyline was pretty wrote, as a sitcom plot. It still had some killer lines though, particularly about being in a "suck off". I guess that was the token, 'this show is about cops solving cases' C-plot.

[AbsoluteShower]

I do like the Doug Judy character and I'm glad they limit him to one episode a season, but I must confess I am growing slightly weary of Craig Robinson and his comedy piano stylings...

[axlmadonna]

"Non-stop, totally scheduled fun" could, I'm sure, be the title of Amy's sextape.

This! Nice one, Danny Franks, worthy of Peralta himself.

I came here to talk about Judy's awesomeness, but I was beaten to the punch. The only thing I would have added is showing Jake from Judy's perspective (when he's making his escape), yelling soundlessly and waving his fist in the air.

[Brandi Maxxxx]

"Non-stop, totally scheduled fun" could, I'm sure, be the title of Amy's sextape.

 

 

This! Nice one, Danny Franks, worthy of Peralta himself.

It's not insulting enough to be a "name of Amy's sex tape" joke though.

 

And I only just realized we haven't made any "I'm on a Boat" references.

[jhlipton]

Holt trying to be a drama queen was hilarious. Also, Rosa's idea of "buttering up" the landlord was a dead-eyed stare followed by "Mint?"

 

C'mon -- she smiled at him (used up one of her 7 per year)!  Does that count as nothing???????

 

 

"Non-stop, totally scheduled fun" could, I'm sure, be the title of Amy's sextape.

 

I agree that this is an awesome title.

[NoWillToResist]

This episode was totally fantastic.

 

Boyle being late to catch on to the double meaning of his suggested 'suck off' was so typical and perfectly delivered. Is it weird that I wanted the apartment to be a two bedroom set up so he and Rosa could be roomies? God, those two cohabiting would be gold.

 

Doug Judy is welcome any time. His affection for Jake and support of Jake/Amy, and his general hilariousness is always awesome.

 

Holt and the fort in his office was just adorable.

 

And Jake? Yeah, at the risk of sounding like a broken record, Andy Samberg nails those romantic looks/reactions. His facial expressions after Amy said she loved him? Ugh. Kill me now. In three seconds he went from "what?" to "no way" to "oh my god" to "I can't believe this" to "this is everything I ever wanted" to "say something back, idiot!" and then delivered his own ILY with such honesty, earnestness and seriousness that I melted. Kudos, sir.

[Valerie]

I love that the salsa dancing was a little nod to the first big 'Jamy' scene we had in the Season 1 finale.