S04.E15: The Last Ride

[formerlyfreedom]

In what could be their last case as partners, Jake and Charles go to great extremes to apprehend a local bike thief. Terry shockingly isn’t in the lead for “Mr. Nine-Nine” (the detective who has solved the most cases), leaving Rosa determined to boost his ego. Meanwhile, Amy spends some precious time with Holt.

[betweenthebanter]

I think this was one of the best episodes of this season. The Terry/Rosa, Jake/Boyle, and Amy/Holt storylines all got me emotional. Even though I knew that there was no way that the precinct was being shut down, this episode worked so well because it really highlighted what the show does best through showing how much these characters care about each other.

I was as excited as Amy was, when finding out that Holt had made binders to mentor her with over the years. Since season three, I feel that there hasn't been as much Amy/Holt interaction. I'm glad that they picked their storyline back up tonight, and I hope that we continue to get more interaction between them going forward.

Gina being annoying throughout an episode and being the hero/proven right in the end is unfortunately a plot that the writers love using too much. It wasn't as bad here as it is in other episodes because this time the solution just fell into her hands,  rather than her being depicted as smarter than everyone else.

Also, I laughed at Hitchcock a lot more than I normally do.

Edited April 26, 2017 by betweenthebanter

[Dots And Stripes]

This felt a little like a season finale. 

Holt mentoring Amy felt very Ron Swonson-esq. Not that it was advice Ron would have given, but he had lots of opportunities to give very terse advice like that. The sight gag of Amy typing was pretty good. I hope this introduces a new twist to their dynmic. It feels like this should have come long term consequences now that Amy knows Holt cares and she knows his likes/dislikes.

[bistor]

2 hours ago, Dots And Stripes said:

This felt a little like a season finale. 

 

I really thought it was the finale while watching the episode, even though I clearly knew nothing would happen to the precinct.

 

Great episode, and I loved the Holt/Amy scenes, even though he hurt me with his comment on Banff!

[Mama No Life]

Lots of lol moments tonight, none more so than when Terry was annoyed with Hitchcock's tattoo......THAT'S JUST A SUICIDE MAN!  

Chip Rockets was awesome tonight.....adapting ice skating movie dialogue for the hardwood.  Never change Charles.

Gina, as usual, bugged...I wonder if they know we don't find Gina as funny as they find Chelsea.  It didn't ruin the episode but surely wasn't a highlight.  

[Trillium]

5 hours ago, bistor said:

I really thought it was the finale while watching the episode, even though I clearly knew nothing would happen to the precinct.

 

Great episode, and I loved the Holt/Amy scenes, even though he hurt me with his comment on Banff!

I did an Amyesque audible gasp when he said that. Banff is on my travel bucket list. 

I thought it was one of the best ones, especially since the hiatus. I usually don't mind Gina, but the "Gina's the hero" things is getting old. At least the reason her followers wanted to save the 99 was for actual good police reasons and not them wanting to keep seeing Gina prank them. 

[ClareWalks]

My only regret is that I will probably not have an opportunity to exclaim "thanks for the heroin, Hunky Jesus" in real life.

[AnnaRose]

2 hours ago, Mama No Life said:

Gina, as usual, bugged...I wonder if they know we don't find Gina as funny as they find Chelsea.  It didn't ruin the episode but surely wasn't a highlight.  

I usually don't mind Gina, but she really annoyed me this episode.  I loved the rest of it though.

[Machiabelly]

G Hive sounded like Jihad every time she said it

[NutmegsDad]

8 hours ago, bistor said:

11 hours ago, Dots And Stripes said:

This felt a little like a season finale. 

 

I really thought it was the finale while watching the episode, even though I clearly knew nothing would happen to the precinct.

I got more than a little nervous and looked at it was a SERIES Finale (with one eye on the Cancellation Bear). It got very meta about the stuff they wouldn't be able to do. Gina saving the day (again) by saying the online fans swarmed the meeting to save the precinct made me wonder how much on the bubble the show is, and how meta that comment is.

[tennisgurl]

I knew, in my head, that the 99 obviously wasn't going to get shut down and they would get saved at the last minute, but my heart was still hurting in every subplot. I actually started tearing up a little when Jake and Charles were in the car trying to hide their feelings behind their binoculars. I loved the character interaction, and how the show committed to established relationships, and showing real emotions and connections, while still throwing out lots of laughs and jokes.

I let out the same squeeee that Amy did when Holt pulled out his mentorship binder for Amy. Its her dream come true! I would totally listen to a podcast by Captain Holt telling us how to best live our lives, but I suppose we have to be specially selected for such a privilege. There are multiple binders! Also loved how hot Amy found Jake doing the right thing as a cop. Even when they don't spend much time together, Jake and Amy are The Best.

Gina was super annoying this episode. I'm usually one who is either positive or neutral on Gina, but she was an enormous pain this whole episode. Yeah her annoying live stream saved the day, and that was a decent way to solve the problem, but did she have to have her annoyance level up to 11 every time we saw her?

Love how the worst guy in the bike gang was still a million times better at racing then Jake, and how Jake found himself getting invested in the guys struggles. "I shouldn't have engaged, it got too real". Jake is such a nice guy, he's even usually pretty nice to criminals he arrested. Like when it flashed back to him being really proud of throwing the chair during interrogation of Hunk Jesus, then being like "He was actually really helpful I felt bad".

[openwindow]

This was one of the only B99 episodes I caught this season, so maybe I would have appreciated it more if I had been watching the rest of the season in order. As it is, I was just kind of "eh." B99's humor, like Parks', tends to be a little too silly for me. I see why people love it, but it's just not the type of humor that usually clicks for me. I usually love more clever, sharp humor than we get from Mike Schur's post-Office shows. Jake and Amy...another unpopular "eh" from me. I have no complaints about them, but their relationship never felt really natural to me and I haven't been able to feel invested in them.

And Gina is still the worst. Not just the worst character on this show, but one of the worst characters I've seen on any show. I'm used to not liking one or two charcters on my shows and still loving the overall show anyway, but Gina is enough to ruin B99 for me. Mike Schur loves this sort of character: mean for no reason, lazy, rude, ungrateful and arrogant but loved by everyone anyway, always wins and triumphs without even trying, supposed to be funny but really isn't, and is usually proven to know more than everyone else. It was April on Parks and Gina on this show, and the one nice thing I can say about Gina is that she's so unbelievably terrible that it made me soften my stance on April, who isn't nearly as bad by comparison.     

I love the idea of this show and a couple of the characters, but I just can't love it no matter how much I want to. Maybe I'd feel differently if Gina disappeared forever. 

[peeayebee]

14 hours ago, betweenthebanter said:

Gina being annoying throughout an episode and being the hero/proven right in the end is unfortunately a plot that the writers love using too much.

Yeah, I agree. I like when they humanize her more. Or I guess I mean, make her more sympathetic. One thing that would have done this, for me, is if she were still wearing the halo contraption. Honestly, I don't know why they didn't continue that hilarious sight gag for a few eps. Just having Gina bump into door frames and furniture in the background would have been great.

Seeing Gina with her camera while Holt gave his speech led me to the realization that her followers would save the day.

 

12 hours ago, Dots And Stripes said:

The sight gag of Amy typing was pretty good.

This is a pet peeve of mine, that some characters on TV use the stenograph machine like a typewriter. It's different and looks different.

[biakbiak]

I guess this shows Cheslea to be accurate she said the folks had no idea that she was pregnant when they filmed the bus scene.

[jessro92]

Quote

And Gina is still the worst. Not just the worst character on this show, but one of the worst characters I've seen on any show. I'm used to not liking one or two charcters on my shows and still loving the overall show anyway, but Gina is enough to ruin B99 for me. Mike Schur loves this sort of character: mean for no reason, lazy, rude, ungrateful and arrogant but loved by everyone anyway, always wins and triumphs without even trying, supposed to be funny but really isn't, and is usually proven to know more than everyone else. It was April on Parks and Gina on this show, and the one nice thing I can say about Gina is that she's so unbelievably terrible that it made me soften my stance on April, who isn't nearly as bad by comparison. 

I so agree with this! April was just like Gina but what actually made me soften towards April and go from "dislike" to "tolerate" was her relationship with Andy. It humanized her. Gina doesn't have that. She's just awful and clearly the writers love her because they enjoy making her right about so many things and saving the day. I would've liked this episode so much more if Gina had just been lifted right out. I was hoping the bus incident meant Gina would be in the hospital recovering for the rest of the season while Chelsea Peretti went on maternity leave, but I guess I'm not that lucky.

[Traveller519]

10 hours ago, bistor said:

I really thought it was the finale while watching the episode, even though I clearly knew nothing would happen to the precinct.

 

Great episode, and I loved the Holt/Amy scenes, even though he hurt me with his comment on Banff!

As someone who has Banff squarely in his backyard, I can tell you that this is one area where Holt is wrong. It may have its issues (congestion in the core areas in the summer, cold in the winter, but both of those are easily mitigated), but it's beauty and the surrounding area is undeniable. And with the recent beating our currency has taken, it's pretty affordable!

At any rate, I LOVED this episode. The visual comedy was great. I loved that they never mentioned that Amy was using a stenographer's device, it was just there to emphasize her character. Any written joke would have taken away from it. Hitchcock's story made me laugh non-stop. From Terry's comment about the 80s basically being the Purge in New York, to the tattoo, to the finger guns, to the bathroom arrest. Mr. 99 indeed!

I also thought that G-hive sounded like G-had the first time I heard it, which I thought would be totally on point for Gina.

I'm guessing S'd in the B, was the PG-ing of F'd in the A, for television. Needing to PG the abbreviations was funny in it's own right.

[iMonrey]

Quote

"Gina's the hero" things is getting old.

Agreed. That was a real groaner. Otherwise the episode was solid. My favorite bits:

Holt: "This is where we stand, vis a vis the 99 being shut down." Leafs through several pages. "The 99 is being shut down."

Amy: "There's a reason I was number one in the stenographer's club." Holt: "Is it because you were the only member?" (pause) Amy: "yes."

Holt: "When people say 'What's up" it means they are not people worth talking to."

Edited April 26, 2017 by iMonrey

[VCRTracking]

"Thanks for the heroin "Hunky Jesus"!

I've never seen Andy Samburg's movie Hot Rod but now I might just to see how good(or bad) his BMX skills really are.

Great that Charles came up with the cool name for once "Bullet Tornado" over Jake's "Man Sprinkler".

Poor Amy being the only member of her Stenographer's Club. I would have joined!

Loved Jake and Charles hiding their crying behind binoculars.

I loved Rosa telling Terry how he not only solved his cases but helped the other detectives solve theirs.

I'm still laughing over Hitchcock's tattoo.

If Gina had put something else in people's drink, like something gross I would hate it but cement is so OTT and silly I found it funny. (sings) "You just drank cement!"

Yeah, her being the hero again was kind of annoying. I think it's supposed to excuse her being terrible most of the time. It's supposed to be an in-universe explanation on why the other characters put up with her because she does come through for the squad sometimes.

2 hours ago, jessro92 said:

I so agree with this! April was just like Gina but what actually made me soften towards April and go from "dislike" to "tolerate" was her relationship with Andy. It humanized her. Gina doesn't have that. She's just awful and clearly the writers love her because they enjoy making her right about so many things and saving the day. I would've liked this episode so much more if Gina had just been lifted right out. I was hoping the bus incident meant Gina would be in the hospital recovering for the rest of the season while Chelsea Peretti went on maternity leave, but I guess I'm not that lucky.

The difference also is for one thing, April has shown underneath that nasty exterior she cares about the other characters and has helped them secretly and the second thing is, April is capable of being insecure. That's where her hostility towards Ann, who was Andy's ex stems from. That's something I can relate to. Gina meanwhile is full of confidence in herself. Almost too much. And a lot of it unwarranted. I can find her delusion in how awesome she is funny but when she's mean without being provoked that's when I dislike her.

Edited April 26, 2017 by VCRTracking

[Driad]

Quote

Yeah, [Gina] being the hero again was kind of annoying. I think it's supposed to excuse her being terrible most of the time. It's supposed to be an in-universe explanation on why the other characters put up with her because she does come through for the squad sometimes.

Didn't work on Star Trek: Next Generation.  Let's hear it, everyone: "Shut up, Wesley!"

[ClareWalks]

I liked Gina when Jake was trying to buy his apartment and it turned out that she was super intelligent about money. It's nice when she can occasionally surprise us with her competence. But yeah, with the whole "you're drinking cement! I'm putting this online," it was annoying. She is what middle-aged folks are talking about when they talk about those damn millennials.

[AnnaRose]

8 hours ago, openwindow said:

This was one of the only B99 episodes I caught this season...   Jake and Amy...another unpopular "eh" from me. I have no complaints about them, but their relationship never felt really natural to me and I haven't been able to feel invested in them.

And Gina is still the worst. Not just the worst character on this show, but one of the worst characters I've seen on any show. I'm used to not liking one or two charcters on my shows and still loving the overall show anyway, but Gina is enough to ruin B99 for me. Mike Schur loves this sort of character: mean for no reason, lazy, rude, ungrateful and arrogant but loved by everyone anyway, always wins and triumphs without even trying, supposed to be funny but really isn't, and is usually proven to know more than everyone else. It was April on Parks and Gina on this show, and the one nice thing I can say about Gina is that she's so unbelievably terrible that it made me soften my stance on April, who isn't nearly as bad by comparison.    

April ruined Parks and Rec for me.  Most of the time I find Gina much less annoying.  (Except last night's episode, in which she was the worst!)  I think it helps that the show generally recognizes her extreme narcissism though.  Whereas, with April, it seemed like the show and all the other characters really thought she was great.

As for Jake and Amy... you missed a lot of great stuff in the other fourteen episodes this season.  This show has handled their relationship incredibly well.

[Mama No Life]

There are so many pearls of wisdom from Holt last night. 

I enjoyed the depiction of the only two ways to sleep properly (both on the back, of course). 

Proper handshake--down once, up once, separate

What was the best kind of collar?  English what?

[thuganomics85]

Liked the majority of the episode, but Gina being a Grade A asshole and still end up being the "hero" and saving the Nine Nine, really soured the episode for me.  While I really think the writers love every character on this show and do them justice, it is stuff like this that just makes me think Gina is their favorite, and I can't see why.  And it's not because she can be a jerk, because there were several mean characters in other comedies that I enjoyed in the past (April from Parks and Recs, Dr. Cox from Scrubs, hell, Eleanor from The Good Place), but I don't feel like they show any different side to her, that I can relate to.  And, again, a lot of it is just it feels so one-sided.  If other characters were giving it back to her, it would be fine, but she always tends to come out on top.   

Still, everything else was pretty enjoyable.  Enjoyed Jake and Boyle teaming up for "one final mission", and how they ended up willing to keep the case going and possibly allow the Nine Nine to get shutdown, in order to land the true kingpin.  Amy and Holt are always a treasure, and they were no exception here.  The Terry and Rosa stuff was the highlight though.  I like how much Rosa truly respects Terry for everything he's done for her and the Nine Nine.  And, hey, now that the Nine Nine is safe, he still has a chance to take down Hitchcock!

Favorite line was Rosa's "This is your fault!" to Amy, after finding out Jake was going to let the Nine Nine get shutdown, in order to "do the right thing." 

I wonder how many binders Hold actually has to mentor Amy?

[ItCouldBeWorse]

1 hour ago, Mama No Life said:

What was the best kind of collar?  English what?

English spread.

[VCRTracking]

4 hours ago, thuganomics85 said:

Liked the majority of the episode, but Gina being a Grade A asshole and still end up being the "hero" and saving the Nine Nine, really soured the episode for me.  While I really think the writers love every character on this show and do them justice, it is stuff like this that just makes me think Gina is their favorite, and I can't see why.  And it's not because she can be a jerk, because there were several mean characters in other comedies that I enjoyed in the past (April from Parks and Recs, Dr. Cox from Scrubs, hell, Eleanor from The Good Place), but I don't feel like they show any different side to her, that I can relate to.  And, again, a lot of it is just it feels so one-sided.  If other characters were giving it back to her, it would be fine, but she always tends to come out on top.   

I think the fact that they're cops makes me less worried about their feelings. If they were just working at a regular office but these are people who are in a dangerous profession, so Gina being a dick occasionally shouldn't be the worst thing in their day.

8 hours ago, AnnaRose said:

April ruined Parks and Rec for me.  Most of the time I find Gina much less annoying.  (Except last night's episode, in which she was the worst!)  I think it helps that the show generally recognizes her extreme narcissism though.  Whereas, with April, it seemed like the show and all the other characters really thought she was great.

Leslie, Ron, Ben and Chris were older and thought of themselves as mentors with wisdom to impart to her. I don't think they thought she was "great", more that they didn't write her off because of her attitude. Leslie especially likes a challenge.

Edited April 27, 2017 by VCRTracking

[iMonrey]

Quote

What was the best kind of collar?  English what?

He said "English of course, but let's save the questions for afterwards."

[Inquisitionist]

On ‎4‎/‎26‎/‎2017 at 1:44 PM, VCRTracking said:

If Gina had put something else in people's drink, like something gross I would hate it but cement is so OTT and silly I found it funny. (sings) "You just drank cement!"

It wasn't until the 3rd or 4th incident that I understood her to be saying cement.  At one point, I thought it was miso.  Man, I need to use the closed-captioning!  And totally agree with this:

On ‎4‎/‎26‎/‎2017 at 6:02 PM, AnnaRose said:

As for Jake and Amy... you missed a lot of great stuff in the other fourteen episodes this season.  This show has handled their relationship incredibly well.

Edited April 29, 2017 by Inquisitionist

[peeayebee]

I also couldn't understand that she was saying cement. I think it was only until I read a review that I discovered what people were drinking.

[VCRTracking]

Gina reminds me a lot more of Tom Haverford and Donna from Parks and Rec with her obsession with what's hip and trendy and social media. The difference is Tom actually finds a way to make that all help him at his job in the department and Donna's doesn't let it interfere with her work(I still don't know what that is). To put it another way, while Tom and Donna just have a "Treat Yo' Self" day they set aside for themselves once a year, for Gina, EVERYDAY is "Treat Yo' Self" day!

Edited April 29, 2017 by VCRTracking

[Brandi Maxxxx]

22 minutes ago, VCRTracking said:

Gina reminds me a lot more of Tom Haverford and Donna from Parks and Rec with her obsession with what's hip and trendy and social media. The difference is Tom actually finds a way to make that all help him at his job in the department and Donna's doesn't let it interfere with her work(I still don't know what that is). To put it another way, while Tom and Donna just have a "Treat Yo' Self" day they set aside for themselves once a year, for Gina, EVERYDAY is "Treat Yo' Self" day!

I agree that Gina is closer to those two (Tom especially) than to April, but she's missing a key component of the Treat Yo Self experience: extravagant spending.

[VCRTracking]

10 hours ago, Brandi Maxxxx said:

I agree that Gina is closer to those two (Tom especially) than to April, but she's missing a key component of the Treat Yo Self experience: extravagant spending.

Which is why it's only once a year!

Moving on I like both but out of the two Hitchcock and Scully, Hitchcock is my favorite. He's just a bit smarter but still an idiot!

[AnnieBeez]

Gina was just so obnoxious. I just kept thinking, "how old is she?" I don't know why anyone would find her entertaining. But, I'm old. There are many things I just don't get. 
 

[peeayebee]

10 hours ago, VCRTracking said:

Moving on I like both but out of the two Hitchcock and Scully, Hitchcock is my favorite. He's just a bit smarter but still an idiot!

I don't know what's wrong with me -- I used to know the difference betw them, but now I'm back to not knowing who's who. :( Gimme a mnemonic!

[VCRTracking]

Hitchcock is bald like Alfred Hitchcock. He's played by Dirk Blocker(son of Dan Blocker on Bonanza) and I remember him from an episode of Little House on the Prairie.

Edited April 30, 2017 by VCRTracking

[AnnaRose]

10 hours ago, peeayebee said:

I don't know what's wrong with me -- I used to know the difference betw them, but now I'm back to not knowing who's who. :( Gimme a mnemonic!

Okay, this is probably kind of dumb... but I remember who Scully is because, especially with his haircut, he kind of has a square head... so I can easily know he's SKULLy.   It works for me, anyway.

[Kel Varnsen]

On 26/04/2017 at 10:14 AM, NutmegsDad said:

I got more than a little nervous and looked at it was a SERIES Finale (with one eye on the Cancellation Bear). It got very meta about the stuff they wouldn't be able to do. Gina saving the day (again) by saying the online fans swarmed the meeting to save the precinct made me wonder how much on the bubble the show is, and how meta that comment is.

Kind of interesting, the series finale of Parks and Recreation had a very similar  title of "One Last Ride".

Edited May 1, 2017 by Kel Varnsen

[peeayebee]

On 4/30/2017 at 9:04 AM, VCRTracking said:

Hitchcock is bald like Alfred Hitchcock. 

That should work. Thanks.

 

On 4/30/2017 at 5:37 PM, AnnaRose said:

Okay, this is probably kind of dumb... but I remember who Scully is because, especially with his haircut, he kind of has a square head... so I can easily know he's SKULLy.   It works for me, anyway.

No offense, but that cracks me up. Whatever works, right?

[AnnieBeez]

On 4/30/2017 at 5:37 PM, AnnaRose said:

Okay, this is probably kind of dumb... but I remember who Scully is because, especially with his haircut, he kind of has a square head... so I can easily know he's SKULLy.   It works for me, anyway.

I use Monsters, Inc. as a guide. Sully is the tall one. ;)  

Re: show  I thought the crying behind the binoculars was sweet and funny. Mike Schur knows where that line is. I wish he'd find a line for Gina, though. She's too much. 

[jhlipton]

On 4/26/2017 at 7:39 AM, ClareWalks said:

My only regret is that I will probably not have an opportunity to exclaim "thanks for the heroin, Hunky Jesus" in real life.

Never say never!!!