S05.E03: Kickz

[formerlyfreedom]

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Now that he's officially back at the precinct and desperate to solve a real case, Jake finds a loophole to get out of his temporarily designated desk duty. Unfortunately, that loophole rests on his ability to pass an official evaluation performed by Holt. While Charles provides Jake with moral support, Terry and Amy help Rosa, who believes Pimento may be cheating on her.

[WritinMan]

Well, this episode was freakin' hilarious. I just about hurt myself laughing so hard a couple times.

"Potato, tomato."

I am so gonna start using this.

[Dots And Stripes]

It was a nice choice to have Jake affected by his wrongful incarceration. I also liked that the Chief saw it as a strength that Jake would ask himself what if the guy was innocent. 

[Jeddah]

There were so many great parts of this episode. Terry had some great lines tonight: “Women be sane!” I liked the squat-five and humble-five. But Pimento hopscotching made me laugh the hardest.

Jake looked so sad when he said he was going to cry in the bathroom. This show is so goofy, but it can still be so poignant. I did wonder why Amy wasn’t worried about Jake’s evaluation. It seems like she would have been all about making sure he passed.

[TheOtherOne]

THE SHOW'S FINALLY BACK!!!! Hooray!!!!!

Sorry, but after being unable to get through the past two episodes, and hating the finale and cliffhanger, it was so wonderful to have the show back to basics. The first Peralta-Holt scene alone--oh my God. Every line was on fire--murder of an uncle! Prison real bad! You just said, prison real bad. Rosa's due diligence before jumping off a cliff. So rapid-fire. So good.

Loved this. Looooooooooved. The show's back!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Dots And Stripes]

33 minutes ago, Jeddah said:

There were so many great parts of this episode. Terry had some great lines tonight: “Women be sane!” I liked the squat-five and humble-five. But Pimento hopscotching made me laugh the hardest.

Jake looked so sad when he said he was going to cry in the bathroom. This show is so goofy, but it can still be so poignant. I did wonder why Amy wasn’t worried about Jake’s evaluation. It seems like she would have been all about making sure he passed.

Good point about Amy although that does bring up the point that Jake should not have passed. I liked Chief realizing that Jake's perspective could be a net positive, but he let a suspect go because he said "I'm innocent." Clearly Jake wasn't yet at the point where he could use his experience without being thrown off. 

[hoodooznoodooz]

So who repaired the wall of the sneaker storage room?

[Whimsy]

2 hours ago, hoodooznoodooz said:

So who repaired the wall of the sneaker storage room?

I was also wondering that.

[bethy]

Oh, Jake.

[tennisgurl]

I really love that they decided to show how much Jake had been affected by going to prison. One of the reasons I love this show so much is because, while its hilarious and wacky, it also takes its characters and their feelings seriously, and knows when to stop joking and be serious, like when Holt told Jake how he thought this experience could actually make him a better detective. Then goes back to the laughs "give us a hug Charles we know your there". 

[Danny Franks]

So good. How is this not the highest rated comedy on television? I'm definitely using "potato, tomato" in conversation.

I do like the effort Jake puts into things, not only for his own amusement, but for the rest of the squad as well. Freedom Feast 2017 looked pretty great to me (although not as great as sex with Amy, I imagine). I also like that Jake actually was affected by his time in jail, and that it isn't just erased, now that storyline is over. And that it's consistently in character for Jake to dive headfirst into work to avoid his own problems. I wasn't expecting the show to take the approach of Jake worrying about wrongly imprisoning someone. Very cool.

"I wish every cop had a voice in his head asking, 'what if he's innocent.'" Oof.

The loophole high-five was "highly inappropriate" and I'm fairly sure I shared Holt's expression while watching it. There was an unusually high amount of high-fiving and squatting in this episode.

Sneaker heads is a thing I don't really get. Yes, I have a couple of pairs of trainers (as we call them in the UK), because they're comfy and convenient. No, I didn't pay a stupid amount for them, nor are they limited edition and designed by rap stars. They're just... trainers. People get obsessed over the oddest things. But I did like the show poking fun at that. "They're dress sneakers! You're not supposed to run in them!"

And I loved Jake shouting "Ha-do-ken" and 'fireballing' the wall in the sewer. And a Mallrats reference. Jake was bringing the 90s stuff, in this episode.

Terry being full on supportive friend to Rosa, and Amy being the voice of reason made sense. The writers of this show just effortlessly get the characters, now. Amy saying "I think you do know what to do" because it's the safest way to give Rosa advice? Brilliant.

The whole Pimento character is just not funny. It's supposed to be weird, but it's utterly predictable because this shit is all Jason Mantzoukas ever does. Thank god, Rosa finally dumped him. Please never come back.

[iMonrey]

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 I did wonder why Amy wasn’t worried about Jake’s evaluation. It seems like she would have been all about making sure he passed.

I'm happy to see that the show seems to be making a concerted effort not to emphasize Jake and Amy's relationship, because once you pair up a couple of main characters like that, it can really ruin a show. (See: New Girl.) Jake usually spends the entire episode with some other character like Charles or Rosa while Amy is paired with Terry or Gina. It's an obvious directive to not make it "the Jake and Amy show."

I still want to know what happened with Charles' hair (it was suddenly back to normal this week). 

The squatting thing cracked me up - Holt squatting down for no apparent reason.

So glad they got rid of Pimento.

[Traveller519]

"To sex with Amy!!"

Charles' hair was more normal, but still did look a little off. Maybe a bit over-styled, cause he was happy his buddy was back?

I liked how the show addressed Jake's return from jail. The show can constantly manage the serious storylines with levity thanks to the performances of its cast. I'll appreciate if Jake's adjustment takes time while not being a central part of every story, though I acknowledge that's tough to accomplish in a half hour every week.

[Brandi Maxxxx]

1 hour ago, Danny Franks said:

And I loved Jake shouting "Ha-do-ken" and 'fireballing' the wall in the sewer. And a Mallrats reference. Jake was bringing the 90s stuff, in this episode.

He didn't talk about the Turtles though. Prison really has changed him.

[thuganomics85]

Loved the opening act and how Jake not only rounded up all the food he had missed during his time in prison, but actually made it a feast with the rest of the squad, which is cool of him.  Although I did notice Holt wasn't there, but I can just chalk that up to him being busy (or Andre Braugher wasn't available for that particular scene.)

While I enjoyed the first two episodes, it was nice seeing everything back at the Nine-Nine again.  I'm glad that Jake's time in prison isn't going to get pushed aside, and he does have issues over it.  But while he did jump the gun with releasing the initial suspect too quickly, like with Holt, I agree that it isn't a bad thing that it is making him more cautious as a detective.  Hopefully he'll learn to not just automatically doubt himself, and will learn how to use this to his advantage.  And I like that he is still a good cop through and through.  Jake and Boyle are always a fun team.

Rosa's stuff was Pimento was solid, which is saying something since I'm a big fan of his.  Really loved Terry and Amy's involvement in it.  The more I hear about Terry's time in Japan, the more fascinating it gets.  And, of course, Amy is the only one who has a clear head about it, but doesn't hold it against them when the lash out a bit.  But I guess Pimento and Rosa are now done, although with a show like this, he'll probably show back in some form or another.

I wonder if they'll flash-forward again or have Jake remain at the desk for a few more episodes.  I actually enjoy seeing different pairings in the main case, and let Jake participate more with the hijinks at the squad room.  Of course, he would have to watch himself around Hitchcock and Scully....

[bmoore4026]

A lot of police shows don't delve into the trauma a cop might have gone through in prison, especially if they rejoin the force.  I'm glad this show is going to deal with the repercussions and turn such an irritating trope of "cop framed and sent to prison" on its ear.

[AsYouWish]

Can I just vent to you all for one quick minute?! I love this show, but one frequently recurring joke I wish they'd retire: Jake delibertely mispronouncing/changing the vowels of words (for example, nice - noice, smart = smort). It feels like such annoying, stupid, lazy humor. Hearing an adult say certain words in a dopey way for no apparent reason might have been funny to me when I was five, but not now. I'm a huge Jake fan, but whenever he does that, I feel like muting my TV.  I get that the show prefers silly, random goofiness to more clever wit (which I don't really mind when I just need to smile, though it's the main reason some people I know claim they can't get into the show).  Some of that silliness works really well for me, but something about this one thing just really grates on my nerves. 

On a more positive note, I love how they handled the Rosa/Pimento storyline and how he wasn't actually cheating but nonetheless moving in a direction that Rosa realized she didn't want to go in. I always forget how much I love Rosa, Amy and Terry working closely tgether until we get to see it again, and the Jake/Boyle friendship continues to be a true highlight of the show. And on an even MORE posiitve note: we still haven't had to deal with Gina and her nasty, unfunny idiocy, unearned wins and massive ego.  If only the show could keep it that way! 

Next week is the annual Halloween episode! Those always have some of the best plotting and fun twists, so I'm already excited.  

[wknt3]

This could be the greatest episode of the series yet. So many great lines, everybody got at least one great scene, no Gina, and the end of Pimento as regular character too? Bravo show. You have outdone yourself.

[peeayebee]

22 hours ago, WritinMan said:

"Potato, tomato."

I am so gonna start using this.

I seriously need to remember to use this. So many times I hear some phrase that I want to use, but I know people won't get it. I think "Potato tomato" is universal!

 

8 hours ago, iMonrey said:

I still want to know what happened with Charles' hair (it was suddenly back to normal this week).

I was wondering about that too. I can't remember what Charles said initially (in the first ep) about it.

Anyway, fantastic hilarious ep. I was LOLing so many times.

This rapid-fire scene with Jake, Charles, and Holt was so so great. I bet they had an amazing time doing it ----

Jake: Oh wait wait. What are you writing down? Sir? What are you writing down. Charles? What's he writing?
Charles: Write something good.
Jake: Write something good.
Charles: Write something good.
Jake: Sir, write something good.
Charles: Write something good.
Jake: No, just stop writing. We're gonna leave. We're gonna leave. Just stop writing.
Charles: Stop writing.
Jake: Unless it's good. Is it good?
Charles: Is it good?
Jake: We're gonna go. Sir?
Charles: Write something good.
Jake: Write something good.

Just so many hilarious bits.

Charles: … designed by Little Wayne.
Jake: Oh, it's LIL.
Charles: Oh like Lillian.
Jake: No.
Charles: Lillian Wayne, ok.

Holt's evaluating pants was so funny. They have the deep pockets and enough room to squat in.

Holt: Just ignore me. Unless you CAN'T.

Holt: Are you trying to squat a peek?

Jake throwing the pencil cracked me up. Holt's astounded face is the best ---

Jake: Sorry no sorry. It was just a stupid pencil.
Holt: It was a gift from my deceased father!
Jake: A pencil? Your dad gave pretty bad gifts. [chuckle] Although on the other hand all my dad ever gave me was abandonment issues. Potato tomato.

Jake: You might want to squat for this, Mr Evaluator.
Holt: I decide when squatting is necessary. [pan down as he squats] This was my choice.

Loved Pimento's scream montage – swords, boxing, hopscotch.

Jake: OK Charles, you can come hug us now! I know you're still there.
Charles: I never left.

Edited October 12, 2017 by peeayebee

[dusang]

3 hours ago, peeayebee said:

Jake: You might want to squat for this, Mr Evaluator.

Holt: I decide when squatting is necessary. [pan down as he squats] This was my choice.

I could talk at length exclusively about the awesomeness that is Andre Braugher.

[BrittaBot]

I need a GIF of Jake and Charles' "loophole" like STAT.

[DearEvette]

Lots of funny Jake and Boyle moments.  I love the Loop-Hole "high five" soooo inappropriate when viewed from the side.  Also the humble "high five" was cute.

Also the visual gag of "kindly raise your two liters" at Freedom Feast 2017 as everyone hefted their two litres of ghastly orange soda just made me giggle.

Love the call back to Terry in Japan ("Terry needed the Yen!).  I hope they continue to pepper the series with all the little revelations they just hinted at with Terry's colorful past.

Holt of course, was the MVP.  Andre Braugher is a gem.

[iMonrey]

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Loved the opening act and how Jake not only rounded up all the food he had missed during his time in prison, but actually made it a feast with the rest of the squad, which is cool of him. 

Not really considering how much of that food is going to go to waste. That was about ten times more food than the entire squad room could eat, and most of it won't keep (the fully prepared burgers, for example). And if you're thinking they could donate it to a shelter, think again. Even shelters don't want half-eaten food.

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I was wondering about that too. I can't remember what Charles said initially (in the first ep) about it.

He said his hair turned grey over worry when Jake went to prison but he dyed it, but it was the wrong color dye. And he thought it looked better that way. I don't know how it suddenly got back to normal. I wondered if maybe Joe Lo Truglio had done another part over the summer and shaved his head or something that needed to be covered with a wig.

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On a more positive note, I love how they handled the Rosa/Pimento storyline and how he wasn't actually cheating but nonetheless moving in a direction that Rosa realized she didn't want to go in. 

I thought she bought his story about the Spanish teacher a little too quickly considering she saw them kissing. I guess the fact that he was able to demonstrate a little Spanish convinced her but that doesn't rule out the possibility he was sleeping with his Spanish teacher.

[Bort]

6 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

I thought she bought his story about the Spanish teacher a little too quickly considering she saw them kissing.

It was a kiss on the cheek, which I had thought was a bit of a leap in the first place.

[ClareWalks]

2 hours ago, kariyaki said:

It was a kiss on the cheek, which I had thought was a bit of a leap in the first place.

Yeah, it was basically a peck on the cheek, which many cultures (not sure where she is from) do as a regular greeting.

[Rinaldo]

3 hours ago, iMonrey said:

That was about ten times more food than the entire squad room could eat, and most of it won't keep (the fully prepared burgers, for example).

Remember the vast number of offscreen/other-shifts precinct personnel, whom we never see. They have made a joke about it once or twice, that of the hundreds who must work there, somehow all our stories use the same half dozen or so, with others lurking just out of camera range. (Another way to put it is, we shouldn't apply too much, or the wrong kind of, realism to this.)

[wknt3]

3 hours ago, iMonrey said:

Not really considering how much of that food is going to go to waste. That was about ten times more food than the entire squad room could eat, and most of it won't keep (the fully prepared burgers, for example). And if you're thinking they could donate it to a shelter, think again. Even shelters don't want half-eaten food.

Hitchcock & Scully will make sure it all gets eaten!

[peeayebee]

And then go get a big flan.

[NutmegsDad]

On ‎10‎/‎10‎/‎2017 at 10:56 PM, Jeddah said:

Jake looked so sad when he said he was going to cry in the bathroom. This show is so goofy, but it can still be so poignant. I did wonder why Amy wasn’t worried about Jake’s evaluation. It seems like she would have been all about making sure he passed.

He was in one subplotline and she was in the other. They should have at least have her mention it.

I never had a horse in the "Gina Ruins Everything" Sweepstakes, but Chelsea's maternity leave has shown me that without Gina, there is a discernible positive difference in the story dynamic. This episode had just an A-Plot and B-Plot; with Gina, they needed an A, B, and C, and storytime that is diluted.

[Skyfall]

1 hour ago, NutmegsDad said:

He was in one subplotline and she was in the other. They should have at least have her mention it.

I never had a horse in the "Gina Ruins Everything" Sweepstakes, but Chelsea's maternity leave has shown me that without Gina, there is a discernible positive difference in the story dynamic. This episode had just an A-Plot and B-Plot; with Gina, they needed an A, B, and C, and storytime that is diluted.

Maybe ratings would be higher if Gina was never around from the start...wait we are talking about a Fox show...carry on.

[Silly Angel]

"They split the flan!"

Gawd, Amy.

[VCRTracking]

I'm glad they addressed that Jake's time in prison had in effect on him and that it wasn't just going to go away. Also related, as much as I'll miss Jason Mantzoukas as Pimento, it always kind of weird they treated his clear PTSD from his undercover work as a joke.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

On 10/11/2017 at 9:27 AM, Danny Franks said:

Sneaker heads is a thing I don't really get. Yes, I have a couple of pairs of trainers (as we call them in the UK), because they're comfy and convenient. No, I didn't pay a stupid amount for them, nor are they limited edition and designed by rap stars. They're just... trainers. People get obsessed over the oddest things. But I did like the show poking fun at that. "They're dress sneakers! You're not supposed to run in them!"

Some people love sneakers. Some people love designer clothes. Some people love jewelry. Some people like Birkins. Some people like porcelain figurines. I've learned to just shake my head and shrug when I see what people obsess over/collect/spend tons of money on. There was one guy on a talk show who was so obsessed with his local football team that he was wasting most of his money and cluttering his house buying anything and everything with team's name or logo. I don't mean he had twenty hats. He would go on ebay and buy the most ridiculous stuff, like a towel that had supposedly been used during the game. His house was bursting with all this crap. He was on the talk show because his wife was about to leave him. That kind of became my yardstsick for crossing the line. If you aren't putting you or your family at risk of being thrown out because you're spending all your money on this stuff, I'm willing to look the other way and chalk it up to "that's your thing." I mean, I still don't get why there are people with separate rooms dedicated to Hello Kitty or action figures that are still sealed in the boxes, but as long as you have enough money to pay your bills, then I guess more power to you?

Mr. EB likes fancy sneakers but he is very selective in his purchases so I don't think he counts as a sneaker head since he doesn't actually have a lot of sneakers. If he were like Nick Young with a separate guest house converted into a shoe house and he had two shoe butlers to care for his 500+ pairs of sneakers, then we would have to have a talk (heh, beginning with when the hell we got a separate guest house that I was unaware of). Honestly, I don't really notice sneakers unless they're ridiculously obnoxious (and luckily Mr. EB doesn't like those). Like I can tell they're a different color but other than that, my reaction is usually, "Um, they look like shoes."

I did love that Jake said that you're not supposed to run in fancy sneakers!

[jhlipton]

On 10/11/2017 at 9:27 AM, Danny Franks said:

The whole Pimento character is just not funny. It's supposed to be weird, but it's utterly predictable because this shit is all Jason Mantzoukas ever does. Thank god, Rosa finally dumped him. Please never come back.

And take Gina with him.

On 10/12/2017 at 8:17 AM, DearEvette said:

Also the visual gag of "kindly raise your two liters" at Freedom Feast 2017 as everyone hefted their two litres of ghastly orange soda just made me giggle.

I like that "ghastly orange soda"!

[Inquisitionist]

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Jake: You might want to squat for this, Mr Evaluator.
Holt: I decide when squatting is necessary. [pan down as he squats] This was my choice.

In an episode full of great lines and visuals, this one managed to stand out. 

I'm still catching up on the new season.  Will watch this episode again for sure!

[Lady Calypso]

It's about time Pimento finally went away. I never quite enjoyed Pimento or Rosa, and found that as much as they wanted it to give Rosa more layers, it hindered her as a character. He might have been fine as just a solo character that appeared periodically, but not as a love interest. I always thought their engagement was too quick, and then when they decided to slow down, they still remained engaged. 

I liked the return of Japanese speaking Terry. 

I liked Jake being affected by his time in prison. I'm not surprised at all they went this route. This show is super good at keeping up with continuity. This is one of the only shows that will have subtle moments and throwaway lines, and then bring them up later on, as they also do with the bigger events (Jake/Amy's first date, for example, being brought up three seasons later). I actually do like that Jake decided that he was going to take a few more weeks off instead of going back out on the field. For Jake, someone we've known to throw himself into work all throughout the series and has had to sometimes be forced to take time off (and he's much like Amy in this regard), this is a huge step for him. I love when characters make progress. 

I am also loving that the C plot has been gotten rid of since Chelsea's maternity leave. I can tolerate Gina in certain situations, but without her, the show has flowed better and allowed for the A and B stories to be told better and not rushed to make room for Gina. Plus, less mean commentary. Even the comments toward Scully and Hitchcock have lessened.