S05.E07: Two Turkeys

[formerlyfreedom]

Quote

Jake and Amy attempt to get their parents to bond over Thanksgiving dinner, but their first holiday together as a family does not go well. Meanwhile, at the precinct, Holt and Kevin's special Thanksgiving pie is stolen from his office and Holt searches through the ranks for the possible culprit.

 

 

[Inquisitionist]

Looks like we will see Amy's mother for the first time.   Do we know whether Amy's parents are together?  I can't recall why we saw Mr. Santiago on his own lst season.

[betweenthebanter]

Yeah, Amy's parents are together. Jake mentioned during the Mr.Santiago episode that they have been married 30+ years, I think.

My own headcannon for why we saw Mr.Santiago by himself last year is because the Santiago parents rotate which of their kids they go visit on Thanksgiving. They both are probably only coming this time because Amy just got engaged.

Edited November 16, 2017 by betweenthebanter

[bethy]

Did Amy get a haircut? Very cute.

Love that Nikolaj is a kid who only eats buttered noodles!

The meeting between the Peraltas and the Santiagos was awesome. It’s weird to me that Bradley Whitford looks older than Jimmy Smits when I consider the roles they played on West Wing.

And Jake and Amy trying to use their convo grease made me laugh out loud. 

Jake: Oh. Well. Golf!

Amy: Yes! Golf! Anyone hit the links lately?

[awkward conversation about Jake’s dad pretending to play golf to cheat on his mom]

Amy: Jake.

Jake: Hair! We all have hair.

[Rinaldo]

My favorite:

Jake: Oh, no! There are downsides to alcohol!

It was great to see Bradley Whitford and Jimmy Smits face off, especially we haven't previously gotten to see Smits do much of this kind of comedy. And yes, @bethy, it's interesting to see Whitford looking older; I tend to think it's an acting choice, playing Mr. Peralta as someone who's "given up." (Or it may just be for some current movie or play.) Actually he's four years younger than Smits, but that's not much of a difference, they're both around 60.

[theotherhalliwell]

Watching this episode is going to be my new annual Thanksgiving tradition. I loved every single second of it!

The A plot was funny, relatable and kind of touching. The B plot was a lot of fun as well. I love the surprise twist that Kevin turned out to be the one to throw out the pie. Holt’s interrogations of Rosa, Charles and Terry were priceless. 

This is already my favorite B99 season ever, and this is destined to be one of my all-time favorite episodes :)

[hoodooznoodooz]

Hitchcock and Scully don't usually make me laugh, but I loved how they analyzed Holt's box and the way he was carrying it to determine that it was pie.

[Dots And Stripes]

I did not like Jake's father cutting his thumb. Too much blood and too cartoonish. I think I also missed having everyone together like in years past. 

[hoodooznoodooz]

I am surprised Holt lets Kevin call it Turkey Day.

[Rinaldo]

9 hours ago, hoodooznoodooz said:

I am surprised Holt lets Kevin call it Turkey Day.

I had the feeling Kevin was saying that through gritted teeth, with the goal of connecting with the "common people." That may have been all in my head though -- or it may be a clue that Kevin wasn't quite himself at that moment, and had his own guilt on his mind.

Edited November 22, 2017 by Rinaldo

[bethy]

I also just have to say how much I loved Rosa revealing the Diaz-family Thanksgiving t-shirt and that it had been her idea. That was such a lovely callback to her time in prison and a neat look into how it had changed her.

[hoodooznoodooz]

The way Amy's mom said "canvas" could cut a bitch.  

[hendersonrocks]

I really thought that the pie thief was going to be Gina, and this would be her entrance back into the Nine Nine. I've never been so happy to be wrong.

[hoodooznoodooz]

"I found your grocery store receipt-- no feet of any kind!"

[AnimeMania]

I really thought that the pie thief was going to be Hitchcock and Scully, they put it in the trash, Holt doesn't want the pie anymore, Hitchcock and Scully eat the pie.

[TheOtherOne]

That was, to borrow a word, joyous--from start to finish. My favorite episode in weeks.

That little look between Kevin and Holt at the end at the idea of taking a trip with no purpose--I could have swooned. That was hot as hell. I love them so much.

Edited November 22, 2017 by TheOtherOne

[Mystery]

The first Thanksgiving episode is still my favorite, but I love what a team Jake and Amy are. I'd just rather have seen the rest of the 99 gang instead of the families. But I know that wouldn't have been a reasonable story line. It did give the great glimpse into Diaz's life, as others have mentioned. 

[laserlady]

"Aah, I get it.  So, a riddle is just like a fact that's told in a really confusing way."

[sweetandsour]

Doodled next to my running list of potential future baby names will be this sentiment, to be uttered in or out of my kid's earshot, whatever works. "My [son/daughter] is a basic bitch."

Btw, in the scene where Holt revealed Kevin as the pie thief, Holt used contractions all over the place.

"I should have known you were lying. There's nothing better than a plain scone." "That's exactly how you always throw away garbage." "There's only one thing I can't figure out. Why'd you do it?" "Why didn't you just tell me the truth?" "I don't know why we can't still make the drive next year."

That being his tell was obviously just for (very believable) plot purposes - not that it's actually consistently true - but now that it's out there, I couldn't help but notice it when Holt was accusing Kevin of lying. I didn't pay attention to his speech in scenes with other characters and I'm sure he actually uses contractions quite a bit with them, but I'd love it if Holt uses contractions with Kevin because he's so in love he gets that relaxed.
 

[betweenthebanter]

I  enjoyed this episode. The parents were great and provided a lot of funny moments. I did wish that maybe the end scene was Jake/Amy reuniting with the squad at the bar, because I did miss that there wasn't a scene with the squad all together for Thanksgiving.

Seeing Kevin and Kevin/Holt is always a pleasure and I really loved Rosa saying that she has been getting closer to her family again post-prison.

Nikolaj being a basic eater is the funniest/saddest thing for Charles to have to deal with.

[AnnaRose]

7 hours ago, sweetandsour said:

Btw, in the scene where Holt revealed Kevin as the pie thief, Holt used contractions all over the place.

"I should have known you were lying. There's nothing better than a plain scone." "That's exactly how you always throw away garbage." "There's only one thing I can't figure out. Why'd you do it?" "Why didn't you just tell me the truth?" "I don't know why we can't still make the drive next year."

That being his tell was obviously just for (very believable) plot purposes - not that it's actually consistently true - but now that it's out there, I couldn't help but notice it when Holt was accusing Kevin of lying. I didn't pay attention to his speech in scenes with other characters and I'm sure he actually uses contractions quite a bit with them, but I'd love it if Holt uses contractions with Kevin because he's so in love he gets that relaxed.
 

I never posted about it in the gambling episode thread, but Holt used contractions throughout that episode also.  It was a nice way of resolving the kidnapping of Holt, but not accurate in any way.  (Except that he actually used a double contraction during the phone call, which probably is very rare and could be considered a 'tell'.)

[Rinaldo]

One thing that made me very happy about this episode was that, unlike so many other sitcom examples of "the parents of the newly engaged couple meet" scenario, two things were never in doubt: A, the parents are happy about the engagement and looking forward to the wedding; and B, the couple are in no danger at all of having second thoughts, they're devoted to each other and going to get married no matter what. After seeing so many decades of contrived angst created in such episodes, it's so refreshing to (once again) see Jake and Amy written as two adult* human beings.

(*Yes, Jake's own personal habits are still sometimes pre-adult, but that's a separate issue. Also, I still find that aspect of him funny, so I hope it never quite gets erased.)

[iMonrey]

It was a good episode, but a.) I knew the pie thief was going to turn out to be Kevin from the start, and b.) I saw the thumb severing coming almost immediately. Was still funny though. It's really ironic to think Hitchcock and Scully are actually pretty keen detectives . . . when it comes to food, at least. And I laughed at Holt's reaction to Hitchcock getting in his face and yelling at him to find out about the pie.

[betweenthebanter]

I hope in the future Amy's mother comes back as part of a B-plot, like Kevin or one of Boyle's cousins. I really enjoyed her this episode but I would've liked more of her, since the other parents already had their own episodes. Plus the West Wing reunion kind of overshadowed Karen and Camila's roles in this episode.

Also hope that we will met someone from Rosa's family, now that she is getting close to them again.

Wonder if they will ever revisit the fact that Jake has some half siblings. I think Jake would attempt to connect with them, but the show might just consider it a onetime joke.

[Traveller519]

I live for the competent Scully and Hitchcock episodes! Bathroom mystery or food-related crime? These are the two you want on your team! It's nice when they're not just the punchline, though they frequently make a good punchline.

Holt's time in the Nine Nine has really rubbed off on his personality, hasn't it? I can't imagine the Holt of Season 1 going to quite the lengths he did here, but it made for an enjoyable watch. I love watching the man burn with the passion of a thousand suns. It's good to know it's not just long quiet drives watching the trees die that does it for him.

[thuganomics85]

Always enjoy the Thanksgiving episodes and this was no exception!  Loved seeing Jake and Amy's parents meet for the first time, and while I did think Kathy Sagal was underused (not to mention Amy's mom), Bradley Whitford and Jimmy Smits were perfection together.  Whitford really does a great job at making Roger such a scummy mess, but still fun to watch, and Smits is just killing it as Victor and it's just great seeing him play a more comedic role compared to his normal work (similar to Andre Braugher here.)  And I love that while Jake and Amy did end up fighting with each other near the end, it was never played like a major issue, but just a couple push to their wits end because of their respected in-laws.  Can't wait to see how the wedding will play out!

The B-plot with Holt and the missing pie was fun with him interrogating everyone and Hitchcock/Scully of all people actually doing good police work, and help uncovering the truth.  I figured it was going to be Kevin though, since I knew it wouldn't be one of the Nine-Nine, and there had to be a reason for his one scene earlier.  But I like that it is now out in the open, and Holt still wants to travel with Kevin anyway.  Those two are perfect!

Rosa revealing that prison has made her closer to her family was a nice reveal.  Glad that plots like that still get factored in during later episodes.

I feel wrong for laughing so hard at Boyle calling Nikolaj a "basic bitch", due to not having an elegant food palette like he does.

Jake's reasoning for why hand towels are alway clean is classic Jake to a tee!

[tennisgurl]

"We drive in silence and look at the bare trees, its perfect". Holt really did find his perfect match in Kevin, didn't he? I love that Kevin was the thief, and the constant revalations of what everyone else was doing and why they lied about it. 

I love these Thanksgiving episodes, they make me really happy. I love both Jake and Amy's parents, and seeing them interact was great, both as they were getting along and when they were fighting. Jimmy Smits is really funny, who knew? I've never gotten to see him do so much comedy, and it worked really well here. Plus, while Jake and Amy got into a bit of an argument, they basically stayed on the same team throughout, and worked together to try to get their parents together. I`m also glad that, even when the parents were drunk and angry at each other, they never pulled the "I dont want your son/daughter marry my son/daughter!" which would have been ridiculously cliche and mean spirited. 

I also loved the brief moment where Rosa admitted how much she missed her family in prison and that she had gotten closer with them. "The shirts were my idea..." Its nice to get even little reminders about what happened early in the season, and how it was still affecting the characters, even when its not a huge plot point. 

[ItCouldBeWorse]

8 hours ago, thuganomics85 said:

Jake's reasoning for why hand towels are always clean is classic Jake to a tee!

That joke was used on New Girl with a shared bath towel.

[TheOtherOne]

I like how the plot works even if you don't know the backstory with Holt and Kevin's parents, but if you do it adds a bit more weight. It was in last year's Thanksgiving episode--where Mr. Santiago was first introduced--that we learned that Kevin's parents are "huge homophobes who think that (Holt) made Kevin gay with (his) magic genitalia" and they haven't spoken to him since they first met him. So if they're actually having Thanksgiving together, that's huge (which I initially thought was going to be mentioned in the first scene), and of course Kevin would have more reason not to want Holt to turn them off with his terrible pie.

[Mystery]

13 hours ago, Rinaldo said:

One thing that made me very happy about this episode was that, unlike so many other sitcom examples of "the parents of the newly engaged couple meet" scenario, two things were never in doubt: A, the parents are happy about the engagement and looking forward to the wedding; and B, the couple are in no danger at all of having second thoughts, they're devoted to each other and going to get married no matter what. After seeing so many decades of contrived angst created in such episodes, it's so refreshing to (once again) see Jake and Amy written as two adult* human beings.

YES. This. There was no doubt that whatever happened wouldn't affect Jake and Amy. Thanks so much for crystallizing this for me. This was actually kind of why I didn't like it as much as other Thanksgiving episodes: there was nothing at stake. I have no doubt that Jake and Amy will be together no matter what. So this was a satisfying episode AND an episode that lacked drama. 

[iMonrey]

Quote

I hope in the future Amy's mother comes back as part of a B-plot, like Kevin or one of Boyle's cousins. I really enjoyed her this episode but I would've liked more of her, since the other parents already had their own episodes. 

But what kind of a bitch move is it to bring another turkey to someone's Thanksgiving? I mean, who does that? Has it been established and passed along to Amy's parents that Jake's mom is such a terrible cook that she was sure to ruin the turkey? And then after pointing out the clearly decorative bowl she painted on the coffee table, Amy's mom goes and gets it and puts a side dish in it? WTF? I guess this is all supposed to underscore the idea that both of Amy's parents are so competitive they pull passive-aggressive stunts like this just to one-up people but jeez - they're really kind of jerks when you think about it.

[Tiggertoo]

I completely missed the West Wing connection between the two dads.  But loved seeing both actors.

My only minor gripe is that this is the second Amy/Jake centric episode in a row.  I prefer it when their relationship is just a minor plot point.

[bethy]

They’ve done such a good job not overdoing it with Jake/Amy that I’ve actually loved getting a bigger dose of them the last couple of weeks. I’m sure they’ll be back to mixing things up again soon, but I’m going to enjoy what I can get!

[possibilities]

On 11/22/2017 at 0:27 PM, betweenthebanter said:

Also hope that we will met someone from Rosa's family, now that she is getting close to them again.

I would love this. I remember how shocking it was when we saw her apartment. I like Rosa, but I think they often lean too hard on the surface qualities of her character for jokes, instead of developing her more. She shouldn't just be a punchline like Hitchcock and Scully.

On 11/21/2017 at 10:56 PM, hoodooznoodooz said:

Hitchcock and Scully don't usually make me laugh, but I loved how they analyzed Holt's box and the way he was carrying it to determine that it was pie.

I always like it when we see that they are actually competent detectives when they want to be.

[ClareWalks]

My first thought when Jake's dad was bleeding all over the turkey was, "thank god they have an extra one!" I was sure Amy's mom would blurt out triumphantly, "THIS is why we brought a spare turkey!"

[betweenthebanter]

7 hours ago, iMonrey said:

But what kind of a bitch move is it to bring another turkey to someone's Thanksgiving? I mean, who does that? Has it been established and passed along to Amy's parents that Jake's mom is such a terrible cook that she was sure to ruin the turkey? And then after pointing out the clearly decorative bowl she painted on the coffee table, Amy's mom goes and gets it and puts a side dish in it? WTF? I guess this is all supposed to underscore the idea that both of Amy's parents are so competitive they pull passive-aggressive stunts like this just to one-up people but jeez - they're really kind of jerks when you think about it.

Amy's mom definitely had a "my way of doing things is the only correct way" mentality about her. She couldn't comprehend Karen's turkey being as good as hers, so she brought hers along. Jake's mom was the only one who didn't do anything wrong out of the parents. Both Amy's parents were rude and judgemental, and Jake's dad started the competitiveness with Victor by having to give a toast  because Victor gave one.  I think it is hard to not be judgemental of Jake's dad, but I wish we got a scene where Camila apologized to Karen. I think we are supposed to assume, well I did anyway, that they had their bonding moment when they stayed behind to clean up Roger's blood.. As said in other posts, the West Wing reunion between the dads really limited the mothers roles in the episode though.

That said, I thought the actress that played Amy's mother was very entertaining with the material she had and I would like to see her in a storyline with Amy in the future. I think the two episodes with Amy's dad and the one with her mom helped understand how those personalities would shape Amy, but I would still like her to have some more screentime with them. Victor's first appearance was about Jake trying to bond with him and her parents appearance this episode was about their relationship with Jake's parents. I guess what I want is a B-plot that deals a little more with Amy's relationship with her parents, because I feel like these storylines haven't really given us that.

[Ailianna]

On 11/22/2017 at 3:36 PM, thuganomics85 said:

Jake's reasoning for why hand towels are alway clean is classic Jake to a tee!

 

On 11/22/2017 at 11:58 PM, ItCouldBeWorse said:

That joke was used on New Girl with a shared bath towel.

Friends did it with Joey and Chandler too.  There aren't a lot of completely new jokes out there--it's all in the execution.

[peeayebee]

On 11/22/2017 at 9:06 AM, iMonrey said:

It was a good episode, but a.) I knew the pie thief was going to turn out to be Kevin from the start, and b.) I saw the thumb severing coming almost immediately. Was still funny though.

I too figured Kevin was the thief, though I thought he had taken it in order to keep anyone in the precinct from taking it. As far as the cut thumb goes, the way Jake's dad was sawing away without looking made me think he was going to cut himself. I was surprised at the thumb gushing and actually thought it was going to be Jake's dad making a joke.

 

On 11/22/2017 at 9:27 AM, betweenthebanter said:

Wonder if they will ever revisit the fact that Jake has some half siblings. I think Jake would attempt to connect with them, but the show might just consider it a onetime joke.

I'm pretty sure this was a setup for each of his half-siblings to visit. 

Loved this ep. Holt interrogating Rosa, Terry, and Charles was great. I'm trying to recall one bit -- Terry tells Holt the truth, that he didn't want everyone to know that he was a terrible dad, then Holt blandly says, "And now we do."

I also loved Holt's reaction when Kevin told him why he threw away the pie. It was something like, "Huh whaaa?" Kind of a Holt version of how Jake sometimes reacts to a puzzling surprise.

It's deliciously ironic that Charles' son only eats buttered noodles.

[Schweedie]

So much to love about the confessing scene - the delivery of "The t-shirts were my idea" was perfection - but my favourite thing may have been that Charles had started crying by the time it was his turn.

[ZoqFotPik]

On 11/24/2017 at 11:08 AM, Ailianna said:

On 11/22/2017 at 0:36 PM, thuganomics85 said:

Jake's reasoning for why hand towels are alway clean is classic Jake to a tee!

 

On 11/22/2017 at 8:58 PM, ItCouldBeWorse said:

That joke was used on New Girl with a shared bath towel.

Friends did it with Joey and Chandler too.  There aren't a lot of completely new jokes out there--it's all in the execution.

Here's Dilbert from 1995 with the same joke, and I'm sure it's older than that.

I'm no expert, but I'm pretty sure completely severing your thumb, even if it was successfully reattached, would end your career as an airline pilot. Getting around 60% of usage back is considered highly successful. 

[Bort]

8 minutes ago, ZoqFotPik said:

I'm no expert, but I'm pretty sure completely severing your thumb, even if it was successfully reattached, would end your career as an airline pilot. Getting around 60% of usage back is considered highly successful. 

The flight surgeon would evaluate him and if s/he says that he can still fly, then the FAA would probably approve it. Guide for Aviation Medical Examiners.

It'll be a good long while before Jake's dad would be able to get back to work, though.

[jhlipton]

On 11/22/2017 at 8:28 AM, Rinaldo said:

Jake's own personal habits are still sometimes pre-adult

The reason I love Jake is that, while in many respects he's the typical "man-boy", he's quite serious about his job and his relationships.  He may goof but he knows when to turn it off (unlike most of the species).

4 hours ago, ZoqFotPik said:

I'm no expert, but I'm pretty sure completely severing your thumb, even if it was successfully reattached, would end your career as an airline pilot. Getting around 60% of usage back is considered highly successful. 

getting 100% usage is the norm in SitComLand, though.

[dusang]

"Are you erasing the word controlling while we kiss?"

I LOVE THIS SHOW.

[meep.meep]

On 11/23/2017 at 0:56 PM, Tiggertoo said:

I completely missed the West Wing connection between the two dads.  But loved seeing both actors.

My only minor gripe is that this is the second Amy/Jake centric episode in a row.  I prefer it when their relationship is just a minor plot point.

Late to the party....

No one mentioned the Sons of Anarchy connection between Jake's Mom (Sagal) and Amy's Dad (Schmitz)?

Poor Boyle - all kids go through a buttered noodles phase.  Except for the ones who go through a white rice phase.

[Lady Calypso]

I'm ok with this being the second Jake/Amy plot in a row because they just got engaged, and they don't have them in a plot together very often. I enjoyed it because we got to meet Amy's mom and we got to see all four parents in action. Also, if all four parents made their appearance here, does that mean we'll get to see Amy's seven brothers for the wedding episode? That's going to be a hoot to see who they cast for those roles. This show has done a marvelous job at getting actors that I never thought they'd manage to get.

I do want to get to know Amy's mom more. As of this episode, I didn't find her likable at all. She was basically the worst of Amy's quirks. The passive aggressive turkey was such a bitch move, as was her snide remark about Karen's interests in painting. I'm hoping another appearance might humanize her more. 

I loved when Roger made the comment about Thanksgiving being the worst, because it brings back memories to the first Thanksgiving episode when Jake stated he hated Thanksgiving. Also, seeing Victor vs Roger was hilarious. And Amy's nervous laughter when her mom brought another turkey. Also, finding out about Jake's three half sisters. I do need to meet Amy's siblings before Jake's, just because we've known about Amy's seven brothers since the first season, and I'm more curious about them.

I guess I didn't notice that Melissa cut her hair until this episode, when Jake was presenting Amy with the Parents Thanksgiving board. Speaking of that scene, I laughed at Amy kissing Jake while erasing some of his work behind his back.

Ah, the return of Kevin! And it's the Mystery of Who Stole the Pie! I laughed at Holt yelling at Terry while interrogating him. "You are LYING!" 

I did really love learning more about the Diaz family. I like that we got even just a oneliner about how Rosa was affected by prison but how it got her closer with her family. Plus, those t-shirts caught me completely off guard. Oh man, Boyle calling his son a 'basic bitch' was also surprising to hear, yet still hilarious.

[Ceindreadh]

On 22/11/2017 at 4:54 AM, hendersonrocks said:

I really thought that the pie thief was going to be Gina, and this would be her entrance back into the Nine Nine. I've never been so happy to be wrong.

Same here. I was dreading the resolution. So happy to find out it was Kevin!

Btw, does anybody know when Gina will be back? I want to enjoy the Gina-free episodes as long as they last. 

[jhlipton]

11 hours ago, Ceindreadh said:

does anybody know when Gina will be back? I want to enjoy the Gina-free episodes as long as they last. 

I think around episode 10 or 11.  She's not used as much as she has been, but she does pop up every once in a while. And, yes, she's still the worst.

Edited April 8, 2018 by jhlipton

[Sandman]

On ‎2017‎-‎11‎-‎22 at 11:28 AM, Rinaldo said:

One thing that made me very happy about this episode was that, unlike so many other sitcom examples of "the parents of the newly engaged couple meet" scenario, two things were never in doubt: A, the parents are happy about the engagement and looking forward to the wedding; and B, the couple are in no danger at all of having second thoughts, they're devoted to each other and going to get married no matter what. After seeing so many decades of contrived angst created in such episodes, it's so refreshing to (once again) see Jake and Amy written as two adult* human beings.

I confess I did not love this episode. I actually found the A-plot hard to sit through; the two (admittedly happy) fathers' competitive streaks made me squirm. Maybe this is actually why. Maybe I'm sitcom-conditioned to expect that someone will bust out the "the wedding is off! I never want to see these people ever again"?

I should have given this show more credit. Though I did expect the severed thumb to make its appearance as soon as Jake's dad started sawing into that turkey.

[John Potts]

On ‎11‎/‎22‎/‎2017 at 7:10 PM, Traveller519 said:

I live for the competent Scully and Hitchcock episodes! Bathroom mystery or food-related crime? These are the two you want on your team!

If only all crime in NY was restricted to those areas!