S05.E14: The Box

[formerlyfreedom]

Quote

Jake embarks on an all-night long interrogation in order to elicit a confession out of a suspect. But when Captain Holt skips the opera in order to stay back and help, the two cops clash over how to get him to talk.

[Roaster]

I kept thinking of those great TV scenes from 20 years ago where Frank Pembleton would break a suspect in the interrogation room.

[WritinMan]

Good episode. I like when they focus on the relationship between Jake and Captain Holt. They work well together--both the characters and the actors.

[Dots And Stripes]

I kept wondering my Sterling didn't have a lawyer with him. Not that she did any good. 

Jake's singing was my favorite interrogation technique. 

[hendersonrocks]

That was lovely. I didn’t totally buy the confession, but lovely nonetheless. They might as well etch Sterling K. Brown’s name on the guest star Emmy right now.

[MrWhyt]

Oh Damn

[Trillium]

Holt calling Kevin to let him know the opera tickets were under his name “H...O...L...T” 

 

This was a great episode but it flew by. I’ll have to watch again because I’m sure I missed a ton. Well done by all three of them. 

[Panopticon]

22 minutes ago, MrWhyt said:

Oh Damn

Oh damn.

Oh damn.

That’s THREE!

[Ms Blue Jay]

I'm a fan of Sterling K. Brown, but I was not a fan of that.  He definitely has a lot of acting accolades, and richly deserved, so I'm not sure why the show gave him this special showcase, involving almost none of the cast.  

I hate television where the story is told to me instead of shown, so the whole murder was not interesting for me to follow whatsoever.  This seemed like a strange vanity project.  I'd rather see Sterling do other stuff.  For example he was great on SNL.  This didn't really feel like Brooklyn 99 to me.  It's a disservice to me as a fan because there's no way I'd care to rewatch this.

Edited April 2, 2018 by Ms Blue Jay

[Mama No Life]

1 hour ago, Trillium said:

Holt calling Kevin to let him know the opera tickets were under his name “H...O...L...T” 

 

This was a great episode but it flew by. I’ll have to watch again because I’m sure I missed a ton. Well done by all three of them. 

I came here just to see if anyone else caught that.  Never change Holt...

[Irlandesa]

I really enjoyed this episode.  So in the viewing room for the interrogation when Holt explained that they were going to do smart cop/dumb cop, Holt went full Pembelton there for a second, right? 

How they caught him was rather pat but hey, these aren't crime writers.

Edited April 2, 2018 by Irlandesa

[Rinaldo]

29 minutes ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

I hate television where the story is told to me instead of shown

I don't feel that way at all. For one thing, too much great drama, that I would hate to be without, is based on telling rather than showing. For another, "the story" in this case was the interaction of these three characters: that's where the action was. I'll be rewatching this one several times.

[Joimiaroxeu]

OMG, when Jake threw that chair and it bounced back and clocked him. That must've been very carefully choreographed, or they used a body double.

[Skyfall]

34 minutes ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

I'm a fan of Sterling K. Brown, but I was not a fan of that.  He definitely has a lot of acting accolades, and richly deserved, so I'm not sure why the show gave him this special showcase, involving almost none of the cast.  

I hate television where the story is told to me instead of shown, so the whole murder was not interesting for me to follow whatsoever.  This seemed like a strange vanity project.  I'd rather see Sterling do other stuff.  For example he was great on SNL.  This didn't really feel like Brooklyn 99 to me.  It's a disservice to me as a fan because there's no way I'd care to rewatch this.

Bottle episode. There is at least one a season for every show since it’s designed to be cheap (few shooting locations, limited cast, etc)

[MrWhyt]

35 minutes ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

I'm a fan of Sterling K. Brown, but I was not a fan of that.  He definitely has a lot of acting accolades, and richly deserved, so I'm not sure why the show gave him this special showcase, involving almost none of the cast.  

I hate television where the story is told to me instead of shown, so the whole murder was not interesting for me to follow whatsoever.  This seemed like a strange vanity project.  I'd rather see Sterling do other stuff.  For example he was great on SNL.  This didn't really feel like Brooklyn 99 to me.  It's a disservice to me as a fan because there's no way I'd care to rewatch this.

the murder wasn't the story, the interrogation was.

[Lady Calypso]

I did enjoy this bottle episode. I don't mind the show focusing on Jake and Holt, because they really do have the best relationship on the show (sorry Jake and Amy, you're...number three behind Jake/Holt and Holt/Kevin for me). I also like Sterling K Brown, so seeing him get to act against the two men was pretty enjoyable. It wasn't an action packed episode, but man oh man, did I laugh at several of the moments.

So, one of my favourite supposed one off moments of the series was Jake bringing in his guitar to interrogate suspects and screaming in their faces. For some reason, the first time they did it, I couldn't stop laughing and I hoped they would bring that gag back. And they certainly delivered with them bringing it to this episode. I laughed for a solid minute over Jake trying that tactic and declaring to Holt that maybe he shouldn't anymore since it wasn't working. 

I thoroughly enjoyed Jake telling Sterling's character to say the victim's name several different ways. The last one he told him to do (say his name without blinking) cracked me up with Sterling's wide eyes. That was utterly perfect.

I also really enjoyed Holt calling Kevin to cancel the night at the opera, with him spelling his own last name for the tickets. 

I do like when Jake gets to show off his ability to be a detective, and I'm glad he was able to come through with a very smart tactic. Even Holt looked impressed. 

Also, yes Holt. OH DAMN (oh damn oh damn) indeed. 

[VCRTracking]

As someone who watched Homicide through it's entire run in the 90s I enjoyed seeing Andre Brauer in the interrogation room again.

Sterling K. Brown was great as the suspect.

Jake mentioning "Great Tiger" from Mike Tyson's Punch Out NES game and his Addams Family wedding vows is why he's one of my favorite characters on TV today!

Loved the callback to Jake using his "playing the guitar and yelling" technique to get a confession.

Agree with Jake about Danaerys flying to the wall on her dragon so fast!

Edited April 2, 2018 by VCRTracking

[VCRTracking]

2 hours ago, Skyfall said:

2 hours ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

I'm a fan of Sterling K. Brown, but I was not a fan of that.  He definitely has a lot of acting accolades, and richly deserved, so I'm not sure why the show gave him this special showcase, involving almost none of the cast.  

I hate television where the story is told to me instead of shown, so the whole murder was not interesting for me to follow whatsoever.  This seemed like a strange vanity project.  I'd rather see Sterling do other stuff.  For example he was great on SNL.  This didn't really feel like Brooklyn 99 to me.  It's a disservice to me as a fan because there's no way I'd care to rewatch this.

 

Bottle episode. There is at least one a season for every show since it’s designed to be cheap (few shooting locations, limited cast, etc)

It's also a great tribute to Andre Braugher's previous character from Homicide: Life On The Street, the great Detective Frank Pembleton and the episode "Three Men and Adena" where Pembleton and his partner Bayliss try to get a confession from a murderer of a little girl in 12 hours. The title of this episode "The Box" comes from the nickname of the interrogation room on Homicide:

Edited April 2, 2018 by VCRTracking

[Mama No Life]

Melissa Fuermo (sp?) live-tweeted with the west coast and said she had not seen the episode.  After Jake's last monologue to Sterling, she posted in all caps, NO ONE DOES SPEED MONOLOGUE BETTER THAN ANDY FUCKING SAMBERG.  I love how happy this cast is to see each other succeed.  The entire cast and crew was actively rooting for Jordan Peele during the Oscars.  The fact that they like each other shows in every episode.

[Lizzing]

Love, love, love this episode.  I need someone with video editing skills have Jake try his guitar interrogation tactic on the Arabber.

[BoogieBurns]

8 hours ago, VCRTracking said:

It's also a great tribute to Andre Braugher's previous character from Homicide: Life On The Street, the great Detective Frank Pembleton and the episode "Three Men and Adena" where Pembleton and his partner Bayliss try to get a confession from a murderer of a little girl in 12 hours. The title of this episode "The Box" comes from the nickname of the interrogation room on Homicide:

They say that Sterling's Emmy acceptance speech is what made the writers/producers reach out to him for this episode. He said he can't believe he won the same award that Andre Braugher won for Homicide: Life On The Street. This episode above, was mentioned by someone as a perfect episode to pay homage to with Sterling and Andre. Basically, Sterling got to act alongside Andre in Homicide: Brooklyn 99 edition.

I loved it. I love everything Sterling K Brown does. Forever and always.

[possibilities]

That crack at Kevin at the end was somehow the thing that caught me most off-guard this episode. Show! You can still surprise me!

[DearEvette]

8 hours ago, VCRTracking said:

It's also a great tribute to Andre Braugher's previous character from Homicide: Life On The Street, the great Detective Frank Pembleton and the episode "Three Men and Adena" where Pembleton and his partner Bayliss try to get a confession from a murderer of a little girl in 12 hours. The title of this episode "The Box" comes from the nickname of the interrogation room on Homicide:

 

Exactly.  This episode was specifically written as an homage to Three Men and Adena.

When I first heard the premise of this episode, my mind immediately went there because of Andre Braugher and the composition of just three men in the box the whole episode.  When they confirmed that it was the case,  I was even more stoked.  This more than lived up to it. They did a great job of keeping it 99 but showing the homage.

I hate to say it because I love when Jake shows what a great detective he is and I love when the show really show-cases his relationship with Holt, but SKB was doing such a fantastic job that I kinda wanted him to get away with it.  Kinda.

[BoogieBurns]

35 minutes ago, DearEvette said:

Exactly.  This episode was specifically written as an homage to Three Men and Adena.

When I first heard the premise of this episode, my mind immediately went there because of Andre Braugher and the composition of just three men in the box the whole episode.  When they confirmed that it was the case,  I was even more stoked.  This more than lived up to it. They did a great job of keeping it 99 but showing the homage.

I hate to say it because I love when Jake shows what a great detective he is and I love when the show really show-cases his relationship with Holt, but SKB was doing such a fantastic job that I kinda wanted him to get away with it.  Kinda.

Me too. I like how sometimes this show gets you rooting for the bad guy. That's good writing!

[peeayebee]

11 hours ago, Lady Calypso said:

So, one of my favourite supposed one off moments of the series was Jake bringing in his guitar to interrogate suspects and screaming in their faces. For some reason, the first time they did it, I couldn't stop laughing and I hoped they would bring that gag back.

That was so hilarious. I always liked Andy Samberg on SNL, but I LOVE him here. He has that greatest facial expressions.

 

Quote

I thoroughly enjoyed Jake telling Sterling's character to say the victim's name several different ways. The last one he told him to do (say his name without blinking) cracked me up with Sterling's wide eyes. That was utterly perfect.

Another fantastic moment. SKB's character (Phillip) was so arrogant, I should have seen it coming that it would be his undoing.

Loved the quick shots back and forth as Jake and Raymond bantered back and forth. 

I wish I had watch Homicide when it was on -- it doesn't stream anywhere either :(. I did watch one ep I had read about before it aired, where Vincent D'Onofrio plays a guy who is pinned betw two subway cars. If they're moved, he's going to die immediately. I can't quite remember the story line. Anyway, that was very good.

Loved Jake doing Richard Attenborough's voice. 

[incandescent]

14 hours ago, Trillium said:

Holt calling Kevin to let him know the opera tickets were under his name “H...O...L...T” 

Like how he told Kevin, "it's me, Raymond Holt," when taking him to the safe house.

[BoogieBurns]

14 hours ago, Trillium said:

Holt calling Kevin to let him know the opera tickets were under his name “H...O...L...T” 

 

This was a great episode but it flew by. I’ll have to watch again because I’m sure I missed a ton. Well done by all three of them. 

1) His husband absolutely knows his name

2) Holt is almost impossible to spell wrong. 

This show is the best. I binge'd like 30 episodes this weekend (I was hiding from the outside world). They are very rewatchable. Particularly Season 3 because I never paid attention when those episodes aired live.

[VCRTracking]

1 hour ago, DearEvette said:

Exactly.  This episode was specifically written as an homage to Three Men and Adena.

When I first heard the premise of this episode, my mind immediately went there because of Andre Braugher and the composition of just three men in the box the whole episode.  When they confirmed that it was the case,  I was even more stoked.  This more than lived up to it. They did a great job of keeping it 99 but showing the homage.

I hate to say it because I love when Jake shows what a great detective he is and I love when the show really show-cases his relationship with Holt, but SKB was doing such a fantastic job that I kinda wanted him to get away with it.  Kinda.

I also realized that SKB was perfect casting because he does remind me a lot of the late, great Moses Gunn, who played the the suspect in "Three Men and Adena". Gunn had been in a lot of things but is probably best known as the atheist Florida dated after James died on Good Times!

Edited April 2, 2018 by VCRTracking

[iMonrey]

Quote

I'm a fan of Sterling K. Brown, but I was not a fan of that.  He definitely has a lot of acting accolades, and richly deserved, so I'm not sure why the show gave him this special showcase, involving almost none of the cast.  

I hate television where the story is told to me instead of shown, so the whole murder was not interesting for me to follow whatsoever.  This seemed like a strange vanity project.  I'd rather see Sterling do other stuff.  For example he was great on SNL.  This didn't really feel like Brooklyn 99 to me.  It's a disservice to me as a fan because there's no way I'd care to rewatch this.

See, I spent the entire episode thinking "OK, I guess I'm supposed to know who this is." He looked familiar, but I honestly had no idea who he was. I assumed it was some kind of sports celebrity, because I never know who they are. I do know who Sterling K. Brown is, but I did not recognize him here and had no idea who it was until the closing credits started to roll. 

So, this was a weird little bottle episode. There were some amusing parts, to be sure, but overall I feel like it went over my head because it was something designed to showcase their guest star and I spent the entire half hour wondering who the hell he was. 

[Irlandesa]

3 hours ago, DearEvette said:

 

I hate to say it because I love when Jake shows what a great detective he is and I love when the show really show-cases his relationship with Holt, but SKB was doing such a fantastic job that I kinda wanted him to get away with it.  Kinda.

Isn't that what happened in the original episode? It had been so long since I've seen it but IIRC, they weren't able to get him.   I was wondering if they ever considered letting him walk....and then they could bring him back when he murders his next partner like L&O did with Larry Miller's character.

[Loandbehold]

I knew going in that this was going to be an homage to "Three Mean and Adena," and they really pulled it off. SKB was fantastic, especially when he responded to Jake's fast patter questions in the same manner. The end reminded me of an old Columbo episode where Columbo lays out how the murder was done, only to have the suspect show how he was much smarter and would have done it this way and not that way, then realized that he just confessed to the murder. I vaguely recall there being a record and the length of time the music played as playing a part.

*Yes, I realize "an old Columbo" episode is redundant. I also realize that some might consider this the plot of most or all Columbo episodes, but the end of this one episode particularly sticks in my mind.

You're right @Irlandesa, the suspect in TMaA did get way with it. This haunted Bayliss for pretty much the rest of the run of the show.

Edited April 2, 2018 by Loandbehold

[biakbiak]

4 minutes ago, Irlandesa said:

't that what happened in the original episode?

Yes, they didn't get the confession and he was let go.

[possibilities]

I loved it that Jake got the win. Not only that the perp got caught, but that Jake was the one who made it happen.

[doodlebug]

1 hour ago, biakbiak said:

Yes, they didn't get the confession and he was let go.

And, later, in the Homicide reunion movie, we find out Bayliss killed the Arabber out of frustration because they knew he did it but couldn't get enough evidence to charge him and Pembleton arrests him for it.  Loved Homicide and was glad to see this excellent, but very different show pay homage to it.

Edited April 2, 2018 by doodlebug

[tennisgurl]

That was a really great bottle episode, I loved that! Holt and Jake are always a great combination, and they mined a lot of fun out of their reactions to each other, as well as a sweet moment at the end where Holt told Jake he was proud of him, and Jake just beamed. It was also nice to have just one story, as much as I enjoy the whole cast and their various plots. 

Sterling K. Brown was great, he plays the smooth operator very well. "When you get upset, you look like a muppet" *flails arms around*. I also cracked up over the whole argument about how Dentists arent "really" doctors, and then Holt got super defensive about PHDs being Doctors. No one talks shit about Kevin's PHD like that! Also, Holt spelling his name to Kevin (his husband!) made me laugh so freaking hard, I cant even. 

Call back to the screaming guitar interrogation! Awesome! And I desperately hope we get to hear the full length version of his wedding themed Adams Family rap one day soon. 

Really, the cases themselves really dont tend to matter as much as the plot surrounding them and the characters, so I dont mind that the murder itself was solved pretty quickly and mostly off screen. It also let Jake shine as a detective, while also still being his goofy self. He really is a very smart guy, even with his big goofy smile and boyish looks. 

I give it 2.5 DAMNS. 

[Princess Sparkle]

I think I pulled something laughing at:

"What'd you have her do?"
"Be herself"
"Poor son of a bitch"

That and Holt's extremely matter of fact explanation as for why the body had bear semen on it. Andre Braugher is just fantastic.

[peeayebee]

3 hours ago, iMonrey said:

See, I spent the entire episode thinking "OK, I guess I'm supposed to know who this is." He looked familiar, but I honestly had no idea who he was. I assumed it was some kind of sports celebrity, because I never know who they are. I do know who Sterling K. Brown is, but I did not recognize him here and had no idea who it was until the closing credits started to roll. 

I wonder if you didn't recognize him because he wears glasses in what I'd say are his two biggest roles, Christopher Darden and Randall Pearson.

[Rinaldo]

It's still a good episode even if one doesn't know or care who he is.

[Dots And Stripes]

One thing I wondered is how Boyle ended up with a line that could have gone to any of the police officers. Did he get his full episode rate for that?

[Court]

This may be my favorite episode. I would think ok that's the funniest moment and then nope, that is. Couldn't stop laughing when SKB started examining Jake's teeth. 

[wayne67]

15 hours ago, BoogieBurns said:

1) His husband absolutely knows his name

2) Holt is almost impossible to spell wrong. 

This show is the best. I binge'd like 30 episodes this weekend (I was hiding from the outside world). They are very rewatchable. Particularly Season 3 because I never paid attention when those episodes aired live.

I'm pretty sure it's not that hard for a random person to spell it wrong since it's sounds like HALT but it's telling of Holt's personality and how pedantic he is that he has to spell it out for everyone including his husband. 

I'm thinking I'm overdue for a rewatch binge fest via Netflix. 

[thuganomics85]

Definitely was curious about this episode since I knew it was going to be loosely based of of the "Three Men and Adena" episode from Homicide, which is probably one of the best episodes of any television I've seen (with that show fresh in my mind again, could this show please get Kyle Secor to guest before it ends, whenever that might be.)  It was certainly interesting seeing it basically be this show's version of a bottle episode, and even having a good portion of the cast absent, outside of Jake, Holt, and the brief appearances from Boyle and Gina.  But all and all, I thought it was close to perfect.

It's been really great seeing how Sterling K. Brown has broken out (I'm currently rewatching Person of Interest, and I totally forgot he played Carter's detective love interest, Beechum), and I thought he was excellent here.  He really made Phillip charismatic and kind of charming at times, but he was also a smug bastard and even chilling at times with the ways he was easily able to dodge questions and make-up excuses.  A riveting performance and one that would get him another Emmy nod if they actually cared about this poor show.  While I'm glad Jake was able to finally get him, I do wonder if they could find a way to have him appear again (you know, when Sterling isn't busy winning awards on the actual show he's headlining!)

Always enjoy it when the show explores the relationship between Jake and Holt.  They really have one of the best partnerships on any television show.  In a lot of ways, they know one another better then themselves, but at times, they can still surprise each other.

While a more serious episode, I did like the funny moments.  Jake's variations attempts to thwart Phillip were great (especially bringing back the banjo), but I think the funniest part was Holt losing it when Phillip turned the tables on his attempt to mock dentists being called doctors, by dissing college professors who get doctorates. 

I did miss the rest of the cast, but for an on-off, this was a pretty fun diversion.

[DearEvette]

15 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

I also cracked up over the whole argument about how Dentists arent "really" doctors, and then Holt got super defensive about PHDs being Doctors. No one talks shit about Kevin's PHD like that! Also, Holt spelling his name to Kevin (his husband!) made me laugh so freaking hard, I cant even. 

Living amongst PhDs and two medical doctors, I have to say I have heard this argument in varying shades of heat, passion, volume, humor, and vitriol for years.  So hearing Holt's version of it had me cracking up.  I had to make my husband watch he's one of the PhDs and he was nodding in solidarity.  LOL.

 

3 hours ago, thuganomics85 said:

could this show please get Kyle Secor to guest before it ends, whenever that might be.) 

I would die.  Of happiness.  Back in the day on the old usenet boards we'd talk Homicide:LOTS the tv critic Alan Sepinwall used to run a discussion board on H:LOTS when he was a college student.  Braugher (Frank Pembleton) and Secor's (Tim Bayliss) partner chemistry was fantastic they were like one, so we'd call them 'Frankentim.' Ah, good times.

[doodlebug]

8 hours ago, thuganomics85 said:

Definitely was curious about this episode since I knew it was going to be loosely based of of the "Three Men and Adena" episode from Homicide, which is probably one of the best episodes of any television I've seen (with that show fresh in my mind again, could this show please get Kyle Secor to guest before it ends, whenever that might be.)  It was certainly interesting seeing it basically be this show's version of a bottle episode, and even having a good portion of the cast absent, outside of Jake, Holt, and the brief appearances from Boyle and Gina.  But all and all, I thought it was close to perfect.

Kyle Secor playing Holt's former cop partner (or romantic partner)!  It practically writes itself!

Edited April 3, 2018 by doodlebug

[iMonrey]

Quote

I wonder if you didn't recognize him because he wears glasses in what I'd say are his two biggest roles, Christopher Darden and Randall Pearson.

Yes, I know him from the OJ story. I have never seen Person of Interest or This Is Us. However, whenever I see someone familiar looking and can't place them I automatically jump to "sports celebrity" because those are the ones I never know. That's who I assumed he was through the whole thing.

Quote

It's still a good episode even if one doesn't know or care who he is.

Yes and no. I mean, it was good, I didn't hate it or anything. But at the same time I was keenly aware that this was a "very special episode" that revolved around a "very special guest star" and I had no idea who the hell he was.  And then there's this:

Quote

Definitely was curious about this episode since I knew it was going to be loosely based of of the "Three Men and Adena" episode from Homicide

So this episode really relied a lot on people knowing who the guest star was and what the episode was sort of a homage to. Since I knew neither of those things it just seemed kind of . . . strange.

[meep.meep]

On 4/2/2018 at 6:57 AM, BoogieBurns said:

They say that Sterling's Emmy acceptance speech is what made the writers/producers reach out to him for this episode. He said he can't believe he won the same award that Andre Braugher won for Homicide: Life On The Street. This episode above, was mentioned by someone as a perfect episode to pay homage to with Sterling and Andre. Basically, Sterling got to act alongside Andre in Homicide: Brooklyn 99 edition.

I don't think you need to know who SKB is, or anything about Homicide to enjoy the episode.  And you knew they would get their man because Doug Judy is the only one who gets away.

Brown followed Braugher in getting his degree in drama from Stanford.  It's not a big department.  Everyone else is getting an Engineering degree.  You know that everyone was constantly comparing him to Braugher.  His Emmy speech also concluded with the statement "Chocolate Cardinals Represent" so he was sure thinking about Stanford.

[Rinaldo]

48 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

But at the same time I was keenly aware that this was a "very special episode" that revolved around a "very special guest star"

Well, that's a personal decision, whether to think about or care about any of that. I was aware of no such thing, and did not find the episode requiring me to think about it. It was just a good episode, with a different format from most, but I didn't let that distract me. I idly wondered who the guest star was, because I do enjoy recognizing actors (but I'm also terrible at it, even when they're actors I've seen before as SKB is), but my attention was still on the story before me. 

[iMonrey]

Quote

Well, that's a personal decision, whether to think about or care about any of that. 

I didn't actively "decide" I was going to "care" about why there were only three characters in this episode. I noticed it, wondered why, and assumed it was to showcase whoever that guy was that I didn't know. Yeah you can sit back and go "so what it's still good" but that's not my point. My point was I noticed right away this was a different/special episode and whatever sort of homage they were doing was going right over my head because I wasn't familiar with the source of it. In other words, it didn't work on every level it intended to. Not for me.  I just thought it was weird, and I didn't "decide" to think that, I just did.

[biakbiak]

25 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

 My point was I noticed right away this was a different/special episode and whatever sort of homage they were doing was going right over my head because I wasn't familiar with the source of it. In other words, it didn't work on every level it intended to. Not for me.  I just thought it was weird, and I didn't "decide" to think that, I just did.

The episode Three Men and Adena aired 25 years ago on a program that was usually last in the ratings so I imagine the writers didn't expect most people to be familiar with it. 

[Sunshinegal]

This was an interesting episode.  I liked the interaction between Jake and Holt as others have said previously.  I like episodes that explores relationships between characters.  I also like Jake getting the confession and Holt's reaction. 

I didn't know previously that this episode was based on an episode of Homicide.  That's why I like going on these threads.  I can learn new stuff.  Also, I would like to see Kyle Secor on the show (I liked him on Veronica Mars). 

I liked that the cast on this show like each other and respects each other. 

On a shallow note, Sterling K. Brown looked goooood.