S05.E16: NutriBoom / S05.E17: DFW

[formerlyfreedom]

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Jake and Charles realize that they’ve been suckered into the cult-like NutriBoom pyramid scheme, and must find a way to sever their contracts.

and

Jake invites his newly discovered half-sister to stay with him in New York, but when he and Amy realize she’s a bit of a nightmare, they must find a way to get her back home to Dallas.

[Loandbehold]

Remember, this is either a one-hour episode or back-to-back episodes tonight. Make sure to adjust your DVRs accordingly. 

[incandescent]

That Backstreet Boys lineup might be the best cold open B99 has ever done!

[chitowngirl]

As soon as Rosa looked at the bartender a little too long, I knew the Gina set up was with the bartender.

[Lady Calypso]

1 minute ago, incandescent said:

That Backstreet Boys lineup might be the best cold open B99 has ever done!

There's a clip on it on the official Youtube page from a few days ago and I was rewatching it over and over before tonight's episode. Watching it play out live, it's still my favourite cold open, beating my favourite "Why Amy's Late To Work (HOT DAMN)" cold open. When this show actually has a police lineup and Jake singing a top five favourite song of mine, then you know it's damn good. 

Anyway, looking at the first half, I guess they've set up the arc for these last few episodes. NutriBoom, and Bill, make a return! Him and Boyle really do share a resemblance. It wasn't my favourite episode, but it had its moments. I really liked Amy's subplot with her first day as a sergeant. Her having her own Amy was great. Gary was hilarious, and a perfect foil toward Amy. I liked her trying to take Gina's advice, and then Rosa's. But Holt's advice to her was fantastic. What a great scene between the two. It's such an underrated relationship, but I enjoy it every time they explore it. This show has such a healthy dynamic between almost everyone (Gina's always questionable).

Now, for the second half. Hello Nasim Pedrad! What a fantastic role she had as Katie. I thought she was hilarious and had awesome chemistry with Jake as well as Amy. I'd love to see more of her. I also thoroughly enjoyed Jake's gag of trying to hook her up with one of Amy's brothers. Unsurprisingly, Jake had the answer right off the bat.

It was nice to see Gina be a matchmaker for Rosa and she tricked her. But it's always nice to see a kinder side of Gina. 

Poor Terry. He just wanted to try yoga and had to be carried by Boyle.

[bethy]

In the cold open when the woman said, "Number 5. That's the man who killed my brother" and Jake was all, "I totally forgot that!" I laughed out loud. Andy Samberg's horrified expression was perfect. I love that Jake's occasional insensitivity is so perfectly balanced by what a genuinely nice guy he is.

I liked Katie for the most part, but I kind of felt like she was a knock-off of Mona-Lisa Saperstein from Parks and Rec. 

[Ms Blue Jay]

1 hour ago, incandescent said:

That Backstreet Boys lineup might be the best cold open B99 has ever done!

This is one of the greatest things I've seen on television period.  And this bitch (points to self) watches a loooooooooot of television.

Thank you @Lady Calypso for telling me about the Youtube Link.

Edited April 16, 2018 by Ms Blue Jay

[Lady Calypso]

4 minutes ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

This is one of the greatest things I've seen on television period.  And this bitch (points to self) watches a loooooooooot of television.

Thank you @Lady Calypso for telling me about the Youtube Link.

Oh man, this cold open makes me chuckle the more I watch it. I love how, in particular, the murderer is the only one to really get into his solo while everyone else looks confused as hell.

[Ms Blue Jay]

They're really good singers.  That's why Jake was so excited about it.  LOL

I've seen Nasim everywhere lately.  She came back on SNL Saturday, she was on Episode 901 of Curb Your Enthusiasm, and she's practically a regular on New Girl which just came back.

Edited April 16, 2018 by Ms Blue Jay

[possibilities]

I'm confused about Amy's new job. She's no longer at the 9-9? She was coming to Holt for advice but he's no longer her supervisor? Maybe I don't understand how precincts work? I really dislike the idea that she might not work cases with the rest of the cast anymore. It just feels way too late to start introducing an entirely new crop of characters and have her interact mostly with them.

I knew that even Gina would not be stupid enough to think Rosa would like the woman she allegedly set Rosa up with, so it had to be a prank of some kind. And when I saw the bartender I was like: I WILL DATE YOU IF ROSA WON'T!!! So, happy ending there.

Terry's injured walk was funny to me. I never used to get physical humor but middle age has taught me a thing or two. However, I did not believe that neither Hitchcock nor Scully tried to use their secret room all the time Terry was locked in there. Boyle carrying him out, though, was kind of awesome. Boyle needs a win once in a while.

Edited April 16, 2018 by possibilities

[VCRTracking]

13 minutes ago, possibilities said:

I'm confused about Amy's new job. She's no longer at the 9-9? She was coming to Holt for advice but he's no longer her supervisor? Maybe I don't understand how precincts work? I really dislike the idea that she might not work cases with the rest of the cast anymore. It just feels way too late to start introducing an entirely new crop of characters and have her interact mostly with them.

I knew that even Gina would not be stupid enough to think Rosa would like the woman she allegedly set Rosa up with, so it had to be a prank of some kind. And when I saw the bartender I was like: I WILL DATE YOU IF ROSA WON'T!!! So, happy ending there.

Terry's injured walk was funny to me. I never used to get physical humor but middle age has taught me a thing or two. However, I did not believe that neither Hitchcock nor Scully tried to use their secret room all the time Terry was locked in there. Boyle carrying him out, though, was kind of awesome. Boyle needs a win once in a while.

 

She's still in the 9-9 but now as a sergeant supervising the uniformed officers just as Terry is sergeant of detectives. Captain Holt is head of the precinct so is still her boss. At least she's in the same building and gets to talk to the regulars.

Looks like Nutriboom is the new threat to Jake and the crew. A corporation/cult is a change of pace from the mob as an adversary.

Loved seeing Nasim on last night's SNL and here as Jake's sister although, people have pointed out the B99 has crossed over with New Girl and she already has a role there!

Edited April 16, 2018 by VCRTracking

[Mystery]

Yeah, you always see uniformed officers walking around in the background at the precinct. I was just picturing Amy like the "Let's be safe out there" sergeant from Hill Street Blues (if any of you are old enough to remember that show!) So she'll still be around, but in a different capacity. 

I wish they had done a little more with the Kate character. Like if her and Jake's father had taught her the glass-in-the-food thing, so maybe she thought it was more fun than criminal. I definitely don't want to see her character, as written in tonight's episode, very often in what's left of the show. I like Nasim, though. 

[possibilities]

Thanks for explaining Amy's new job. It makes sense to me now.

[biakbiak]

41 minutes ago, Mystery said:

Like if her and Jake's father had taught her the glass-in-the-food thing, so maybe she thought it was more fun than criminal. I

She said they only met 9 times in her life so that seems unlikely.

[Mulva]

I noticed what might be a call out to LA to Vegas when Kate and Jake talked about Captain Steve.  Dermot Mulroney played a Captain Steve on LA to Vegas - I wonder if it's supposed to be the same guy.  I could see Jake's father working for Jackpot Airlines.

[VCRTracking]

54 minutes ago, Mulva said:

I noticed what might be a call out to LA to Vegas when Kate and Jake talked about Captain Steve.  Dermot Mulroney played a Captain Steve on LA to Vegas - I wonder if it's supposed to be the same guy.  I could see Jake's father working for Jackpot Airlines.

Possibly. Also that's Dylan McDermott(unless you were making a joke how people always get them confused!). Man he's been in movie and TV for 30 years and he has hardly aged AT ALL.

[vibeology]

3 minutes ago, VCRTracking said:

Possibly. Also that's Dylan McDermott(unless you were making a joke how people always get them confused!). Man he's been in movie and TV for 30 years and he has hardly aged AT ALL.

Dylan McDermott plays Captain Dave, the regular pilot. Dermot Mulroney plays Captain Steve, his foil. I still get confused and I watch the show every week.

[VCRTracking]

4 minutes ago, vibeology said:

Dylan McDermott plays Captain Dave, the regular pilot. Dermot Mulroney plays Captain Steve, his foil. I still get confused and I watch the show every week.

Whoa, I haven't watched the show so did not know he was on their too as his rival! That's brilliant! I always could tell them apart because Mulroney has a deeper voice. Also I watched The Practice a lot.

Some "Dianetti" shippers were disappointed Gina was setting Rosa up with other women. I will never understand people who ship those two. Rosa is way too good for her.

Edited April 16, 2018 by VCRTracking

[Danny Franks]

Oh boy, I don't know what I was expecting with the first cold open, but "there's pigeon everywhere!" had me rolling.

Amy being in charge of the uniformed officers was something else I wasn't expecting. And she definitely does look dope. Her having to deal with her own 'Amy' was nice, and I really liked her impression of Gina, when trying to bore Gary.

"Managing Amy is not a chore, it's a pleasure. Because an Amy is a tool..."

"I'm a tool?"

Aw. But it did end up being really heartwarming.

The storyline about the scam company conning people was amusing, but it went from Herbalife con to quasi-religious cult real quick. The CEO's wife being probably murdered? I love a good Scientology gag. And I loved just how quickly Jay Chandrasekhar flipped when they told him they were cops.

"Doctor is spelled with an E?"

"It's the British spelling."

Jake's right, it really isn't.

Bill is really fucking weird, man. I love how much effort they put into making these occasional characters so memorable.

The cold open to the second episode is honestly one of the funniest things I've seen in a long time. And hands down the best use of the criminal lineup trope I can remember. 

Some good Amy/Jake time in this episode. I like supportive Amy, and I liked seeing them at home together. But I didn't like Jake's sister, and I can't say I really get the idea that you'd want to meet some random person who just happens to have been fathered by the same deadbeat guy. I was also a little irritated that we met this woman before we met any of Amy's brothers.

And hey, Kurt was Blade from Community. Cool. 

Terry Crews doing physical comedy is always great. That tiny steps walk he did was hilarious. As was that blast of Jennifer Warnes and Joe Cocker. And I did not know that only dope smoking hooligans played racquetball. I did know about the destructive power of wordplay, though.

For once, Gina wasn't being deliberately shitty and setting Rosa up with a woman who was immediately, obviously a terrible match. But the bartender was hot so, as Captain Holt said, "Get. Some." Rosa.

Edited April 16, 2018 by Danny Franks

[ItCouldBeWorse]

1 hour ago, Mulva said:

I noticed what might be a call out to LA to Vegas when Kate and Jake talked about Captain Steve.  Dermot Mulroney played a Captain Steve on LA to Vegas - I wonder if it's supposed to be the same guy.  I could see Jake's father working for Jackpot Airlines.

 

52 minutes ago, VCRTracking said:

53 minutes ago, vibeology said:

Dylan McDermott plays Captain Dave, the regular pilot. Dermot Mulroney plays Captain Steve, his foil. I still get confused and I watch the show every week.

Whoa, I haven't watched the show so did not know he was on their too as his rival! That's brilliant! I always could tell them apart because Mulroney has a deeper voice. Also I watched The Practice a lot.

I highly recommend that everyone who enjoys Brooklyn 99 watch the first few episodes of LA to Vegas, as it has the same mix of grounded/wacky characters and situations.  There's been discussion on the  LA to Vegas thread of how great a crossover would be.  (Much better than New Girl.)  Seriously, watch a bunch of episodes on Fox (the first one just sets up the characters, so binge a few).  It's really funny and Dylan McDermott is almost as big of a surprise, humor wise, as Andre Braugher was! (The supporting characters are great, too.)

32 minutes ago, Danny Franks said:

Some good Amy/Jake time in this episode. I like supportive Amy, and I liked seeing them at home together. But I didn't like Jake's sister, and I can't say I really get the idea that you'd want to meet some random person who just happens to have been fathered by the same deadbeat guy. I was also a little irritated that we met this woman before we met any of Amy's brothers.

Jake's an only child, who had a sad childhood due to his dad, so I get wanting to meet a sibling with a similar experience to commiserate or bond with, but he should have met her for the first time close to where she lives, or in a neutral location, instead of bringing unknown craziness into his own home.

Edited April 16, 2018 by ItCouldBeWorse

[tennisgurl]

I think the I Want it That Way cold open will go down in history as one of the best openings of this or any show. And that is not even hyperbole, that’s just how epic and hilarious that was. 

[peeayebee]

5 hours ago, Danny Franks said:

Oh boy, I don't know what I was expecting with the first cold open, but "there's pigeon everywhere!" had me rolling.

I was expecting everything to go wrong, but not right away, and not THAT way. (I did not want it that way... but it was funny.)

I liked how robotic and happy some of the people were at NutriBoom, like the woman Jake and Charles confronted about getting their money back, and the guy who kept insisting that Charles was Bill. Speaking of Bill, I love his character and learning all the weird stuff about him.

Jake: Ooo, Debbie dead.
Charles: Debbie real dead.

 

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And I loved just how quickly Jay Chandrasekhar flipped when they told him they were cops.

That was so great. Terrific character.

 

Quote

"Managing Amy is not a chore, it's a pleasure. Because an Amy is a tool..."

"I'm a tool?"

Awesomely followed by Holt saying, "Yes, you're a massive tool. You're useful and valuable."

 

I liked the first ep, but I loved the second one. The CO was fantastically hilarious.

 

Quote

And hey, Kurt was Blade from Community. Cool. 

I remember him as Joe the Sewage Guy from Parks & Rec.

As little as I like Gina, I did love her line, "The only thing I'm not good at is modesty… because I'm GREAT at it." Her Holt soundboard was pretty great, too.

Holt: My squash club recently transitioned to racquetball. Since I'm not a dope-smoking hooligan I decided to quit.

Charles: You're a muscler, I'm a boner.

Charles: You're about to enter the bone zone.

Charles: Why did you make me feel so bad?
Holt: To teach you a lesson about the destructive power of wordplay.

Edited April 16, 2018 by peeayebee

[tennisgurl]

8 hours ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

I highly recommend that everyone who enjoys Brooklyn 99 watch the first few episodes of LA to Vegas, as it has the same mix of grounded/wacky characters and situations.  There's been discussion on the  LA to Vegas thread of how great a crossover would be. 

I've been considering giving the show a try, so maybe now I will when I have some spare time! I saw the first episode and kind of forgot about it, so maybe I should give it another shot!

I love that whenever Amy and Jake has stories together, they're usually on the same "side" and work together, and a lot of the humor comes from how their differences compliment each other, or them playing off other people, or dealing with some weird situation. Even when they arent totally in on it together, like with the puzzle guy, they arent really fighting or something, they're just dealing with their own stuff. Its not the sitcom trope where all the jokes from a couple come from them fighting or being jealous or picking at each other. They really just seem to like being around each other, and while lesser sitcom couples might make fun or each others quirks, they both LOVE every weird thing about each other. Its so adorable. 

*Sigh* I just love them so much you guys. 

[Corgi-ears]

The bartender was cute, but I hope this doesn't mean that Gina Rodriguez isn't going to play Diaz's girlfriend. 

[rhys]

I watched a lot of A&E's series about scientology with Leah Remini and that missing wife thing was disturbing (even tho 99didnt go quite there). But the story line, smiling, $$, misspelling was all scientology. Wowza

[biakbiak]

I don't think he coined it but "down to clown" always makes me think of Harris Wittels and makes me laugh.

Edited April 17, 2018 by biakbiak

[thuganomics85]

Back-to-back episodes, I see.

The first episode definitely feels like a setup for this NutriBoom organization being the main obstacle for the final episodes.  Pretty much had all off the typical pyramid scheme/cult cliches, but I liked the involvement of Bill, and having the guy from Super Troopers was a good random choice for the "celebrity caught/brainwashed" role.  Fun seeing Jake/Boyle together again, even if Boyle really needs to accept that he is not invited to the Honeymoon.

Amy Santiago in those sergeant blues!  Is there any outfit that Melissa Fumero doesn't look great in?  Not surprised that she had some obstacles to overcome, but I enjoyed watching her have to deal with her "own Amy", and how it was Holt that managed to give her the answer.  I really love the bond Amy and Holt have.

The second episode pretty much had me hook, line, and sinker with the cold opening.  That really might be up there as one of the best.  Top five, at least.

I was worried that Katie was going to feel too similar to Mona Lisa from Parks & Rec (mainly because I always get Nasim Pedrad and Jenny Slate mixed-up at first and it takes me a few seconds to figure out who it is), but I liked the direction they went with her and how Nasim played her.  She definitely has a lot of issues (the glass), but there were another hints and mentions about how bad her life has been, and maybe having someone like Jake in her life will help.  Still, I did love his and Amy's horrified reactions to pretty much everything she did.

Surprised they had Rosa break-up with her girlfriend off screen.  Had a feeling that the bartender was who Gina was really setting her up with.  I wonder if that will last, or if something else is going to happen.

The Holt/Boyle/Terry subplot shined due to all of the physical humor.  Terry Crews is a national treasure.

And, yes, as someone who has been liking LA to Vegas, I would love it if Jake's dad somehow connects both of the shows.  The idea of Holt meeting Captain Dave.  And Jake and Ronnie bonding over their unhealthy eating habits... 

[QueerGirrl]

I didn't know I needed a Holt soundboard until now!  Must have!

[Loandbehold]

I'm guessing that Holt (H-O-L-T) is still learning yoga b/c he didn't correct Boyle when Boyle said they were doing the warrior pose. There are several warrior poses. They started doing warrior two and then moved to reverse warrior. Boyle, Terry, and Holt (H-O-L-T) had some really good moments in the second episode. In fact, this was one of the few times that I enjoyed the B- and C-stories more than the A-story. I just found Jake's sister to over-the-top, even for this show. I'm sure it wasn't helped by my unfamiliarity with the actress. The cold opening, though, was spectacular.

As for the first episode, you can't go wrong torching Scientology. Watching Jake, and to a lesser extent, Boyle trying to resign from NutriBoom and get their money back was fantastic.

[iMonrey]

If I was in a lineup and they asked me to sing a Backstreet Boys song they'd be shit out of luck. I couldn't name a single Backstreet Boys song to save my life let alone sing one.

Quote

I highly recommend that everyone who enjoys Brooklyn 99 watch the first few episodes of LA to Vegas, as it has the same mix of grounded/wacky characters and situations.  

Eh, this is probably off topic, but Brooklyn 99 is still far superior to LA to Vegas. 

[Skyfall]

9 hours ago, QueerGirrl said:

I didn't know I needed a Holt soundboard until now!  Must have!

Get. Some. Get. Some. Get. Some.

[ClareWalks]

11 hours ago, QueerGirrl said:

I didn't know I needed a Holt soundboard until now!  Must have!

They should make an app of Gina's "mobile version," also we can play Kwazy Kupcakes on it.

[dingochick]

Crud I haven’t seen the second ep yet so trying to avoid spoilers in this thread, but yeah for Nutriboom I was all, “OMG they’re doing David and Shelly Miscavige, the scientology  people!” Heh.

[festivus]

On 4/16/2018 at 2:03 PM, tennisgurl said:

I think the I Want it That Way cold open will go down in history as one of the best openings of this or any show. And that is not even hyperbole, that’s just how epic and hilarious that was. 

It really was. The funniest thing to me was that everyone in the line-up knew the words. I'm still giggling about it.

[Rinaldo]

For me, the top cold opens of the series have been Boyle Bingo and Why Is Amy Late? This one easily joins them and goes to the head of the list.

[jhlipton]

On 4/15/2018 at 10:34 PM, possibilities said:

I WILL DATE YOU IF ROSA WON'T!!!

We didn't see much of her, but what we saw was great!

On 4/16/2018 at 10:02 AM, ItCouldBeWorse said:

I highly recommend that everyone who enjoys Brooklyn 99 watch the first few episodes of LA to Vegas

I watched about 5 minutes and turned it off in disgust.  But I'm one of thpse rare people who doesn't like Parks and Recreation or The Good Place!

On 4/16/2018 at 6:54 PM, tennisgurl said:

they both LOVE every weird thing about each other. Its so adorable. 

*Sigh* I just love them so much you guys. 

So very much THIS!

On 4/17/2018 at 11:09 AM, iMonrey said:

If I was in a lineup and they asked me to sing a Backstreet Boys song they'd be shit out of luck. I couldn't name a single Backstreet Boys song to save my life let alone sing one.

Ditto.

[jhlipton]

I watched about half of an LA to Vegas episode, enough to see them totally muff the Robert Stack character from Airplane! -- just no.

[Spartan Girl]

On April 15, 2018 at 9:43 PM, incandescent said:

That Backstreet Boys lineup might be the best cold open B99 has ever done!

That was the funniest thing I've seen on Fox in a long time. And the fact that the network cancelled the show after that proves that they're morons. 

[Sandman]

On 4/15/2018 at 10:17 PM, bethy said:

In the cold open when the woman said, "Number 5. That's the man who killed my brother" and Jake was all, "I totally forgot that!" I laughed out loud. Andy Samberg's horrified expression was perfect. I love that Jake's occasional insensitivity is so perfectly balanced by what a genuinely nice guy he is.

Absolutely! My favourite cold open so far!

I have to say that even though I knew the Rube Goldberg-esque pigeon rescue was clearly not going to go as planned, they still sold me on the "There's pigeon EVERYWHERE!" horror at the end of the cold open for "Nutriboom."

Holt's distinction between squash and racquetball had me emitting an actual snort of laughter. Once again, it's all in Braugher's delivery.

Edited January 19, 2019 by Sandman