S06.E08: He Said, She Said

[formerlyfreedom]

Quote

Jake and Amy investigate a difficult "he said, she said" case. Holt becomes suspicious after learning his lifelong arch nemesis died in a prison transport accident.

Airing Thursday, February 28, 2019

[Spartan Girl]

Jake and Amy have the best marriage on TV.

I love that this show can take on a serious subject sensitively without losing its humor. And I'll freely admit that I kept giggling every times one one said "broken penis."

[Lady Calypso]

I am definitely not surprised with how they handled the A plot. Plus, it was really Amy's story. Plus, a bonus married Peralta-Santiago team-up!

I really liked how they handled the entire sexual harassment case. Rosa and Amy both brought up good points, and Jake was extremely supportive of the entire situation. I actually loved the montage where they were speaking to the coworkers and we got to watch Jake and Amy's faces dropping after every interview until both looked perpetually annoyed.

My heart definitely broke when Amy told Jake about her own story with her first mentor. Melissa Fumero deserves a nomination for this episode alone. 

As for the B plot, I did end up laughing a lot at Holt's 80 year old nemesis. I thought that it was very entertaining, especially when they got the Disco Strangler. Also, we got to see the Disco Strangler! Woohoo!

[festivus]

59 minutes ago, Spartan Girl said:

Jake and Amy have the best marriage on TV.

That was the exact post I was going to make. Not quick enough, lol. 

This show handles these kinds of issues better than any other. It never feels clunky like it does on other comedies l watch.

[Rinaldo]

54 minutes ago, Lady Calypso said:

Plus, a bonus married Peralta-Santiago team-up!

On the one hand, it's utterly preposterous. Just because she's "ahead on her paperwork," the sergeant in charge of uniformed officers doesn't get a few days off to work a case. On the other hand, it's what made this episode possible, and the two of them really do have the best marriage, so I'll willingly overlook it.

The writing was really smart in the way it had the two ways to handle the case argued by Amy & Rosa, rather than Amy & Jake. Jake was there to be supportive, to become repeatedly more enlightened about women's experience, and to provide incidental comedy (never insensitive) to keep it all from getting too heavy. 

[thuganomics85]

Definitely one of the more serious episode of the show, but I thought they handled everything well.  I like that they didn't try to have any kind of suspense over what really happened, and they made it pretty clear that the woman was telling the truth about the creep sexually assaulting her.  And while Jake and Amy did prove it and solve the case, it was still a bittersweet ending, since the victim still left because she knew the firm would never treat her the same way again.  I sadly suspect that is how it ends for most victims of sexual assault, especially in an "environment" like that firm.

Definitely a great episode for Amy and Melissa Fumero.  She killed that scene in the break room, when she told Jake what happened with her first mentor and the doubt over her abilities because of it.  While I think Amy is always a driven and competitive person, I can see how that led her to being even more hell bent to prove herself.  And it really makes me glad that she found a much better mentor in the form of Holt.  May she continue to rise in the ranks, and continue to prove that asshole wrong.

I thought they did a good job with Jake in that he was somewhat clueless about just how bad it can be for women, but he never questioned Amy (or Rosa) about it, and was always supportive.  And it all leading to him Netflixing a documentary about it was both hilarious and sweet.  Again, Jake/Amy are the best television couple out there.

The B-plot was fun with them bringing back the Disco Strangler, and Holt's obsession over him.  One of the best things this show has ever done was not have Holt always be the cool and collective robot, and how he can be emotional plenty of times, but just in the deadpan way that Andre Braugher has perfected.  Terry and Boyle were fun too.  Plus, the return of 80s Holt!

Hitchcock just getting sent home during the opening act was hilarious.  Even if poor Scully was at a loss!

Not much Rosa likely due to Stephanie Beatriz directing this episode, but she was used well still.  Also thought Beatriz did a good job here.  It's always fun when shows let their actors branch out and work on other aspects of the show.

[Maelstrom]

27 minutes ago, festivus said:

This show handles these kinds of issues better than any other. It never feels clunky like it does on other comedies l watch.

Heck, there are a lot of dramas that can get pretty damn clunky when it comes to handling weighty issues. This show outshines them all.

As far as I’m concerned this is one of the all time best episodes of the entire series, hands down. Everything was handled so perfectly: Amy and Rosa’s differing yet valid opinions, Jake becoming more supportive and understanding the more he learned, and the aftermath for the woman. Well done, Show, well done.

This season has had several top notch episodes, actually. Losing deadweight in the cast and relocating to a network that actually gives them some love has clearly been good for the 99.

[Bort]

43 minutes ago, thuganomics85 said:

it was still a bittersweet ending, since the victim still left because she knew the firm would never treat her the same way again.

It would’ve also been a good point to make if the woman had also said she no longer wanted to work for a company who would perpetuate such a coverup. They were throwing her under a bus.

[Loandbehold]

1 hour ago, Rinaldo said:

The writing was really smart in the way it had the two ways to handle the case argued by Amy & Rosa, rather than Amy & Jake. Jake was there to be supportive, to become repeatedly more enlightened about women's experience, and to provide incidental comedy (never insensitive) to keep it all from getting too heavy. 

48 minutes ago, Maelstrom said:

As far as I’m concerned this is one of the all time best episodes of the entire series, hands down. Everything was handled so perfectly: Amy and Rosa’s differing yet valid opinions, Jake becoming more supportive and understanding the more he learned, and the aftermath for the woman. Well done, Show, well done.

Thumbs up to both posts, but especially the quoted portions. I also liked and laughed at all the examples Jake sees of what Amy deals with and how he never noticed they were happening. Brought the point home while still maintaining the comedy. 

Likely an unpopular opinion, but I thought they handled this issue better than Terry being racially profiled. In that episode, they lost the comedy while here they didn't. 

Flashback Holt! The Disco Strangler! Seducing the driver! 

[possibilities]

I was really scared that the Strangler had a device in his hand that he would use to somehow set off an explosion when they moved in to take him into custody. I thought it was going to be like Doug Judy always getting away.

Then I remembered this is a comedy, and they were not going to kill Holt or another officer for effect.

But that's how seriously I was taking the show. They handled the sexual harassment issue so deftly, I forgot it wasn't that kind of show.

[Mystery]

4 hours ago, Lady Calypso said:

My heart definitely broke when Amy told Jake about her own story with her first mentor. Melissa Fumero deserves a nomination for this episode alone. 

3 hours ago, thuganomics85 said:

Not much Rosa likely due to Stephanie Beatriz directing this episode

I came to say how much Melissa and Andy must trust each other, to do that "Amy's story" scene so well together. I didn't know that Stephanie had directed, but that just adds to it. This is such a great cast and group of writers. 

I was glad to have the comic relief of the Disco Strangler, especially Terry and Boyle repeating all the pertinent information. 

[Ailianna]

8 hours ago, kariyaki said:

It would’ve also been a good point to make if the woman had also said she no longer wanted to work for a company who would perpetuate such a coverup. They were throwing her under a bus.

Unfortunately, I think they took the more realistic route.  Even if she threw that out as why she was leaving, the truth is that she went against corporate culture, took down someone who seemed popular--or at least valued by the bosses--and she showed everyone up.  She's absolutely right that she is being shut out, and it will only get worse there if she stayed.

I did think that it was a nice touch that there was another victim who felt inspired and empowered to come forward because of it though.  And this victim would already know what happened to the first woman, and is willing to come forward anyway.  That is part of the hope that even if your case doesn't turn out the way you might want, you make it easier and safer for the next person.

[hendersonrocks]

There was a really interesting exchange on Twitter last night, in which TV critic Alan Sepinwall said the show missed an opportunity to do some self-examination about its early Boyle-is-obsessed-with-Rosa storyline and how it uses The Name Of Your Sex Tape bit in light of the A story. Melissa Fumero responded to his tweet with this: "While I always appreciate your point of view, the Rosa/Boyle & Title of your sex tape beats were never about abuse of power. They were playful in nature, and based on established relationships." 

GOD I LOVE THIS SHOW, and the smart people like Melissa Fumero who make it what it is.

(Twitter link here, if you're so moved.)

[Linny]

That quick montage of Amy's experiences was such a brilliantly adept way of highlighting the disparities that exist between men and women. The adversity that women face isn't always blatant like sexual harassment in the workplace, though as Amy attested, that's sadly all too common for many women. But being a woman also means being overlooked for a man, because he's inherently viewed as having more authority; it means having to accept comments on your body as compliments even if it makes you uncomfortable; it means working hard to carve out space for yourself to be seen as a person with feelings, and not an object. It's a niggling discomfort that never quite disappears. The world needs more Jakes, who are open to listening, learning, and advocating. It's a sad reality, and as Amy said, she's used to it, but she shouldn't have to be.

[Brandi Maxxxx]

Amy has a habit of shouting "I'm in uniform!" at strangers. They should have just cut to a blank screen after that because everything else seems redundant now. No more worlds to conquer.

[iMonrey]

I guess I'm in the minority but I didn't feel like this was a particularly good episode. I just didn't get as many laughs out of it as I did last week, for example. Of course, even a weak installment of this show is miles ahead of most of the schlock that passes for sitcoms these days.

Of course, flashback 80s Holt will never not be funny, and it was great to see Jake and Amy working a case together again. I just don't know that this is the show to tackle serious social issues.

[Lady Calypso]

Just now, iMonrey said:

I guess I'm in the minority but I didn't feel like this was a particularly good episode. I just didn't get as many laughs out of it as I did last week, for example. Of course, even a weak installment of this show is miles ahead of most of the schlock that passes for sitcoms these days.

Of course, flashback 80s Holt will never not be funny, and it was great to see Jake and Amy working a case together again. I just don't know that this is the show to tackle serious social issues.

For me, it was about on part as the Moo Moo episode. Neither episode are supposed to be particularly funny with the A-Plot. Their intent is to tackle a serious issue as well as they can. This type of episode isn't everybody's cup of tea. I think they handled this episode as well as they could have. Sure, it wasn't the funniest episode they had, but it wasn't aiming to be. The episode was clear in its intent that it didn't want to downplay the seriousness of sexual harassment and sexual assault (hence why they had the Disco Strangler subplot to try to balance it out). I think they were afraid that, if they made the A-Plot too funny, that it would downplay the message. It's clearly a hard topic to tackle right now and I don't think there was a perfect way to do it, but I was satisfied with the result.

Though, I will say, the character of Keri was hilarious for me. The actress' comedic timing was on point. I genuinely got a laugh out of her description of her using Seth's golf club as a weapon again his "cookie monster". I also found the Disco Strangler subplot hilarious. The scene where Holt caught him and they were yelling at each other, more so that the Disco Strangler could hear what Holt was saying, was hilarious to me. 

I understand that this episode isn't going to work with everyone because its purpose WAS to address a social issue that is at the height of our society right now. For me, I was really paying attention to the acting and how the story progressed Amy, Jake, and even Rosa as characters. 

Also, I watched the Jake/Amy scene in the break room a few times and must applaud Stephanie Beatriz's directing in that particular scene. I love how she framed both Jake and Amy. Even when the camera was focused on Amy, you had a glimpse of Jake. Even when he wasn't focused on, you could tell how he was reacting by her story (leaning back when Amy got to the part about how her old captain helped to get her promoted to detective, like he was catching on to where the story was going). And when the camera was on him, Andy Samberg's acting was very well done. Jake had tears in his eyes by the end of her story and he was totally supportive of Amy without showing any sort of pity. The hand hold after she was done was simple, yet very powerful and very effective. And I could not praise Melissa Fumero's acting in that scene any more than I already have. She nailed every bit of that scene. 

It was just nice to have an episode directed and written by women, with the women at the forefront, and being able to handle such a delicate subject much better than some other shows ever could.

[VCRTracking]

Man, I missed Briga Heelan(Ground Floor, Good News). Those eyelashes!

Holt's obsession with the "Disco Strangler" even though he was so elderly now was funny. Andre Braugher continues to be a delight.

Melissa Fumero and Andy Samburg were terrific in the scene Amy's story. Like Jake I'm learning more and more now, the crap women have to deal with that I just never realized and am trying to be better myself.

Great Rosa's quote "Two steps forward, one step back is still one step forward."

Edited March 1, 2019 by VCRTracking

[Sandman]

On 3/1/2019 at 12:01 AM, kariyaki said:

It would’ve also been a good point to make if the woman had also said she no longer wanted to work for a company who would perpetuate such a coverup. They were throwing her under a bus.

I have to think this was a specific choice by the writers: not that the company wasn't throwing her under the bus, but so much of Keri's reasoning for not staying was focused on the realities of networking and being seen as part of the right ambitious, connected (and not incidentally, almost exclusively male) cohort. The cover-up aspect seems almost secondary to the practical question of access. That seemed perfectly realistic, and also crushing. 

Edited March 2, 2019 by Sandman

[Traveller519]

3 hours ago, Linny said:

That quick montage of Amy's experiences was such a brilliantly adept way of highlighting the disparities that exist between men and women. The adversity that women face isn't always blatant like sexual harassment in the workplace, though as Amy attested, that's sadly all too common for many women. But being a woman also means being overlooked for a man, because he's inherently viewed as having more authority; it means having to accept comments on your body as compliments even if it makes you uncomfortable; it means working hard to carve out space for yourself to be seen as a person with feelings, and not an object. It's a niggling discomfort that never quite disappears. The world needs more Jakes, who are open to listening, learning, and advocating. It's a sad reality, and as Amy said, she's used to it, but she shouldn't have to be.

It was similar to the Season 1 episode of Master of None, where Dev and Rachel compare Instagram posts they made of the same brunch and the comments on Dev's are things like, "Looks Nummy!" while Rachel's are things like "I want to eat your butt." The examples are ramped up (mostly) versions of real life interactions, but they're grounded enough in situations we can all recognize to hit home that little bit more.

The episode was great, in my opinion! I'm psyched that it was Stephanie Beatriz who directed it. The move to NBC appears to have really given the show a sense of comfort around its production which has reflected in its quality. The renewal news is tremendous too!

The Final Stand-off with Holt added some great levity to the end of the episode. Charles can be far more tolerable when he's playing the straight-man, and I adored his and Terry's Greek chorus approach to Holt this episode.

[Aryanna]

The handled a serious issue without it having a "very special episode" feel to it. They tackled the issue and still managed to make me laugh.

[tennisgurl]

*Sigh* Jake and Amy are such couple goals. They have such a healthy and supportive relationship, and its so amazing to see. Andy and Melissa crushed this episode, both the jokes and the serious stuff, and they just have such a natural chemistry together.

I thought they handled this sensitive subject really well, being very real about the situation many people have to go through, while also having a lot of jokes throughout to keep things moving. I love that they had Stephanie Beatriz do the directing, I think she did a great job, even though it meant Rosa wasnt really around much, and I imagine that they worked very hard to get this right, especially with Terry Crews being such an outspoken advocate of the Me Too movement, and his own story that he experiences. I can imagine because of that, and the general talent of the writers, they worked really hard, probably harder than a lot of "serious" shows would while doing the same thing, to get this right. 

It helped that the woman who was assaulted was a funny character on her own, telling Jake how "there is never enough Ducktails" in all seriousness, and her giggling about some of the stupid nicknames of her former co-workers. It was serious, but she added a lot of lightness to the story, while also being a person who is clearly trying to deal this messed up situation. 

Also liked Rosa and Amy having different opinions on what people should do in these situations, and the end was really nice. "Two steps forward and one step back is still a step forward" and the co-worker coming forward. Its a nice way to end the episode on a hopeful note, without pretending that everything is fine and wrapping things up in a bow that doesent exist. 

Holt and the Disco Strangler was a fun B Plot, and added some lightness to the episode. "Much like Disco, I will never die!" Even with the guy being super old, and Holt being obsessed with catching his old enemy. He was so excited! "YOU'LL HEAR IT AGAIN!!"

Edited March 1, 2019 by tennisgurl

[Lugal]

I thought this episode was really well done, especially Jake and Amy's interactions.  Despite the great ensemble cast they have, the show often feels like Jake's story, but it really felt like he stepped out of the way and saw the world from Amy's point of view, and kudos to Melissa Fumero.  And to Stephanie Beatriz (even if it did mean less Rosa).  It's hard to believe that she was a first-time director, she did a great job.

The B plot with the disco strangler was a great counterpoint to the seriousness of the A plot.  It also gave Andre Braugher a chance to shine.  And now I'll randomly say "No, you're the punk!" at friends.

[VCRTracking]

[scrambled eggs]

I really like how recent episodes have had 2 plots--or in the case of The Crime Scene, just one. Although it may mean that a couple of characters (usually Scully and Hitchcock) will only have a few lines, it gives each plot more time to breathe. I love that the writers don't feel the need to shoehorn everyone into every episode, and that would be much harder if Gina were still there. 

[peeayebee]

I agree that they handled the sexual assault storyline very well. The seriousness of it wasn't made light of, but there was still humor. The montage with the coworkers was great, esp with drunk Beefer in his birthday hat.

The B-plot was hilarious. First off, I was caught off-guard when Holt laughed out loud upon hearing about the Disco Strangler's apparent death. Holt laughing? Loved it. All the stuff with him, Terry, and Charles was great. 

Charles: Is that another old person thing?
Coroner: Yes! Another old person thing.

Woman: Sorry if my voice is raspy. They just took the breathing tube out.
Holt: But they left the BS in?
Charles & Terry: Whoa!

Jake: I'm also going to grab a comb, but you don't have to use it unless YOU decide.

Holt: My only nemesis now… Father… Time.

Holt: [gasp] Zowie. I'm young.

Holt: We're two sides of the same—
Charles & Terry: Coin! You've told us before.

Holt: Take a close look. This is the most dangerous man in America. Five foot eight hunched over, 93 pounds with grey hair and blue-grey skin.

Keri: I'm taking my stuff home. I had to quit.
Amy & Jake: Whaaaaaaaaattttttttttttt…

Scully: And who's talking to Scully? Come on, sandwich.

Edited March 2, 2019 by peeayebee

[Danny Franks]

Okay, well I saw some stuff on instagram from the cast talking about this as a special episode, but didn't know what the subject matter was. Kudos to the show for talking it about it, and for taking it seriously.

Jake asking how many creeps he's not noticed absolutely hit home. As a straight, white guy, I know I miss a whole load of stuff that will upset other people, and I'm glad they showed how clueless Jake was about it all. The other thing they didn't have him do was try to 'fix' the situation, or to suggest that 'maybe if you had done this...' in a genuine but misguided attempt to help. He just remained supportive, if occasionally uncomfortable, which was probably the best thing he could do.

I really liked that they had Rosa offer the other side of the argument to Amy's 'let justice be done', and honestly, it would be incredibly tempting to let something slide, in exchange for that sort of money. Just another layer on why this isn't a simple question of the victim's integrity.

They eloquently outlined just why women (or men) don't come forward and report this stuff. And even when they do, they often don't want to pursue it. Chances of future success can be held over their heads, and their reputations will be dragged through the mud, regardless of the outcome. The one false note was Amy not realising that Carrie would have to leave the firm regardless, because she was no longer "one of us".

The fact that the payoff of Amy revealing she was assaulted was a genuine surprise to me probably says a lot. It's one thing to accept 'this happens to a lot of women' but then you can still dismiss that as other women, not the ones you care about, as a way of distancing yourself from the issue.

*Banker says a bunch of financial stuff*

Jake: "And you spoke that way because... you were snowboarding?"

The B-plot was a wonderfully silly counter-point to the serious A-plot - A one-man-manhunt for an octogenarian, possibly escaped Disco-themed serial killer.

I love Holt's ongoing obsession with past cases. For someone so straitlaced and unemotional, he sure does love to 'casually' toot his own horn about the criminals he's put away. One thing the writers have done really well is establish clear flaws in his character, without ever undermining him.

This exchange really tickled me: 

"He shrank over time."

"Is that another old person thing?"

"Yes it is - another old person thing."

"Mmhm."

Also, "you've succumbed to his groovy voodoo!" has to be a phrase I can use in general conversation.... I'll figure out a way.

Not much Rosa this week, but Stephanie Beatriz was directing the episode, so that makes sense. 

[wknt3]

On 2/28/2019 at 10:38 PM, festivus said:

This show handles these kinds of issues better than any other. It never feels clunky like it does on other comedies l watch.

On 2/28/2019 at 11:15 PM, Maelstrom said:

Heck, there are a lot of dramas that can get pretty damn clunky when it comes to handling weighty issues. This show outshines them all.

Yep. Compare the handling of the issues of gender, cost vs. benefits of testifying, etc. in this epsiode vs. recent episodes of SVU and it's amazing how the outlandish sitcom does such a better job of exploring nuance and complex issues.

[peeayebee]

5 hours ago, Danny Franks said:

Also, "you've succumbed to his groovy voodoo!" has to be a phrase I can use in general conversation.... I'll figure out a way.

Just reading that phrase made me LOL. I too will have to use it somehow.

[Loandbehold]

5 hours ago, Danny Franks said:

Jake asking how many creeps he's not noticed absolutely hit home. As a straight, white guy, I know I miss a whole load of stuff that will upset other people, and I'm glad they showed how clueless Jake was about it all. The other thing they didn't have him do was try to 'fix' the situation, or to suggest that 'maybe if you had done this...' in a genuine but misguided attempt to help. He just remained supportive, if occasionally uncomfortable, which was probably the best thing he could do.

In the same boat over here. 

Serious question: Do they actually sell yo-yo string? My competitive yo-yo days are long past.* When the string got tangled (often) or broke, I used to just get a new yo-yo at the drug or toy store. 

* I never had competitive yo-yo days. 

[HyeChaps]

Of course Holt would be right in suspecting that the Disco Killer escaped. 

[Ailianna]

38 minutes ago, Loandbehold said:

In the same boat over here. 

Serious question: Do they actually sell yo-yo string? My competitive yo-yo days are long past.* When the string got tangled (often) or broke, I used to just get a new yo-yo at the drug or toy store. 

* I never had competitive yo-yo days. 

They do, because there are really expensive yo-yos that you would not just throw out if the string was borken.  Only for serious yo-yoers, though.

[possibilities]

I have a yo yo and I never thought about the string as being anything special. Can't you just use any string?

Of course, I also never broke a yo yo string, so I may just not be yo yo-ing enough for any of this to have become relevant.

But now I want to know!

[ItCouldBeWorse]

On 3/1/2019 at 12:01 AM, kariyaki said:

It would’ve also been a good point to make if the woman had also said she no longer wanted to work for a company who would perpetuate such a coverup. They were throwing her under a bus.

I'm confident that if she had a lawyer send a letter threatening to sue the company for perpetuating a hostile work environment, she'd receive a large settlement without having to actually file suit:

1) They offered her a settlement with a NDA and told the police it was for psychiatric help fo her incorrect perception of having been assaulted 

2) The company lawyers arranged to have all the interviewed employees say the same exact statement about the innocence of the attacker, despite the text chain which showed that other employees knew what had happened 

3) The company fired her after she refused to take the settlement and sign the NDA, and then went public by agreeing to prosecute 

4) She's being shut out of career opportunities because of going public

I think she'd get her 2.5 million easily. I know she doesn't want to be labeled as a victim by other potential employers,  but I doubt she'd actually have to go to court. The whole situation would be extremely bad publicity for the company. 

On 3/1/2019 at 8:13 AM, Ailianna said:

.  That is part of the hope that even if your case doesn't turn out the way you might want, you make it easier and safer for the next person.

I was surprised that Amy never told Keri that now that she had pressed charges, it was much less likely that this creep would assault anyone else! That should have provided some solace. 

Edited March 3, 2019 by ItCouldBeWorse

[sweetandsour]

Oh gosh.  A lot of feelings/thoughts about this episode, but they're mostly a big jumble in my head so I'll just note a few. Although obviously not as funny as their usual episodes, it couldn't have been by nature of the topic and I definitely appreciate the comedy they were able to inject.

1.  The actor who played "Beefer" also played the recurring character of "Meatball" on Hart of Dixie. Not sure if they knew this and named him Beefer on purpose or it was a great coincidence. Looking forward to his next guest appearance as someone named "Pepperoni" or "Hot Dog."

2.  I really appreciated Keri's general demeanor. She was obviously a woman who could "hang with the guys" and had a history of being able to do so, no problem. I mean, she's the one who coined the name "Skidmark" for one of her colleagues. There was never any concept of "well, she's a woman, she's sensitive" - nor could anyone who knew her attribute something like that as why she "overreacted" to Broken Penis man's assault. She wasn't oversensitive - he was totally in the wrong.

3.  I'm still pretty impressed they fit what they did in the at-most 15 minutes (probably less) screen time dedicated to the A-plot? Sure, it was a lot more succinct than it is in the real world, but it's one episode of a sitcom and those are the limits of their sandbox. They ultimately wrapped up some level of resolution (we don't know if Broken Penis man was convicted) that we don't usually see in real life, but I was happy to see them cite some complications and nuances to these kinds of cases, even if they couldn't really play them out.

4.  I wonder how many viewers saw the montage of differences in experiences between Jake and Amy and didn't get what was so wrong with some of Amy's experiences. In particular, I mean the interactions Amy had that were solely about her appearance. I think it's pretty sad that there are people who view those experiences as unambiguous compliments, so it's weird if women don't like them, as though women should always welcome that, no matter from whom, or in what context, or as the focal point. There's an interview Vin Diesel did a couple of years ago for the last XXX movie where he just goes on and on about the female interview's beauty (I think she was Portuguese), and she's clearly trying to do her job and keeps steering him back to the questions, but he just can't stop gushing about how beautiful she is while she's working. Just because you're not saying something explicitly negative doesn't mean that it's appropriate or welcome, and people aren't being uptight or dramatic if they don't like it. (Yikes that's a lot of negatives, like a quintuple negative, but that's what I meant.)

5. Holt receives a fax. "Oh, Captain! ..." Boyle is at a loss. I really would have liked at the end, when Holt was done with his B-plot, he was able to share some brief, personal words with Amy about her case, but still, really amazed at what they fit in.

[Ilovepie]

On 3/1/2019 at 6:43 PM, peeayebee said:

Holt: Take a close look. This is the most dangerous man in America. Five foot eight hunched over, 93 pounds with grey hair and blue-grey skin.

@peeayebee - you hit all the funniest lines in your original post, but this one elicited the loudest laugh from both myself and my husband.  😛

I thought Melissa was masterful in her telling Amy's story. I actually teared up. I hope they do a story about this asshole and there is some comeuppance for him.............

[Latverian Diplomat]

While it's was good to see Jake getting educated on the crap Amy and other women put up with, it seems to me that Jake's frequent "title of Amy's sex tape" jokes from season 1 were missing from that montage of sexism. Back then, Jake and Amy were workplace rivals, and in a real workplace, as opposed to a sitcom, that sort of thing would be seen as harassment and undermining of a woman co-worker? Perhaps a mea culpa from Jake would have been a little heavy-handed, but in a real sense, wasn't he a part of the problem?

[BoogieBurns]

21 hours ago, Latverian Diplomat said:

While it's was good to see Jake getting educated on the crap Amy and other women put up with, it seems to me that Jake's frequent "title of Amy's sex tape" jokes from season 1 were missing from that montage of sexism. Back then, Jake and Amy were workplace rivals, and in a real workplace, as opposed to a sitcom, that sort of thing would be seen as harassment and undermining of a woman co-worker? Perhaps a mea culpa from Jake would have been a little heavy-handed, but in a real sense, wasn't he a part of the problem?

This is addressed upthread. 

[Sandman]

Is it worse that I didn't know, uh, let's say precisely what the nickname "Beefer" indicated, or that I still wanted to (knowing what we know about the character), and looked it up?

Now I'm even more disgusted with the character, and kind of appalled at myself at the same time. (And I really wish Keri could have taken that guy's money, just on general principles.) 

On 3/1/2019 at 9:43 PM, peeayebee said:

Holt: Take a close look. This is the most dangerous man in America. Five foot eight hunched over, 93 pounds with grey hair and blue-grey skin.

It's the "blue-grey skin" that makes it art.

Edited March 6, 2019 by Sandman

[Court]

On 3/1/2019 at 12:30 PM, VCRTracking said:

Man, I missed Briga Heelan(Ground Floor, Good News). Those eyelashes!

Holt's obsession with the "Disco Strangler" even though he was so elderly now was funny. Andre Braugher continues to be a delight.

Melissa Fumero and Andy Samburg were terrific in the scene Amy's story. Like Jake I'm learning more and more now, the crap women have to deal with that I just never realized and am trying to be better myself.

Great Rosa's quote "Two steps forward, one step back is still one step forward."

Thank you! I kept trying to place the actress. I'm terrible with names. I miss good news.:(

I loved this episode. They handled it expertly without being preachy. When I was younger, I would have told you that I wasn't sexually harassed. Looking back, that's not true at all. I was just so conditioned to accept it that I thought it was normal and that's just how it was. It's terrible. 

[jhlipton]

On 2/28/2019 at 8:15 PM, Maelstrom said:

Losing deadweight in the cast gives them some love has clearly been good for the 99.

Why who on earth could you mean???  LOL

On 3/1/2019 at 7:11 AM, hendersonrocks said:

the show missed an opportunity to do some self-examination about its early Boyle-is-obsessed-with-Rosa storyline

The show was kind of finding its footing and figuring out who the characters were.  Once they did, they realized that the Boyle-Rosa storyline was a mistake and pretty much demolished it.  (I think Boyle apologized at least once to Rosa after it was over.)

On 3/2/2019 at 3:43 AM, wknt3 said:

recent episodes of SVU 

Sadism and Voyeurs Unit has always been clunky.

On 3/2/2019 at 5:56 PM, ItCouldBeWorse said:

The company lawyers arranged to have all the interviewed employees say the same exact statement about the innocence of the attacker

Was anyone else getting Raymond Shaw flashbacks?  I was half expecting them to say "[the CEO] is the kindest, warmest, bravest, most wonderful human being I've ever known in my life."!

On 3/2/2019 at 7:09 PM, sweetandsour said:

In particular, I mean the interactions Amy had that were solely about her appearance

Most, but not all.  When the guy ignored the woman in a POLICE uniform to ask a guy in plain clothes, that wasn't really about appearances, per se.  But it was a good example of manquestioning (which is kind of like mansplaining, but inquiring).

On 3/4/2019 at 11:54 AM, Latverian Diplomat said:

While it's was good to see Jake getting educated on the crap Amy and other women put up with, it seems to me that Jake's frequent "title of Amy's sex tape" jokes from season 1 were missing from that montage of sexism. 

In addition to what Melissa said, Jake used "Title of Your Sex tape" for everyone (including Holt, I think).

[sweetandsour]

4 hours ago, jhlipton said:

On 3/2/2019 at 7:09 PM, sweetandsour said:

In particular, I mean the interactions Amy had that were solely about her appearance

Most, but not all.  When the guy ignored the woman in a POLICE uniform to ask a guy in plain clothes, that wasn't really about appearances, per se.  But it was a good example of manquestioning (which is kind of like mansplaining, but inquiring).

Yep, which is why I said "in particular" those appearances! They did present a variety.

[Domestic Assassin]

13 hours ago, jhlipton said:

In addition to what Melissa said, Jake used "Title of Your Sex tape" for everyone (including Holt, I think).

In the beginning, it wasn't used against everyone IIRC.  There was quite a bit of criticism in the first season for things like this and especially the Boyle creeping on Rosa plots.  What I really admire about Brooklyn Nine-Nine is that instead of getting defensive, calling critics over-sensitive PC snowflakes and doubling down, they actually heard the criticism and course corrected.  I don't think it was really necessary for them to bring it up in this episode.

Edited March 9, 2019 by Domestic Assassin

[SarahPrtr]

On 3/2/2019 at 4:30 AM, VCRTracking said:

Man, I missed Briga Heelan(Ground Floor, Good News). Those eyelashes!

Melissa Fumero and Andy Samburg were terrific in the scene Amy's story. Like Jake I'm learning more and more now, the crap women have to deal with that I just never realized and am trying to be better myself.

Great Rosa's quote "Two steps forward, one step back is still one step forward."

Last time I saw Briga was in episodes of Cougar Town where she played Grayson's ditzy baby mama.  Nice to see her playing a really sharp, intelligent character.

This show tackles serious issues whilst making us laugh, just like Scrubs did.  It was in a hospital, so there were people who were really sick and some who died.  To put humour into such serious situations takes real talent.