S06.E14: Ticking Clocks

[formerlyfreedom]

In an episode that takes place in real time, Jake and the squad must track down a hacker who has infiltrated the Nine-Nine's servers. Rosa deals with relationship issues. Hitchcock and Scully attempt to cook the perfect lasagna.

Airing Thursday, April 24, 2019

[Spartan Girl]

It's ALWAYS the special guest star...

I would never, ever cook and eat something in the office microwave. I made that mistake once, and let's just say it didn't turn out well.

[Mockingbird]

I love Sean Astin, so I think my expectations were too high for this one. I’ve been enjoying all of the behind the scenes stuff more than I enjoyed the actual episode.

Though I did chuckle at Jake almost adding a “sincerely” to his text.  

[Rinaldo]

I'm always a sucker for a real-time episode with a ticking clock, and this one had THREE simultaneous clocks! I loved everything about it, except the "Mamma Maglione!" catch phrase, which I didn't find nearly as charming or repeat-worthy as they did. 

[Texasmom1970]

Hitchcock and Scully freaking out about getting the garlic bread in time and how to prepare it!

[tennisgurl]

Never trust those special guest stars! Even if its Sean Astin!

The drunk sorority girl giving relationship advice cracked me up every time. She will bite you with her tiny teeth thing! "Its upsetting that you dont know what that is."

Poor Amy and her FOMW. Of course thats what Amy struggles with, she cant miss work, who knows what could happen?! And that everyone knows about it. 

Poor Rosa and her trouble with emotions. I always like Rosa and Jake plots, and Jake even kind of got to be the straight man in this one. "Oh yeah, that totally makes you seem normal." 

I kind of want Holt saying the word "shenanigans" as my ring tone. 

Not bad or anything, but not as good as the last few. Better than the one with Boyles sons bio dad. 

Edited April 26, 2019 by tennisgurl

[Marley]

I love this show but I really didn’t enjoy this episode. It just felt weird and was not that funny. I also hate real time episodes so there’s that.

Just seemed too try hard or something idk just not a fan.

[Mystery]

Yeah, this wasn't a great one for me, either. But I did like Jake knowing how to interpret Holt's microexpressions. 

[AnimeMania]

I liked Jake's take down of the perp, very unexpected.

[thuganomics85]

Great to see Sean Astin here, but it was pretty obvious that he would end up being behind everything.  There wasn't any other notable guest stars or guest characters (I doubt any of the overtly-mean sorority girls where going to be responsible), and it was just easy to predict.  Still, I'm glad that another "Guardian of the Nine-Nine" got on here.  Now, they need to get Mark Hamill next!

Honestly, I kind of wish they spent more time on Rosa's relationship problem, since it provided more insight into her mindset and featured plenty of Jake/Rosa, which is always awesome.  But I'm glad she's starting to be more open with her emotions now and not let her pride ruin something that has potential.

Amy and her FOMW was great, especially almost all of the other characters bringing it up.

Poor Terry!  He was no match for those drunk, mean sorority girls!

I did love that they brought back Holt signing his texts with "Sincerely."  He even almost had Jake doing it too! 

[Spartan Girl]

What does FOMW stand for again?

[Seelouis]

1 hour ago, Spartan Girl said:

What does FOMW stand for again?

Fear of missing work 

[Linny]

Although it was too obvious that Sean Astin's character was the culprit, I thought this was a strong episode. There were a lot of funny bits ("Oh, so you got dumped and didn't see it coming. Oh, brother, you are in Boyle country!" and "That is a staple remover, and it is shocking you don't know that," were great lines with perfect delivery) and some subtle yet interesting throwaway comments (send Jake flowers, Amy). But what I liked most was that this was a true ensemble episode that worked because of each character's individual quirks, not despite them. Jake trying and failing to act cooler than he is, Amy's insane dedication to her work, Hitchcock and Scully's dogged determination to cook the perfect lunch--all of these peculiarities were integral to the plot's functioning. It speaks to the show's deft understanding of who these people fundamentally are that they delivered an episode that wouldn't gel without all these gloriously distinctive traits coming together. 

[AnimeMania]

18 minutes ago, Seelouis said:

1 hour ago, Spartan Girl said:

What does FOMW stand for again?

Fear of missing work 

I kind of wished they used a funnier/weirder name for it. The one I would have liked is FOMEOW, but the closest I could get to it is FOMEAW (Fear Of Missing Everything At Work ). I guess that is close enough since it is the sound of the word and not how it is spelled that would be funny/important.

[Kip Hackman]

10 hours ago, Spartan Girl said:

It's ALWAYS the special guest star...

Yeah, this was even more obvious than the Julia Sweeney episode.

Still funny, though.

[Sandman]

10 hours ago, Rinaldo said:

I loved everything about it, except the "Mamma Maglione!" catch phrase, which I didn't find nearly as charming or repeat-worthy as they did. 

Agreed. (Also, the pronunciation didn't conform to standard Italian -- nor did the spelling used on the closed captioning, I noticed -- and that irked me.)

I knew Sean Astin would turn out to be the hacker, but I'm pretty much convinced that the count-down/real time aspect, along with the technobabble, was satirizing 24 (where Sean Astin also appeared as a guest star) and I'm okay with that. 

[BoogieBurns]

2 hours ago, Seelouis said:

3 hours ago, Spartan Girl said:

What does FOMW stand for again?

Fear of missing work 

It was FOMOW - Fear Of Missing Out (on) Work. Which is why it was pronounced the way it was.

[possibilities]

I also thought the "IT Guy" was the hacker, but there were a few moments when I thought they were trying to pose one of the uniformed cops as possibly the culprit. There was one who they kept checking in with, who I never saw before. She was sitting at one of the desks.

I also thought it was a major problem that they assumed it wasn't an insider and were looking for a stranger. The show is usually very good about making everyone in the squad an excellent detective.

[BoogieBurns]

38 minutes ago, possibilities said:

I thought they were trying to pose one of the uniformed cops as possibly the culprit. There was one who they kept checking in with, who I never saw before. She was sitting at one of the desks.

Same, I thought the cop on the second floor with the second sorority was the hacker. 

Then I thought the sorority girl who was hiding in a room saying Rosa should get back with Jocelyn was the hacker. Jake said he could "handle it" from here, so I thought it was resolved. 

[MakeMeLaugh]

I thought Jocelyn was the hacker to get back at Rosa. And way unpopular opinion here but I hate the softer vulnerable Rosa and almost more, the clunky out-of-character way she’s been developed—I so miss the unsmiling hardass that everyone was afraid of from season 1. She’s just not funny anymore imuo. I wouldn’t miss her if she left. 

Edited April 26, 2019 by MakeMeLaugh

[Loandbehold]

Plenty of good, but also some not so good in this episode. Loved Jake being able to read Holt's mannerisms to determine he was having a meltdown. And Holt noticing Jake had something in his teeth, yet coming around to repeat Jake's line-wish.

I'm also a sucker for Jake-Rosa interaction and this episode had quite a bit. And, a Killing Eve plotline! Oh, Rosa, your plan wasn't psychotic, it was just like Villanelle, the one who kills everyone with a hair pin. Ha!

I actually did like the first couple of times Jake said "Mamma Maglione" but it lost it's humor mid-way through the episode. 

Poor Amy. Stuck w/ a new hygienist when things were going down. At work. Amazing she could run from the dentist office to the precinct in the small amount of time. Ames, babe, net time you have to do that, pull off the protective napkin. It causes drag and slows you down.

Boyle and Terry with the mean sorority girls was meh. The less said about it, the better.

Scully and Hitchcock are right - garlic bread does make the lasagna meal.

Others have mentioned the countdown made this like an episode of 24. True, but what struck me is that the final scene over the credits was an homage to the Schwarma scene from the first Avengers movie.

[iMonrey]

Quote

It was FOMOW - Fear Of Missing Out (on) Work. Which is why it was pronounced the way it was.

I'm only familiar with the term FOMA - Fear of Missing Out. That's what I thought they were saying the whole time. I've never heard of anyone who had a fear of missing out on work.

Yes, it was obvious Sean Astin had to be the hacker. I mean, you don't cast someone that well-known to play some IT stooge. But there were a couple of times I wondered if maybe it was Jocelyn. She did happen to be in the building at the time.

Terry's insecurities (and referring to himself in the third person) never fails to crack me up. Like his growing hysteria over his chin when the sorority girl said he must not make much money to still have that chin, and he asked Boyle if there was anything wrong with his chin, and Boyle said he didn't want to get involved. LOL.

[Rinaldo]

5 hours ago, Sandman said:

the pronunciation didn't conform to standard Italian

True, but that's how it is for foreign words or names that get adopted into a different language. All languages do this, too, so it's not just some ugly-American thing. It seems reasonable enough to me. (Although there will always be differences of opinion, as there are between US and UK usage, as to how close is "close enough.")

[ClareWalks]

Thank god Rosa and Jocelyn stayed together. They're adorable. Loved Amy's panicked sprint across town and sharing an elevator with a calculating Hitchcock and Scully.

[Guest]

20 minutes ago, ClareWalks said:

Thank god Rosa and Jocelyn stayed together. They're adorable. 

Sure, but I was actually surprised they're suddenly in love. Haven't we only seen Jocelyn once? We saw Nick Cannon more than her! Lol. Especially with someone as guarded as Rosa, I was a little bit disappointed her being in love was a throwaway detail and that we didn't get to watch her and Jocelyn's relationship develop prior to this big angsty moment.

[peeayebee]

17 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

I kind of want Holt saying the word "shenanigans" as my ring tone. 

There are many options from this show for ringtones. I do like hearing Holt say "shenanigans," among the many things I love hearing him say.

4 hours ago, Loandbehold said:

what struck me is that the final scene over the credits was an homage to the Schwarma scene from the first Avengers movie.

I loved the final scene with Scully and Hitchcock eating silently. I don't remember the schwarma scene.

There was something off in this ep. I actually went back to the opening credits to see who directed it. (Didn't recognize the name.) One shot where Boyle was backing up from the elevator was weird. The repetition of Mamma Maglione was a little funny the first time and then just wasn't funny anymore. The search for the hacker was kind of boring, imo. I agree that Sean Astin was the obvious culprit, but I actually thought it was one of the sorority girls hacking on her smart phone. I didn't know what her motivation would be, but that's what I was expecting. When it turned out to be Astin, that wasn't a surprise. Then the revelation that he had come because Amy wasn't in that morning seemed like it should have been set up in some way.

The writing just didn't seem very sharp.

I liked when Rosa blurted out, "Don't sit on the couch it's full of farts!"

I can't say I'm all that impressed with Jocelyn or the actress. She's ok, but I find her a little boring.

Edited April 26, 2019 by peeayebee

[Trillium]

I actually thought Jocelyn was being a quite needy. Sorry girl, but police emergencies take priority over a date. It’s not about you. That’s just the deal when you date someone who’s in a job like that. If Jocelyn can’t handle that, that’s her deal, not coming to Rosa’s work to break up because she doesn’t feel Rosa makes her a priority, and not seeming to care that they were in the middle of an emergency. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

9 hours ago, Trillium said:

I actually thought Jocelyn was being a quite needy. Sorry girl, but police emergencies take priority over a date. It’s not about you. That’s just the deal when you date someone who’s in a job like that. If Jocelyn can’t handle that, that’s her deal, not coming to Rosa’s work to break up because she doesn’t feel Rosa makes her a priority, and not seeming to care that they were in the middle of an emergency. 

I know this is a sitcom, but I was thinking all of these things while watching the episode. First of all, breaking up with someone as you are about to leave town is a shitty thing to do. Breaking up with someone WHILE THEY ARE AT WORK is beyond inconsiderate. Those two things alone had me giving Jocelyn serious side eye. And while I understand her frustration with Rosa not being mentally present when they're at home, which is a valid complaint, you can't really bitch about someone leaving to do their job instead of staying to talk to you WHILE THEY ARE AT WORK.

[Panopticon]

14 hours ago, Trillium said:

I actually thought Jocelyn was being a quite needy. Sorry girl, but police emergencies take priority over a date. It’s not about you. That’s just the deal when you date someone who’s in a job like that. If Jocelyn can’t handle that, that’s her deal, not coming to Rosa’s work to break up because she doesn’t feel Rosa makes her a priority, and not seeming to care that they were in the middle of an emergency. 

Yes, this. It takes a particular personality to be involved with a cop. If that’s not Jocelyn, she and Rosa need to know it now before they both get more attached. Rosa can’t leave police emergencies and expect her co-workers to cover for her on a regular basis.

[Catfi9ht]

5 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

I know this is a sitcom, but I was thinking all of these things while watching the episode. First of all, breaking up with someone as you are about to leave town is a shitty thing to do. Breaking up with someone WHILE THEY ARE AT WORK is beyond inconsiderate. Those two things alone had me giving Jocelyn serious side eye. And while I understand her frustration with Rosa not being mentally present when they're at home, which is a valid complaint, you can't really bitch about someone leaving to do their job instead of staying to talk to you WHILE THEY ARE AT WORK.

All of this. Plus, anyone who gives ultimatums about a relationship is a terrible person. Either try and compromise or walk away. Trying to push the actual break-up on to the other person just makes you an unlikable, cowardly asshole.

This season has been more tropey than is typical for this show. However, it is season six so coming up with ideas that don't adhere to usual comedic ideas is probably getting to be pretty tough.

I hope they end the season on a strong note.

[MakeMeLaugh]

19 hours ago, Trillium said:

I actually thought Jocelyn was being a quite needy. Sorry girl, but police emergencies take priority over a date. It’s not about you. That’s just the deal when you date someone who’s in a job like that. If Jocelyn can’t handle that, that’s her deal, not coming to Rosa’s work to break up because she doesn’t feel Rosa makes her a priority, and not seeming to care that they were in the middle of an emergency. 

Yes, and sooo much of an example of how show has made Rosa and her story lines not at all funny any more. Charles for just one example has evolved yet stayed true to his character. I miss psycho Rosa. 

[Roaster]

Jake and Amy "are like both sevens" - encouragement from the sorority girl.

[Latverian Diplomat]

I thought the techspeak from Sean Astin's character was about the worst I've heard. "Arping the DNS" (two distinct unrelated protocols), referring to OSI (an abstract model of protocol layers not really implemented as such), and "a NOS ping" were pretty atrocious. Since he wasn't technically hacking (really just running a con) this may have been intentional.

Though he did spring the holding cell locks, so he knew his way around the systems. Or maybe he was figuring them out while pretending to be searching for the hacker.

Also, you wouldn't need to pull the power or erase the contents of at risk server, you could just disable it's network connection either physically or in software. If you've ever put something in "Airplane mode" you've effectively done the latter. Again, I will accept that the writers might have been intending this to be suspicious.

[Lugal]

I assumed the techspeak was to gauge how much everyone knew, since no one corrected him.  And since they didn't know much about computers, if he told them the only way to stop the "hacker" was to erase the disk (and evidence of his crime) they would believe him.  It was all a con with a little bit of hacking (cell doors) to play up the con.

[theatremouse]

7 hours ago, Latverian Diplomat said:

Again, I will accept that the writers might have been intending this to be suspicious.

It was definitely intentional because...

5 hours ago, Lugal said:

the techspeak was to gauge how much everyone knew, since no one corrected him.  And since they didn't know much about computers, if he told them the only way to stop the "hacker" was to erase the disk (and evidence of his crime) they would believe him.  It was all a con with a little bit of hacking (cell doors) to play up the con.

Jake expositioned this explicitly. Astin was intentionally speaking gobblydygook to determine the ignorance level of the people he was interacting with, so he'd know if he could give them senseless directions that they would follow believing him to be the expert. If they'd shown any sign of realizing he was spouting nonsense he'd have taken a different approach (presumably).

[possibilities]

Kind of a high risk strategy, though. What if one of them HAD been tech literate? He'd have been caught the very first time he spewed nonsense.

[incandescent]

On 5/1/2019 at 2:17 AM, possibilities said:

Kind of a high risk strategy, though. What if one of them HAD been tech literate? He'd have been caught the very first time he spewed nonsense.

"That didn't make any sense!"

"What didn't make any sense?"

"Gobbledygook"

"No, you misheard me, I said Bobbledybook."

"Oh, my mistake."

[Silly Angel]

"Sincerely, Raymond Holt." Amazing

[John Potts]

On ‎4‎/‎28‎/‎2019 at 10:08 AM, ElectricBoogaloo said:

First of all, breaking up with someone as you are about to leave town is a shitty thing to do. Breaking up with someone WHILE THEY ARE AT WORK is beyond inconsiderate.

That was why I thought Jocelyn might be the hacker (especially when Rosa accompanied her out of the station during lockdown). It would be like the ultimate version of "revenge porn" - really hitting back at the person as an act of vengeance, only for Rosa that would be making her look vulnerable and damaging her standing in the relationship she really cares about (her job). But it's certainly one of the more believable depictions of hacking - the easiest (and probably most successful) way to break into any system is to call up and say, "This is technical support - can we have your user name and password?", which is presumably how he got into the system in the first place.