S06.E17: Sicko / S06.E18: Suicide Squad

[formerlyfreedom]

Quote

Jake and Charles investigate a dangerous serial killer. Holt continues to spar with his rival, Commissioner Kelly. Terry finds out about whether or not he has passed the lieutenant’s exam.

and

Quote

Desperate circumstances call for desperate measures, as Jake, Holt, Amy, Terry, Rosa, and Charles must ally themselves with old enemies.

Two episode season finale! Airing Thursday, May 16, 2019.

[ClareWalks]

9 hours ago, saoirse said:

Terry finds out about whether or not he has passed the lieutenant’s exam.

Weird, he said he passed the exam at the end of this week's episode!

[biakbiak]

On 5/10/2019 at 4:30 AM, ClareWalks said:

Weird, he said he passed the exam at the end of this week's episode!

I thought he just said he took it weeks ago. As we learned from people fact checking Amy’s storyline it takes months to find out the results.

[doodlebug]

3 hours ago, biakbiak said:

I thought he just said he took it weeks ago. As we learned from people fact checking Amy’s storyline it takes months to find out the results.

Yep, he did say he had passed, though.  I wonder if these episodes are being shown out of order.  Then again, supposedly none of his coworkers knew when he took it; it doesn't seem like they can create an episode about Terry's anxiety over the test without the rest of the gang knowing about it.

[Loandbehold]

Quote

Desperate circumstances call for desperate measures, as Jake, Holt, Amy, Terry, Rosa and Charles must ally themselves with old enemies.

Final two episodes of Season 6 tonight w/ this being the season finale. Set your DVRs for one hour to capture both episodes. 

[Spartan Girl]

The return of Wunch, CJ, and Vulture! And even Caleb the cannibal! Love it!

I miss this show already. I can't wait for next season.

[Rinaldo]

13 hours ago, doodlebug said:

I wonder if these episodes are being shown out of order.

Now we know: they were shown in order, it's just the official description that was wrong.

Twist upon reversal upon betrayal! I love that kind of thing.

And I really thought the season was going to end with Kelly triumphant and everyone in the 99 in jail or otherwise defeated, as they like to end seasons with that sort of "hopeless" scenario. But one more reversal! Yay!

And then one more tag, to stick it to us Holt just a bit. But it'll be a relatively easy situation to climb out of in the fall.

[tennisgurl]

 Wunch, CJ, and Vulture! Caleb the Cannibal! They really went all out with this one! Loved the various double crosses upon double crosses and plot twists, and that the squad ended the season on a high note...even if Holt has to do traffic duty for just a bit.

"...thats a bit too scary we`re going with Hitchcock!" "I didnt realize it was the most awesome story ever! Give me every detail!" 

Look at that Santialta domestic bliss! Honestly, big mood Charles. 

[Lady Calypso]

The second episode was stronger than the first for me. First off, welcome back to Wunch, CJ, and The Vulture! And Caleb! So many cameos that worked so well. We haven't seen Wunch in....three seasons? I never thought she'd return. Yet, she returns and still has a fantastic dynamic with Holt that they use to psych us out! Excellent job, B99! 

I see that the double crosses they had in the heist episode was mere set-up for this finale! Love it! 

It was nice to have a finale that had less of a cliffhanger and more of a positive note to end on. I mean, Holt is on traffic duty, but not because he was set up; because he actually kind of deserves it. Plus, it left me with a chuckle at the end of a funny finale. 

I love the narrative devices they used when Jake was setting up the plan that Holt was in on. How The Vulture sees his best/worst detectives had me chuckling. CJ's inability to follow the plan did get a bit old at one point but picked back up when he was taped to the chair and couldn't follow a script. 

Honestly, it was a good finale. 

[hendersonrocks]

Two REALLY good episodes to close out a REALLY good season. I'm so happy that NBC gave the 99 a home.

[redfish]

I know Holt resents Wunch, but damn he was sabotaging himself. Interesting that throwing Wunch into the mix makes him the immature "Jake" in the plan while Jake has to be the more strategic leader.

Whoa, Terry. Is Staten Island that bad?

Holt: The only way I'm going to die is if you touched me with one of your bony fingers and dragged me across the river Styx, you reaper.

Holt really can come up with elaborate insults.

It's kind of weird that even though Wunch is Holt's mortal enemy, she's good at her job and will do the right thing. Sort of. I did not expect her to banish him to traffic cop duty.

Well done, 99. And if you're going to do a finale, bring out all the stops with old "allies" and old enemies against a common enemy.

Edited May 18, 2019 by redfish

[tennisgurl]

"I know this tone. Here comes the petty Holt.""Nah bitch, I’m not being petty." 

"You have GOT to stop signing your texts!"

"Charles he's serving three life sentences no reason to flex."

So many classic lines this week, in both episodes!

Edited May 17, 2019 by tennisgurl

[Loandbehold]

6 minutes ago, redfish said:

Whoa, Terry. Is Staten Island that bad?

Yes.*

It's not a surprise that many people who live in NYC don't consider Staten Island to be part of the city. 

I got whiplash from all the double-double-triple-double crosses. In a good way. Caleb! I love that child-eating cannibal. Is that wrong? And then Wunch, the Vulture, and CJ. I forgot how much I missed Holt's battle of insults w/ Wunch. 

*Actually, many cops don't mind being posted in Staten Island since it's got a lower crime rate (being the least populated borough) and many cops live there.

[thuganomics85]

Definitely one of those cases where I wished I didn't pay attention to the guest credits at the end of the first episode, because they spoiled the reveals by listing the actors, so I knew they were showing up.  Still, a minor complaint, because CJ, Wunch, AND The Vulture?!  Hell yeah, that's one hell of a suicide squad indeed!

Before all of that, I thought the first episode was still fun due to Jake and Boyle teaming up again, Petty Holt which is close to being my favorite Holt at this point, and Caleb!  I love that they brought Caleb back.  And, of course, Boyle was totally jealous over how friendly he and Jake were.  To be fair, the bond seems real.  Even if Caleb... you know, eats people.  But why let cannibalism come between friends?!

Still, the highlight was definitely the second episode and the return of the trio.  Love that CJ is still a clueless buffoon and The Vulture continues to be the best worst sleaze of all time.  And inside joke or not, I definitely got a kick out of him and holding and talking about a beeper, since Dean Winters famously played Dennis "The Beeper King" Duffy on 30 Rock.  And then good old Wunch!  I'm not sure what my favorite exchange was between her and Holt, but watching Holt practically turn into a snarky teen around her never gets old!

I figured they would find a way around Kelly at the end since I doubt they would repeat them going to prison, but that was still an interesting ending with Wunch as the interim commissioner, and knocking Holt down to traffic detail after he boast about how quickly he became a detective.  Ironic that his mouth help lead to all of this.  But I'm curious to see if this will be a long-term arc, or will he back at his desk by next season.

Obviously, I knew (or hoped) Terry wasn't going anywhere, but I loved his denial phase were he totally was aware that he was in denial!  Also was highly amused by all the Staten Island putdowns.

All in all, another great season for one of my favorite shows of all time and I'm glad NBC is keeping it around for at least one more season!  NINE-NINE!!!

[AnimeMania]

Who would want some troll skin boots?

[Mystery]

4 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

Look at that Santialta domestic bliss! Honestly, big mood Charles. 

Charles called it "domestic Peraltiago," which I also love. 

3 hours ago, redfish said:

I know Holt resents Munch, but damn he was sabotaging himself. Interesting that throwing Munch into the mix makes him the immature "Jake" in the plan while Jake has to be the more strategic leader.

Yeah, I thought that was a little overboard, but it ended up okay so whatever. 

My favorite lines: From the first episode: [the chatroom about eating body parts] "It's hosted on Reddit, obviously."

From the second episode: "I didn't see you there; I thought you were an old leather chair." and "Did he storm out? No! I stormed in!" and there it was, for Jake: "the proud Daddy." 

I couldn't love this show more, and I'm so glad it's got another season. I hope this isn't too off topic but here's the video from them getting the news: https://nowthisnews.com/videos/pop/brooklyn-nine-nine-cast-reacts-to-getting-renewed

eta: How could I forget: they brought back Dean Winters, the Beeper King, with beepers!

Edited May 17, 2019 by Mystery

[Rinaldo]

7 hours ago, thuganomics85 said:

knocking Holt down to traffic detail after he boast about how quickly he became a detective. ...  But I'm curious to see if this will be a long-term arc, or will he back at his desk by next season.

I hope we see it last a bit, because... I'm not sure of the nuances of how ranks and chains of command function in the NYPD, but won't this make Amy his boss for a while? I sure hope so, because that would be a wonderful dynamic to see.

[festivus]

I loved that Boyle got a 'title of your sex tape' joke in. I don't remember the phrase, but you go Charles!

[Linny]

An excellent end to a strong season! "Suicide Squad" was definitely the better episode overall and was full of good stuff. Poor eternally dumb CJ sucking on popsicles, fucking up the kidnapping (Amy, Charles, and Jake's shared reaction of dismay was GOLD), and just wanting someone to play Madden with him made me laugh. Jake chiming in with "yeah!" and "all right!" during Wunch's reveal of the successful plan, despite being unable to see or hear the conversation, was adorably enthusiastic and such a Jake thing to do. And Holt humbling himself on traffic duty after thoroughly disparaging Wunch's character seems pretty deserving to me (I love Holt but yeesh, his no-holds-barred approach to Wunch is rough, especially since she was on his team).

I feel like Terry facing a potential transfer to Staten Island only to be saved at the last minute is a meta parallel for the show's cancellation and subsequent revival. His "quietly self-destructive" panic at the thought of missing out on 99 shenanigans was a very familiar sentiment. We're so lucky that NBC has given B99 and its sweet, quirky, intelligent, diverse characters a new home in which they can be nurtured and thrive.

Edited May 17, 2019 by Linny

[Lugal]

I love this show, and I'm sorry we have to wait until January to see it again.  Everyone on the thread pretty much covered it, but I forgot how much I missed Wunch and Holt sniping at each other.  The Vulture was in just about the right amount, "I put my worst detectives on it, they're dorks who wear glasses and one is a woman!"  I do like that Wunch actually does want to do the right thing, and Jake was able to work with her.  I'm curious what she does as interim commissioner, and how long Holt will be on traffic duty.

CJ is still an idiot and it was fun to see Tim Meadows again, "I just eat the normal parts like butts and thighs."  And of course the cannibal forum is hosted on Reddit.

Terry's denial was fun and I didn't think of it as meta at the time, but I see it now.  And Rosa, "I'm just coming into this, but it seems like it's falling apart."  But seriously, what the hell is in Scully's basement?

And of course John Kelly got a much higher paying job in the private sector because, as Holt said, "Our world is horrible."

Edited May 20, 2019 by Lugal

[rejnel]

Quote

And then one more tag, to stick it to us Holt just a bit. But it'll be a relatively easy situation to climb out of in the fall.

I hope not, if traffic cop Holt is based on the first floor and reports to Amy!

I'm not a fan of Wunch, so wouldn't be thrilled to have her stick around, though.

Lastly: Tim Meadows has never been funnier!

[iMonrey]

Quote

I loved that Boyle got a 'title of your sex tape' joke in. I don't remember the phrase, but you go Charles!

"Show me the tip."

Good finale. The writing for these episodes was amazing. I really didn't know where it was going, until Munch took Kelly's phone for a picture, then I knew she was playing him. 

[abc123]

Charles: Is the group text happening again?

Jake/Holt: NO!/He misspoke!

haha...great double episode.  Thank you, NBC.

[peeayebee]

Two great episodes. I loved them both.

First off, the cold open in 'Sicko' was great. Jake wanting to do a practical joke on Holt.

Jake: I'll move his podium a foot to the left.
Amy: WHAT?! He'll be so angry.
Jake: OK. Five inches.
Amy [appalled]: Five?!
Jake: Three?
Amy [appalled]: Three.
Jake: One?
Amy [incredulous]: One?
Jake: All right. I'll move it half an inch.
Amy: Fine. It's your funeral.

And then Holt notices and cracks up. "You're CRAZY! How did you pull this off?" After the break he's on the phone. "Yes, Kevin, they moved it a full half inch. I'll tell you the entire story tonight. I love you as well. Goodbye. [hangs up] Oh, that was a fun several moments…."

Regarding the serial killer case, I thought that the commissioner set the whole thing up in order to promote his app. It's better the way they did it.

Loved the Broadway Brian character. 

Did Holt say that dry beans are his happy food?

Oh, and what were Scully and Hitchcock doing in the background when Terry was first telling Amy and Rosa about transferring to Staten Island?

'Suicide Squad' was a lot of fun. I loved seeing Wunch, the Vulture, and CJ again. And I loved all of Holt's insults. His were much better than Wunch's.

Holt: What do you hope to get out of this, Madeline? Let me guess. Revenge on Dorothy for killing your sister.

All of CJ's goof-ups doing the hostage video were great. I love his dumbness.

I literally LOL'd when we cut to Holt directing traffic. 

[rejnel]

What is the meme that Holt sends to the group chat whenever Wunch is mentioned?

[Babalu]

2 hours ago, rejnel said:

What is the meme that Holt sends to the group chat whenever Wunch is mentioned?

It’s supposed to be a gif of someone from The Durrells in Corfu rolling her eyes, but, according to this Rolling Stone article, it’s a fake and the person in the gif is one of the B99 writers.

[peeayebee]

Thanks, Babalu. I couldn't understand what they were saying.

[Traveller519]

There is no way Captain Raymond Holt would refer to a lectern as a "podium"

....This is an important observation

Edited May 19, 2019 by Traveller519

[Misslindsey]

I laughed at The Vulture being friends with Billy McFarland the Fyre Festival founder. Of course he would be friends with him.

[marny]

I know it isn't the point but Kyra Sedgewick looked amazing. 

[MakeMeLaugh]

I seriously don't know how these writers write this stuff--not only is the story so creative, but the jokes come so fast that the writers have to howling at them before they even get them written down. I have to rewatch this to get everything.

And "Schooled" PTB? BIG mistake downplaying Tim Meadows for the sappy "teachers on a pedestal" crap--you have a genuine comic god! Make him the star! 

[Loandbehold]

Is anyone else wondering if the 14 convicted felons, plus the one they arrested in "Sicko" had to be let free? Or did they keep silent and let Kelly resign and move to private security company?

[peeayebee]

2 hours ago, marny said:

I know it isn't the point but Kyra Sedgewick looked amazing. 

... for an old leather chair.

[Ms Blue Jay]

On 5/17/2019 at 2:21 AM, Mystery said:

My favorite lines: From the first episode: [the chatroom about eating body parts] eta: How could I forget: they brought back Dean Winters, the Beeper King, with beepers!

I love Dean Winters, but I think it's hysterical that he is the exact same person no matter what show they put him on.

Sex and the City, 30 Rock, Brooklyn 99 - you know what, I'll even throw in SVU.  The only difference with those shows and B99 is that Vulture hasn't been romantically involved with a female protagonist - yet.

I've started keeping track of the film references that this show makes.  It's crazy, it's like 3-5 movies per episode.  These 2 episodes alone I counted:  Pulp Fiction, Fifty Shades of Grey, Bridget Jones Diary, and of course Suicide Squad.  And I think The Silence of the Lambs counts, too?  With the way they brought Caleb into the room?  There is a movie called Sicko, but I don't think they were referencing Michael Moore's 2007 takedown of the U.S. healthcare system.

Edited May 18, 2019 by Ms Blue Jay

[Joimiaroxeu]

Raw chicken? Isn't eating that pretty much a death wish?

Quote

There is a movie called Sicko, but I don't think they were referencing Michael Moore's 2007 takedown of the U.S. healthcare system.

A more recent reference might be the hit rap/hip hop song Sicko Mode. It was released last summer but radio stations are still playing it.

Quote

I love Dean Winters , but I think it's hysterical that he is the exact same person no matter what show they put him on.

I love him too and no matter what show I see him on I always call him Mayhem.

[RoadFullOfPromise]

19 hours ago, Traveller519 said:

There is no way Captain Raymond Holt would refer to a lecture as a "podium"

....This is an important observation

Don’t you mean a lectern??

Sincerely, Raymond Holt

[PWHCHCH]

Was it just me or did the white car parked outside of the motel in part one look really photoshopped?

[Ms Blue Jay]

18 hours ago, Joimiaroxeu said:

A more recent reference might be the hit rap/hip hop song Sicko Mode. It was released last summer but radio stations are still playing it.

Yeah, I was thinking about that too. This show loves their pop culture references.  They also referenced Killing Eve recently, which is pretty damn current.

Edited May 19, 2019 by Ms Blue Jay

[incandescent]

On 5/18/2019 at 11:31 AM, Loandbehold said:

Is anyone else wondering if the 14 convicted felons, plus the one they arrested in "Sicko" had to be let free? Or did they keep silent and let Kelly resign and move to private security company?

They mentioned that he now has a much higher-paying job in the private sector, because the world is horrible.

So is Holt now demoted because he didn't spend the requisite time as a uniformed officer before being promoted to detective, or is he still a captain, just doing work far beneath his station?

[Babalu]

I think Holt is temporarily demoted until he puts in the requisite time as a uniformed officer and his pay has accordingly been reduced. That's how they came up with the money for Terry's promotion to lieutenant. I expect Holt will be reinstated as captain as soon as he meets the time requirements, but with Wuntsch, who knows? She may try to make him go up the career ladder from the beginning since his original promotion was invalid. 

I wonder if the 99 will leave the captaincy vacant or will fill it (temporarily?). If filled, it would have to be with someone with less experience/ at a lower pay rate than Holt so they'd still have money in their budget for Terry. 

[Night Cheese]

Upon rewatch, I think my new favorite part of the episode was Holt's reaction to the podium prank. His hysterical laughter at the prank, followed by delightfully calling Kevin to share it with him, shows just how much character growth he's had since becoming Captain of the 99. Season 1 Holt would've never have found a work prank funny or appropriate. Between Andre Braugher's infectious laughter, to Holt telling Kevin "I'll tell you the entire story later" as if there's more to the story than what we heard him tell Kevin, I thought it was the perfect cold open.

[abc123]

Love your name, Night Cheese. Liz Lemon is my hero. 

[Catfi9ht]

I love this show. I inadvertently didn't watch Sicko the previous week so I got to watch both back-to-back which was such a treat. Both episodes were fantastic.

My only, very minor, gripe is the Broadway Brian story. This show's comedic elements don't stem from belittling people, but this one was on the verge. Typical comedies would approach this plot line in a similar manner, but it would be more mean-spirited and cringe-worthy. This was the nicest possible mean-spirited approach. I wished they would have done the reverse. Everyone was expecting him to be horrible, but he turned out to be great, which to me, is more in keeping with how smart and unexpected this show can be.

This season had its ups and downs for me, but overall, this show is phenomenal. It's smart, funny, and unexpected. I look forward to next season.

[ItCouldBeWorse]

6 hours ago, Catfi9ht said:

I love this show. I inadvertently didn't watch Sicko the previous week so I got to watch both back-to-back which was such a treat. Both episodes were fantastic.

This week was a double episode.  Last week was Cinco de Mayo.

[Court]

Andre Braugher is a treasure. The way he laughed at the podium being moved slayed me. This episode(s) was amazing. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

On 5/18/2019 at 1:13 PM, Ms Blue Jay said:

I love Dean Winters, but I think it's hysterical that he is the exact same person no matter what show they put him on.

Sex and the City, 30 Rock, Brooklyn 99 - you know what, I'll even throw in SVU. 

I first knew him as Ryan O'Reily on Oz so I'm always half convinced that he's going to shank someone.

[Ms Blue Jay]

3 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

I first knew him as Ryan O'Reily on Oz so I'm always half convinced that he's going to shank someone.

Sex and the City - he gives Carrie free long distance minutes, as a gift!

30 Rock - He's the Beeper King!

Here - they used beepers again, right?

It's weird how writers all treat him basically the same.

[incandescent]

2 hours ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

Sex and the City - he gives Carrie free long distance minutes, as a gift!

30 Rock - He's the Beeper King!

Here - they used beepers again, right?

It's weird how writers all treat him basically the same.

Even his character in the insurance commercials has the same energy.

[possibilities]

Like Michael Cera, and numerous others, he has a schtick that works for him, and until people get tired of it (or he flat out refuses jobs), he will keep getting cast in roles that use it.

[peeayebee]

I was just looking at his IMDB page and couldn't tell if he's ever played just a nice guy. Has he?