Brooklyn Nine-Nine Season 5 Episode 12 Review ’Safe House’



***Spoilers Ahead***

Safe House

L-R; Andre Braugher, Andy Samberg, Marc Evan Jackson. Photo: John P. Fleenor/FOX

As a character, Kevin Cozner hasn't appeared nearly as much as he's been mentioned. While Cozner had small roles in season 3's 'The Swedes' and season 4's 'Skyfire Cycle', it has been a while since the character has played a prominent role in an episode. Fortunately, 'Safe House' puts Holt's husband back in the limelight and does an impeccable job of crafting his signature emotionless attitude.

When Brooklyn Nine-Nine last left off, Seamus Murphy informed Holt that his husband's life was on the line. Naturally, Holt goes into protective mode and makes sure that Kevin and Jake stay in their safe house at all times. Since Kevin essentially shares the same traits as his husband, the banter between him and Jake are comparable to Peralta and Holt's hilarious antics in  '9 Days' or their previous experience with a safe house in season 1's 'Christmas'. While it may feel like familiar territory, it definitely doesn't take away from the entertainment aspect. There are many laugh-out-loud moments littered throughout the story as Kevin and Jake indulge in Nicolas Cage movies and complain about being cooped up.

Amidst the comedy, the writers insert a rather poignant moment as Kevin implies that he may divorce Holt. Brooklyn Nine-Nine has vaguely delved into this territory before with season 3's 'Cheddar'. But, the situation has more gravity to it in a tense scene like the fight. While Kevin's mention doesn't go past verbal aggression, it does reintroduce the idea that their marriage may not be as perfect as it seems. While I don't want this conflict to pop up again, I did admire how it added another layer to their marriage. Their relationship felt more one-dimensional in the show's earlier days and this topic would've never been explored in the first season. As 'Safe House' progresses, the comedy and action factor intensifies. Jake and Kevin's perverted trip to the library and Holt's texting habits were prime examples of Brooklyn flexing its comedic muscles. The fact that the series can create laughs without a word of dialogue truly captures the show's brilliance. And, while the action scenes didn't have any real stakes, they were still enjoyable as always.

Despite my praise, I still had some problems with the episode as a whole. For one, the writers attempted to wrap up the Seamus storyline in a crammed time span. Like the previous story arcs, it seemed as if the writers were desperate to return to the status quo. Even then, the Figgis and Hawkin arcs had multiple episodes to breath. The Seamus storyline barely returned to the spotlight in the winter finale. Nevertheless, that's not to say 'Safe House' is a bad episode by any means. The outing is simply too fast-paced and the writers blow through a ton of hilarious material that could've lasted several episodes. I definitely would've enjoyed witnessing more of the great chemistry between Jake and Kevin.

Over in the B-plot, Rosa attempts to make small talk with Seamus's girlfriend to obtain information about him. Through the help of Gina and Charles, Diaz taps into her sociable side. It's always a pleasure seeing Beatriz's character break free of her stone-cold demeanor. Also, her range of hairstyles worked as a memorable sight gag. In the remaining storyline, Terry and Amy attempt to piece together some shredded documents. If nothing else, the small plot further proves that Scully can be a useful detective and not just a couch potato

In the end, 'Safe House' is a pleasant ride filled with great action scenes and killer jokes. While it doesn't succeed in the story department, I can definitely look past that and enjoy it as twenty-two minutes of pure fun. Overall, bringing back Kevin was a great way to kick off the second half of Brooklyn Nine-Nine's fifth season.


Stray Thoughts
  • The 'sex tape' jokes will never stop being funny. 
  • Glad to see that Brooklyn is back on Sundays.
  • Seriously, that texting scene was on another level. Holt's formal texts were priceless.
  • Judging by next week's episode synopsis, we're about to have Pontiac Bandit 5!
  • The running gag of Jake mentioning CBS sitcoms was strangely funny. 
  • I feel like it would have been best to end this episode with Scully sitting on a pie. 
  • If this episode taught me anything, it's that being called a dirtbag is really a compliment. 

Grade: A-


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