***Spoilers Ahead***
Bachelor/ette Party
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| L-R: Andre Braugher, Andy Samberg, Terry Crews, Joe Lo Truglio. Credit: FOX |
One of the most polished episodes of Brooklyn Nine-Nine is season 3's 'Paranoia'. That outing created two entertaining bachelor and bachelorette parties that highlighted the amazing relationships that these characters share. Even though it ended in tragedy and the wedding of Pimento and Rosa was eventually called off, it still goes down as one of my favorite installments of the series. Two years later, the writers attempt to mimic their past success with 'Bachelor/ette Party'. Shockingly, the prelude to the wedding of Jake and Amy does not compare to that of Rosa and Pimento. In fact, it doesn't even hold a candle to its predecessor.
The bachelor party consists of Jake, Holt, and Terry going on a scavenger hunt that Boyle planned. After struggling to figure things out, they decide to bail on Charles and go to a restaurant. The major issue with this story is that it lacks a joyful atmosphere. Although the episode is meant to be celebratory, it manages to morph into a middling, generic plot about the trio letting down Boyle. Having the three not partake in the scavenger hunt robs the viewer of what would have been an exciting ride full of different surprises. Instead, we're met with a story that strips away the purpose of the scenario. Moreover, 'Bachelor/ette Party' wears out the trope of Boyle idolizing Peralta. While Boyle's severe admiration of Jake is always played for laughs, it feels incompatible with a milestone episode that's meant to usher in a new chapter for the squad. Additionally, Charles has shown in the past that Jake's not always his main priority. Season 4's 'The Night Shift' demonstrated how he has to put his son Nickolaj before Peralta. Because of this, Boyle's cartoonish worship feels downright stale in this outing. It regresses his character and puts him near caricature territory. Amidst the bad, Holt's drunken behavior acts as the saving grace of a rather weak plotline. Although it's nothing new to have the captain leave his expressionless comfort zone, Raymond's outbursts are still wildly amusing and entertaining. Other than that, the laughs are dispensed at a minimum. I felt just as irritated as Boyle that the writers threw out a perfectly good scavenger hunt plot and turned it into a significantly less engaging ordeal.
Amy's bachelorette party doesn't help the episode's case in any way. Her story focuses on embracing her wild side and yet doesn't even involve her signature stages of drinking. Once more, the actual party doesn't occur and the story shifts to a tedious quest to get Amy's ex-boyfriend to not perform at Amy and Jake's wedding. Aside from Hitchcock and Scully's Empire-influenced distraction and Santiago burning the document, nothing playful or interesting occurs. Also, Kylie serves no purpose here and is essentially reduced to Gina's punching bag. Kylie could have been an interesting character, but she was never properly developed and has rarely appeared throughout the series. The writers certainly should have taken a page from 'Paranoia' and had the ladies tear down an abandoned restaurant or play a game of paintball. To add insult to injury, this story doesn't even feel like it's meant for the occasion. This plot could have functioned without the bachelorette party backdrop. Ultimately, this story just feels like a huge missed opportunity.
'Bachelor/ette Party' had a lot to live up to and did not come within striking distance of doing so. Given the setting, neither story felt appropriate and both were poorly executed. Hopefully, the actual wedding episode ends up being significantly more entertaining. It may not be the worst episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, but it betrays its setup and ends up being more of a filler episode than a landmark one.
Miscellaneous
- Last time, Boyle was at the bachelorette party. This time, it was Hitchcock and Scully.
- 'Name of your sextant tape.'
- Last week, Adrian Pimento complained about how Jake has shut him out of his life. This week, he's not invited to Jake's bachelor party.
- I like how Terry knew Reginald VelJohnson from Family Matters instead of Die Hard.
Grade: C+
