Brooklyn Nine-Nine Season 5 Episode 20 Review ’Show Me Going’



***Spoilers Ahead***

Show Me Going

Photo: Stephanie Beatriz. Credit: John P Fleenor/FOX

As light-hearted as it may be, Brooklyn Nine-Nine generally isn't afraid of diving into subjects like discrimination, police brutality, and the public's disdain for officers. But, the series only tackles these issues in a sporadic fashion. By doing so, the impact that the special episodes have are much stronger than if Brooklyn constantly addressed these topics. That stands true for 'Show Me Going' which handles the heavy topic of a shooting and looks into how an event like this impacts the squad. Although there are slivers of comedy, the episode is more focused on the dramatic tension of the situation.

'Show Me Going' starts out as a familiar episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Jake and Boyle join a task force to take down some street racers. When they're kicked out, the two decide to solve the case themselves. This plot follows the same formula that the series has used multiple times, but it still looked like we were in for an entertaining plot. For better or worse, that storyline is derailed in favor of one that focuses on the squad's reaction to Rosa being in an active shooter situation. In the history of the series, Nine-Nine has never abandoned a storyline in favor of another. For the most part, the writers pick a story and go with it. The transition between the goofy story and the grounded Rosa plot is definitely clumsy. Additionally, the fact that Rosa initially appears in the episode makes the storyline even more bizarre. The start of the installment shows her talking to Amy about the broken toilet. Once again, this seems like an atypical plot for the series. But, Diaz mysteriously disappears with no explanation and somehow finds herself in Brooklyn Heights. It almost feels like the beginning of this outing was meant as a separate episode or that the rest of it was erased to make room for this somber story. Although the structure is shaky, the events of 'Show Me Going' are relatively heart-warming. Even if the shift between the two plots comes off as sloppy, the writers and actors understand how to create a realistically grave atmosphere. Witnessing Jake feeling helpless and seeing Terry go through an existential crisis are common occurrences during a morbid event. The relationship between Peralta and Holt also takes the spotlight as the two bicker and Jake attempts to leave to help Rosa. The main difference between this argument and others is that Holt decides not to order Peralta to stay at the precinct. The captain essentially gives Jake the option to go to the shooting and try to straighten things out. This shows how easily the captain can read Peralta now. He knew that Jake would never actually leave and Holt only needs his words to stop him from going. This exchange only strengthens their rock-solid bond.

In the B-plot, Gina and Amy aimlessly attempt to fix the toilet in the precinct before Rosa comes back. If it weren't for Diaz's life being on the line, this subplot might've felt dull and forgettable. But, adding Rosa's predicament to the equation made it more engaging. The uncertainty of her fate gave the plot a magnificently dire tone. Since there is a chance she may never return, the two feel obligated to carry out this one last task. Furthermore, I was relieved that Gina did not save the day like she usually does. Sometimes, it's just best to leave things unresolved. Neither could fix the toilet and everything still worked out in the end. Moreover, the writers sprinkle in enough amusing tidbits to make this story a bit more memorable. Gina's pop culture references and Amy's search engine mishap were both scenes that admirably lightened the mood. Overall, this dynamic duo gave a rather dark episode a pop of color.

Ultimately, the fact that 'Show Me Going' doesn't actually show the shooting hinders a bit of the suspense. Since we don't witness the events, it's tough to visualize what actually went down. By the end of the installment, Rosa returns in perfect shape. Although it's a heartfelt and reassuring moment, I felt that the elements of the incident should have impacted her in some way. It would've been more practical to have had Rosa injured in some form or fashion. Given that Charles was shot in the first season, it wouldn't have felt out of place to have Rosa go through a similar ordeal and eventually recover. If not that, this plot could've been stretched out and turned into an arc about the shooting she was in and the aftermath of the event. Since the writers just cap the story in this episode, it cheapens the emotional moments to an extent. With that said 'Show Me Going' still handles the tough topic in an elegant manner. While there are some noticeable problems with the structure of the episode, it still functions as a thrilling ride. Even if the message isn't as straight-forward as season four's 'Moo Moo', it still packs a punch with a story that's a bit emotional and very tense.


Miscellaneous
  • The fight between Hitchcock and Scully had me in tears. 
  • Boyle's comment about the Zika virus was very accurate.
  • I hope Holt sports that red hat more often.
  • It's really a shame that there are only two episodes left. 

Grade: B


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