***Spoilers Ahead***
Lights Outs
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| Andre Braugher (left), Terry Crews (right). Photo Credit: Jordin Althaus/NBC |
Whether it be a major disruption or a minor shift, Brooklyn Nine-Nine always strives to break free of its comfort zone for the finale episode. More often than not, Brooklyn closes out the season in a monumental manner, leaving viewers anxious to know how the issue will be resolved in the next broadcast. In comparison to past seasons, 'Lights Out' feels like less of a game-changer and more like a neatly-wrapped conclusion. While it does center on the major events of New York facing a blackout and Santiago giving birth, everything is resolved in a tidy fashion by the ending sequence. Still, 'Lights Out' introduces a unique threat to the precinct and caps off the seventh season in heartwarming fashion. The execution and pacing may be a bit clumsy but the race-against-the-clock premise helps the outing stay entertaining from beginning to end.
After a blackout hits the precinct in the main plot, a pregnant Amy decides to give up a day of her maternity leave and manage the crisis alongside the other officers. Amidst the already chaotic atmosphere, Holt & Terry get trapped in an elevator while Jake & Charles leave to capture the culprit who caused the disruption. The Amy-Rosa plot escalates rather quickly as Santiago goes from simply being pregnant to getting ready to give birth. As Santiago deals with the matter, Rosa conveys her extreme disgust to the idea of Amy giving birth to a child in the office. This dynamic may be common for the two but it still feels a touch disappointing given how supportive Diaz has been of Santiago in recent installments. Diaz's detesting attitude feels like a step back for her character, more reminiscent of how she would treat Amy in the early years of Nine-Nine. And, while it was comical to watch Santiago's futile attempts to hide her contractions, this story borrows too much of its framework from Sharon's precinct birth in season 3's 'Ava'. Furthermore, the addition of a kid leaves the writers in a difficult situation for future outings. They will now have to juggle Jake and Amy being parents with their usual detective work responsibilities, a balancing act that sitcoms rarely handle very well. Nevertheless, the pregnancy scene did manage to be emotionally gratifying because of the trials and tribulations the couple went through to make a baby.In the Jake & Charles plotline, the two make countless attempts to return to the precinct so Jake can witness the birth of his son. Along the way, the pair meet a slew of new faces and deal with an absurd amount of traffic. Dottie the old lady ends up being the scene-stealer in this story as her regressive comments and actions brilliantly juxtapose her sweet outer appearance. Her bitter demeanor paired well with the surprisingly sensible bank robber, creating a humorous pairing in the process. Brooklyn loves to flip stereotypes on its head, so having the criminal be fairly sensitive and the "helpless" old lady be offensive and violent felt right at home for the series.
At the same time, this plot showcases an incredibly unfavorable aspect of Boyle that seems to reappear everytime Jake & Amy's relationship reaches a new milestone. Essentially. Charles awkwardly obsesses over the birth of their child and completely disregards the matter at hand. This felt like a pretty large betrayal to his character as Boyle was starting to become more confident and laid-back this season. Here, he goes as far as to make creepy comments about Amy's genitalia and tell Jake to simply abandon a person crying out for help. Even for someone like Hitchcock, this behavior would be far too outlandish and sickening. Nonetheless, the supporting characters the two met along the way made the storyline a little more digestible than it would have otherwise been.
Terry and Holt take over the C-plot, remaining trapped in an elevator for a good portion of 'Lights Out'. One would be hard-pressed to find any real substance or character growth in this story, but it still does a nice job of providing some hilarious moments. With that said, the shtick of Holt acting out in an eccentric matter has long run its course. Had the captain performed a hip-hop dance routine in the one of the first three seasons of the show, it would have been equal parts jarring and hysterical. But, it has already been established that Braugher's character can let loose when he wants to. Because of this, the Terry and Holt dance scene may invoke a light chuckle but does not feel as abnormal or shocking as it tries to be.
'Lights Out' plays it safe and treats viewers with a sendoff that ties together all loose ends. Although there are some clear issues with the way some of the characters act, Brooklyn once more cements the charming message that the officers are all part of one big supportive family. It may be a sappy sentiment but also one that feels fitting for a season finale. The bright side of not going with a cliffhanger ending is that the writers have a clean slate for season eight. They will not have to spend several episodes addressing unresolved matters from the prior season and have the freedom to build a fresh, new arc. 'Lights Out' is not satisfying enough to stand out from the pack of Brooklyn finales but is pleasant enough to tide viewers over until the series returns from hiatus.
Stray Thoughts
- I'm glad they brought back the child Holt flashbacks. If they ever do a spinoff, Young Holt would be a neat concept.
- This is now the first season to not feature Gina in any episode.
- Nice to know that Boyle and Sgt. Peanut Butters have finally ended their feud.
- Season Grade: B
Grade: B
What did you think of the Brooklyn Nine-Nine season seven finale? Leave your thoughts in the comments below. A big thanks to everyone who read my reviews this season.
