'Brooklyn Nine-Nine' Season 7 Episode 11 is proof that too much of a good thing is bad
Spoilers for Season 7 Episode 11: 'Valloweaster'
The highlight of this season’s Halloween Heist/Valentine’s Day Heist/Easter Heist (does anyone else think things are kind of getting out of hand here?) was another cop in the fictional Nine-Nine precinct wondering why this was still going on. Episode 11 of season 7 of the NBC cop comedy ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’ needs to answer that question, and not just for their annual Heist games.
Even if we ignore Rosa’s (Stephanie Beatriz) gross invasion of privacy in an effort to win the Heist -- she literally hid in his therapist’s room to listen to their conversations -- the fact that the shenanigan continued for six months is concerning on many, many levels. The bunny suits, the pets, the in-office handcuffing and contesting in this episode only symbolize a bigger problem in the story: these cops really have nothing to do.
With the exception of a couple of episodes, most of ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’ this season has been a series of mindless shenanigans. Yes, they are funny. And yes, this is a family comedy. But at some point, one really has to wonder if the show’s creators are struggling to churn out new material. The reason earlier seasons of the show worked well was that it combined trope-filled cop plots with the goofy characters we’ve all come to love.
Season 7, however, has been a bit of an overdose of this goofiness. Sure, the characters have grown over the years and these episodes of silliness only add to that growth, but at the same time, when not grounded in reality, the shenanigans and the silliness becomes a tad bit much to handle.
In every respect, this Heist episode was a pretty good one. And had the whole season been a little soberer, it would have actually been enjoyable. But you know what they say: “Too much of a good thing.”
A few years ago, Forbes published a review of the show’s third season. It wasn’t a pleasant review. Writer Merrill Barr had argued that the show had foregone laughs for the sake of storytelling. I would argue that it is the opposite of that right now. ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’ season 7 seems to have foregone any kind of cogent storytelling for slapstick peals of laughter.
And in the midst of all the quote-unquote funnies, some of the characters seem to have become bigger parodies of their earlier selves. Jake (Andy Samberg) and Amy (Melissa Fumero) were smart detectives aside from being the goofballs they are. But now, they have become the oddest couple on the show (Hitchcock and Scully will always remain the best couple and there will be no arguments about that). Holt’s (Andre Braugher) deadpan gruffness has given way to an exaggerated meanness and pettiness that makes less than zero sense. And with no Gina (Chelsea Peretti) on the show anymore, Boyle’s (Joe Lo Truglio) cartoonish behavior has no checks.
Remember the most iconic quote from Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Dark Knight’? “You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.”
‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’ has lived long enough to see itself turn into an empty husk of the hilarious comedy series it once was. It almost makes you wish the show remained canceled in 2018. Or that Gina still remained on the cast. Either one would have worked.
'Brooklyn Nine-Nine' Season 7 airs on Thursdays at 8:30 pm only on NBC.