The New Show to Watch!
A sensational, one up comedy airing on Fox that is sure to have you chuckling incessantly throughout it’s half hour, Tuesday night time slot is that of recently premiered ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine‘. This week presented the second episode of what is scheduled to be a very short first season run of only five shows. But the good news for those who haven’t yet tuned in, is that it’s not much effort to get yourself caught up in the action with online reruns as the half hour whizzes by before your left craving another episode.
The notable element to the show is lead actor Andy Samberg, whose role as a young Brooklynite police detective is complimented by an equally impressive cast of other riveting enforcement staff who jar and jib in a manner that resembles a nouveau Police Academy. Filming is set primarily in the show’s precinct, Ninety-Nine where Jake Peralta(Samberg), his female counterpart Amy Santiago(Melissa Fumero), the striking Latina Yorker detective Rosa Diaz and goofy middle aged detective Charles Boyle, portray more of the back office, witty camaraderie rather than that of serious, front line police work.
The script is tailored to the expressionist, insult exchanging banter of coworkers who playfully jibe one another about anything from the triviality of their most recent case arrests to the occasional condescending statement about one another’s personal romances.
Life in the precinct has up until recently been a free for all of good times and unchecked, irresponsible detective work. Peralta has provided the center of attention with such ridiculous reprieves from the mundane office routine as conducting a fire extinguisher powered wheelie chair race and the firing of a taser gun upon a cantaloupe as a ’scientific experiment’.
The old precinct commissioner offered fertile ground for this playground of Jake inspired practical jokes which seems to be more of the reason in which he takes pride in his job than his actual role of being a cop. However the new precinct boss, captain Ray Holt played by Andre Braugher is a stoic, no nonsense enforcer of proper police conduct and is not about to let the charade of un-professionalism continue under his command. The first example that he is to make in laying the ground rules is upon none other than detective Jake Peralta. Attention is placed on keeping the laid back, free spirit of Peralta compliant with the orders of his new boss, something which leads the rest of the bunch to laugh about as their comedic superstar coworker quickly begins to have his leash reigned in on.
The dynamic of interoffice romantic chemistry plays out subtly between Jake and Ms. Santiago while the older rather undesirable Charles Boyle maintains an infatuation for detective Perez, an interest that he seems destined to pursue. Other main characters include the suspender wearing, holster toting, burley Sergeant Terry Jeffords played by Terry Crews who always seems to be carrying a smile and down to earth attitude.
Additionally there is Gina Linetti, played by Chelsea Peretti whose role is more of the drama sustaining, flaky office administrator with more on her plate than simple paper pushing. Her self interest with who she dating this weekend or how an existential fortune teller might offer the force some clues on a recent drug bust helps to keep the show at an abject flow.
The two lead writers Dan Goor and Michael Schur are solid with each boasting Emmy Award winning collaboration on ‘Parks and Recreation’ as well as separate work on ‘Late Night with Conan Obrien’ and ‘The Office’ respectively. As this show is scheduled for it’s short first season run with a third episode on October 1, make sure to tune in soon for this LOL hit. The ratings from the first pilot episode were solid but with an unexplainable twenty five percent slump in numbers for the second episode may require a bit more attention in order to make this a prime time regular.