by Joshua Hudson
Many cop shows are heavy on the drama, action, and surprise twist endings. They are also very light on the comedic elements to lighten the mood to avert from the travesties they love to portray to hook you in.
FOX’s Brooklyn Nine-Nine says it is time for a change.
Nine-Nine is the latest comedy to attempt to build a strong following on FOX’s Tuesday night schedule. Last season, none of FOX’s comedies hit – I’m including The Mindy Project in that statement even though it was picked up for a second season – so it was time to regroup.
Nine-Nine comes from Parks & Recreations’ Michael Schur and his co-creator Dan Goor. The cast is impressive, featuring SNL’s Andy Samberg, the always stellar Andre Braugher, and Everybody Hates Chris star Terry Crews, among others, and it plays right into FOX’s brand of single camera comedy ensemble. While New Girl and Mindy seeks to keep the attention of the females, Nine-Nine is geared more towards the male audience.
The 99th precinct of Brooklyn is about to gain a new Captain for their unit. Sandberg’s Peralta is a stand out detective, but is averse to rules and has the maturity of a third grader. His partner, Amy Santiago – played by Melissa Fumero – is determined to work her way up the ranks and hopes the new captain is someone that can serve as a “rabbi” for her. Their new captain is Ray Holt – played by Braugher. He is stern, unflappable, and expects everyone to adhere to his new way of command – including wearing a tie as part of the dress code. Naturally, Santiago loves him, while Peralta blurs the lines and manipulates the rules, landing him in the records room.
The Pilot seeks to show the type of camaraderie that lies in a police precinct. There is the detective – Charles Boyle, played by Jo Lo Trujilo – who wants to ask out another – Rose Diaz, played by Stephanie Beatriz – but is scared because she is a badass and can be overly scary; shenanigans from Peralta that outline the comedic nature, fully in tune with Sandberg’s signature brand of humor; the office goosip – Gina Linetti, played by Chelsea Peretti – who sets everyone on their path and gives the captain the ammo he needs to evaluate his crew; and the deadpan nature provided by Captain Holt to counter-balance Peralta’s immaturity.
The trailer introduced in May did this show little justice; I almost passed on the offering because of it. I am glad I succumbed, as this could easily be a bright spot on the 2013-2014 TV season, not just for FOX but as a whole. If The Lonely Island makes a cameo, all the better.
