Brooklyn Nine-Nine Season 4 Premiere, “Coral Palms, Part 1”
Jake (Andy Samberg) and Captain Holt (Andre Braugher) adjust to their new lives in Florida thanks to Witness Protection Program. Jimmy “The Butcher” Figgis remains at large with the feds seemingly making no headway.
Florida is a garbage state. I’m sorry because I know that’s a mean thing to say but it’s true. Everyone has at least one friend or friend of a friend who has drug and/or law related problems and decides to get their new start in Florida. It’s full of old retired people, crazy Disney maniacs, and “ex”-druggies. Plus it’s a swampland filled with lizards of various shapes and sizes. No thank you.
I love Brooklyn Nine-Nine so much. I have gone on record saying it is my favorite comedy on television right now. But season four’s premiere could have been a bit better and I’m blaming Florida.
Jake (Samberg) and Holt (Braugher) have been in Florida under witness protection for about 6 months. Holt has leaned into his new persona, Greg. He has a group of friends, old women (including Rhea Perlman) who power walk. He has a job at a kids funplex arcade thing and he’s looking to get a promotion to assistant manager. Jake, on the other hand, had been in a depression for first six months but now has apparently gotten a job selling ATV’s. He also has atrocious blonde tips, but that is neither here nor there.
Maya Rudolph makes an appearance as the U.S. Marshal in charge of the duo’s new identities. She is obviously perfection. She tells Jake and Holt that they did not find Jimmy “the Butcher” Figgis and they will be in Florida indefinitely. The rest of the episode is Holt finding out Jake’s secret investigation and them coming at odds before teaming up to lure Figgis to them and get the hell out of dodge.
“Coral Palms: Pt. 1” was hilarious. Brooklyn Nine-Nine is always hilarious. Jake saying “squirtenly” made me choke with laughter. They portrayed a very over the top version of Florida and it’s inhabitants. But it’s also the way I think everyone sees kind of sees Florida anyway. The double gag of Holt, and then Jake getting flipped by go karts was almost too much. I laughed so hard.
But I miss New York City and the nine-nine. Maybe even more than Holt and Jake. I kept waiting for the episode to switch over to the crew at the nine nine, or for Boyle to pop up somewhere. But instead the episode stayed in America’s butthole. It felt sort of stagnant because of the time spent on the non essential Florida stuff- building a back history of Greg and Larry’s time there.
I enjoyed the premiere episode and I’m looking forward to next week, though I wish there was more forward movement in the episode.
Rating: 7 out of 10
