Over the course of the last 8 years, Brooklyn Nine-Nine became one of the most beloved modern sitcoms due to its cast of wholesome characters and their general camaraderie. It was always going to be an uphill battle to end the series in a satisfactory manner, and the pandemic has only complicated things a lot more than anticipated. The series followed up its truncated seventh season with another short season of just nine episodes.
It would have been impossible to ignore the events following George Floyd’s death. Terry Crews revealed that half of the last season’s episodes had been rewritten in light of the tragedy. One would also expect this season to tackle the pandemic, but it’s swept under the rug in the first five minutes of the season premiere. Some viewers might be peeved by the sight of maskless people going in and out of government buildings.
The focus on the flaws of the law enforcement system doesn’t always pan out. There is a cognitive dissonance between the serious moments and the humor. Still, there is a genuine effort to show the characters actively working to bring about positive change.
The obligatory gimmick episodes such as the Doug Judy-centric PB&J, the Knives Out inspired Game of Boyles and the final heist of The Last Day give us familiar milestones to stick to, but they aren’t enough to lift the rest of the season. In fact, Game of Boyles seems a bit late as its subject matter came out two years ago. Also, the parent dynamic between Jake (Andy Samberg) and Amy (Melissa Fumero) isn’t explored beyond ‘who will look after the baby’, although their relationship remains as wholesome and supportive as ever.
Another main plot this season is the marital struggles of Captain Holt (Andre Braugher) and Kevin (Marc Evan Jackson). It’s handled competently enough, but one can’t help but think what other potential storylines were ditched in its favor. Thankfully, the humor is as on point as ever. There’s even a callback to the infamous ‘Bone?!’ moment.
Unfortunately, the supporting cast does not get much room for character development. Hitchcock (Dirk Blocker) is relegated to a screen for most of the season, which hurts Scully’s (Joel McKinnon Miller) comedic timing.
The finale brings in many familiar faces from the past. It continues the trend of choosing unlikely contenders as the winners of the heists. It even pays homage to the old ‘turn the lights off’ before leaving a place and immediately makes fun of it.
While the final season of Brooklyn Nine-Nine is uneven, it still retains its charm and gives a decent ending to its characters.
Maybe things would have been different if it weren’t for the pandemic, but this is the world we live in now. It’s better to bow out before things become stale and the show loses its fans.