People have patterns, and in Brooklyn Nine-Nine, showrunners Daniel Goor and Michael Shur are showing theirs. I've already talked about how Gina feels like Kelly. One of our followers noted that Diaz is like an angrier version of April Ludgate. Scully is basically a repackaged Jerry, serving as the butt of all office hatred. I mean, I still do laugh at authority figures hating the figure, like Capt. Holt's resigned assumption that Scully has had no solved cases, but it's a familiar laughter.
And just like The Office and Parks and Rec, it's taking them a while to get their "star" on proper footing. It took a while for Michael Scott to get rid of any residiual British nastiness and emerge as a lovable idiot. It took a while for Leslie Knope to stop imitating Michael and just be the incredible person she is now. And it looks like it might take a while for Samberg's Peralta to mellow into a believable goofball. To their credit, he does show his potential in "M.E. Time," which is the best episode of the show so far.
Probably because...say it with me now... it's balanced. Peralta isn't overshadowing everyone, and in fact shines in his weird dating of the medical examiner. And the interplay with him and Boyle is strange and lovely. I could watch the two of them in the car with Boyle's music playing all day--Peralta all seething rage, and Boyle singing showtunes with the enthusiasm of a child.
Santiago's storyline contains some of the best moments of the night. As she seeks for Holt's approval, it leads to a clips proving how no one can read the guy. Those little clips are this show's gold, as they are the perfect thirty second punchlines that keep the viewer excited and watching, showing the absurdity of these characters without compromising the momentum of plot.
Some Thoughts:
-Mary Elizabeth Ellis showed up here in the wake of her leave from The Millers. Wise choice there. Playing a guest spot as a Samberg love interest is much better than playing second banana to an orange Arnett.
-Holt continues to win. "I hate cliches."
-While I highly doubt an untrained person would be an acceptable assistant during an autopsy, I did like seeing how grossed out Samberg could get.
And just like The Office and Parks and Rec, it's taking them a while to get their "star" on proper footing. It took a while for Michael Scott to get rid of any residiual British nastiness and emerge as a lovable idiot. It took a while for Leslie Knope to stop imitating Michael and just be the incredible person she is now. And it looks like it might take a while for Samberg's Peralta to mellow into a believable goofball. To their credit, he does show his potential in "M.E. Time," which is the best episode of the show so far.
Probably because...say it with me now... it's balanced. Peralta isn't overshadowing everyone, and in fact shines in his weird dating of the medical examiner. And the interplay with him and Boyle is strange and lovely. I could watch the two of them in the car with Boyle's music playing all day--Peralta all seething rage, and Boyle singing showtunes with the enthusiasm of a child.
Santiago's storyline contains some of the best moments of the night. As she seeks for Holt's approval, it leads to a clips proving how no one can read the guy. Those little clips are this show's gold, as they are the perfect thirty second punchlines that keep the viewer excited and watching, showing the absurdity of these characters without compromising the momentum of plot.
Some Thoughts:
-Mary Elizabeth Ellis showed up here in the wake of her leave from The Millers. Wise choice there. Playing a guest spot as a Samberg love interest is much better than playing second banana to an orange Arnett.
-Holt continues to win. "I hate cliches."
-While I highly doubt an untrained person would be an acceptable assistant during an autopsy, I did like seeing how grossed out Samberg could get.