Warning: Spoilers for Brooklyn Nine-Nine's two-episode season eight premiere, which aired on NBC on Aug. 12, follow.
It's not solely Brooklyn Nine-Nine's duty to account for the media's funny, frivolous, and feel-good treatment of the NYPD — as law enforcement and TV have long had a mutually beneficial arrangement involving mass glorification — but in the wake of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and countrywide protests against police brutality, it would be strikingly off and odd for it not to try. To that end, the show's final season opener, "The Good Ones," does that and more, managing to wonderfully change the core cast dynamics in meaningful ways while also hilariously accounting for how each character would specifically react to the unprecedented chaos of 2020.
It does all that while also acknowledging the pandemic and its psychological ramifications. What a juggling act! And what a joy to behold.
It's a tough balance to strike (Terry Crews previously said that showrunner Dan Goor completely redid the first four episodes), but Brooklyn Nine-Nine, as clever and winning as it is, treats these topics with class, grace, and its own unique hilarity. By leaning way into everything, every issue, particularly with "The Good Ones," the series is able to wrap this wonderful ensemble into our very real and tumultuous world and find an ample amount of laughs in the process.
"The Good Ones" has Rosa (Stephanie Beatriz) quitting the force, disgusted by her own profession, and Jake (Andy Samberg) is flummoxed by the news that his bestie is gone and that she might view him in a different way now. It's not light stuff, as Jake also teams with Rosa to try and punish two officers who targeted and assaulted a Black woman while making a late-shift "arrest." But since the premiere zooms in on Jake and Rosa's relationship, using that to inform the rest and allow for open conversation, it's able to paint things with a silly and satirical brush, especially John C. McGinley's Billy Joel-loving union rep.
It's also just plain interesting to see Jake in a more introspective mode. As John McClane's number one fan, and a lover of all action movie cops, Jake's basically been raised by our media's obsession with tough, proactive police officers ready to take the law into their own hands. To Brooklyn Nine-Nine's credit, Jake's actually great at his job and remarkably insightful, unlike many of his reckless idols, and it's good for him, with Rosa gone, to keep having these types of conversations with himself and others.
Meanwhile, Charles (Joe Lo Truglio) becomes an obnoxiously performative ally, a retired Hitchcock (Dirk Blocker) now only appears from Parts Unknown via Scully's (Joel McKinnon Miller) tablet, and Amy (Melissa Fumero) returns from maternity leave with new fears about having grown apart from Holt (Andre Braugher). And this is where the premiere drops another admirable anchor: Holt is not okay. 2020 did a heinous number on him and in a moment of heartfelt vulnerability, he unmasks a bit and lets Amy into his turmoil. It's a tremendous moment in an already powerful episode.
Despite these serious and necessary conversations, Brooklyn Nine-Nine still manages to get away with laughs o' plenty. Sometimes it's absolute sorcery how well this series can get guffaws from some truly ghastly things (like, remember when Jake and Rosa were framed and sent to prison?). The second episode of the night, "The Lake House," is more of a return to traditional shenanigans (though still very much continuing Holt's story from "The Good Ones") and a nice follow-up chapter, though it'd be great if Jake and Rosa's crusade continued, on and off, throughout these last remaining episodes. Relegating the big elephant-in-the-room elements to just the premiere seems soft, and this series is better than that.
Ideally, season eight will feature a bounce between the tones of the first episode and the second, never forgetting the importance of how current events affect the Nine-Nine while also diving into absolute absurdities. "The Lake House" hones in on each character's best/worst traits and even turns out to be a great Terry (Terry Crews) episode, which is refreshing, since the show occasionally struggles with giving him quality material. The bits in this second episode involving Terry hedging, ledging, and doing cardio are freakin' gold. It's sad to see this series go, but these two chapters start Brooklyn Nine-Nine's final ride off in the best, most delightful way.