Guys, we made it.
After five long, arduous seasons of will-they-won’t-they, after Sophias and undercover missions, after mob bosses and Florida, hell, even after jail, we finally made it.
Jake and Amy are married. And I am still a crying mess on the floor.
It has been a wild ride, no doubt. Ever since we first saw Detective Terrible Detective and Detective Right All The Time, we knew these two very clever police colleagues were destined for each other, made to be together for the rest of their lives. We knew, from the first time we set eyes on Amy Santiago side-eyeing a much more immature Jake Peralta playing with a teddy bear cam, that if the show was going to have a driving force in the shape of romance, it was going to be between these two lovebirds.
And we were right.
It’s been five years, and the best is yet to come.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s fifth season finale “Jake and Amy” could not have been more aptly titled. In the midst of wedding crazies on the very day that they’re supposed to tie the knot, Jake and Amy discover that there is a bomb in their venue. But as if that wasn’t enough, and as if Amy’s veil’s disastrous end or the ring bearer’s tragic fate weren’t terrible enough, the very person in charge of finding and disarming the bomb is none other than Teddy from jazz brunch. You heard me right. Meanwhile, Holt struggles with whether to find out if he’s got the Commissioner job or not.
ROSA AND ALICIA
Brooklyn Nine-Nine has always listened to its fans. It listened when we asked for Rosa to be bisexual, and it delivered. It listened when we asked to see more of Holt’s husband Kevin, and it delivered. And it listened when we begged them to get Gina Rodriguez to play one of Rosa’s love interests, and it finally delivered.
So I’m asking, once again, for Lin-Manuel Miranda to play one of Amy’s brothers. Can’t hurt to say it once more.
But back to Gina Rodriguez. Her screen time was limited because the focus, of course, had to be on America’s Dream Couple, but it was more than enough to establish that Rosa and Alicia are most definitely made for each other. What, you didn’t think both of them thinking hats were dumb was a sign from the heavens telling them to be together?
Because it most definitely was a writing cue, let me tell you that.
Thanks to Terry’s rather questionable wingman techniques, Rosa actually realizes that Alicia may be someone she could definitely be interested in, and if Terry was ecstatic about it, we were popping champagne bottles open. Props are due, yet again, to the fabulous team of writers and in this special case, to Dan Goor and Luke Del Tredici themselves, who wrote the episode. Their ability to normalize Rosa’s bisexuality is commendable, but perhaps more commendable still is their ability to remark that the characters are trying their best to handle it with the utmost respect and grace. Terry tries his best to get Rosa a girlfriend —or a boyfriend— because “Terry loves love”, but having Rosa call him out on his “How to talk to your bisexual friend” Google search is the best punchline, and the best way to show that her coming out story is still, in some way, happening.
So now that we know that Alicia and Rosa are practically destined to end up together, we’ll stay tuned to find out what the writers have planned for the two of them in season six —yeah, that’s happening! I’m sure conflicting schedules are tough to handle, especially Rodriguez’s, what with her being the star of Jane The Virgin and all, but the writers would be depriving the world from an epic love story between the two if they don’t end up together on some level.
So here’s hoping!
HOLT AND CHEDDAR
Okay, so we weren’t expecting the cliffhanger to be Holt finding out whether he got the Commissioner job or not. Frankly, despite what Dan Goor had stated in interviews previewing the episode, we were expecting something a tad more dramatic. That’s what the show has been doing for the past four seasons, anyway. But, admittedly, Holt’s personal cliffhanger was the best way to end the season, especially with cancellation looming over them. And now that we get a definite sixth season, we are as excited as we are nervous to see how it all unfolds.
Holt’s entire arc this episode was focused around the news. Well, that and teaching Cheddar how to be the perfect ring bearer. But after an entire season dealing with Holt’s life-long dream for which he has sacrificed so much in his life —a tad dramatic there, don’t you think, Captain?— it was only fair that we’d know about the outcome of his storyline during the very last minutes of the show.
Only, we didn’t.
A lot of questions are left unanswered now. Sure, Holt’s character storyline practically demands for a development in his professional life. Amy got one a few episodes ago when she became Sergeant, and it’s only organic for Holt to aspire to become something more.
We’ve been in this situation before, of course. The end of season two not only gave us Jake and Amy’s first official kiss, it also announced Holt’s departure from the Nine-Nine, leaving the question of who took his place hanging between seasons.
The writers knew how to resolve that perfectly. After bringing in Bill Hader as Captain Dozerman in a hilarious role and then killing him right after, they managed to navigate Holt’s —temporary— absence from the precinct and brought him back a few episodes later. But that situation was different. His arch nemesis had put him there, and we knew it was going to be a matter of episodes before he came back to Captain the Nine-Nine.
But certainly a Commissioner’s position is not a temporary deal. It does not guarantee, in any way, Holt’s immediate —or otherwise— return to the precinct.
So, if the writers honor Holt’s storyline, his departure will mean the show will have to deal with not one, but two squad members being separated from the squad. Whether they will be able to handle that new dynamic well enough or not, we’ll have to judge next season, when the show is on NBC.
It feels great to say that, doesn’t it?
JOHNNY AND DORA
Allow me a personal callback of my own for the real joy of the episode. The real heart of this magnificently written season finale.
Jake and Amy are married.
I’m never going to get tired of saying that.
For years these two have been navigating their feelings, relationships with other people, obstacles of every shape and form. It feels like it was only yesterday that Jake fake-proposed to Amy after winning The Bet, and it feels like it was merely hours ago that we first saw Jake admit his feelings for her outside the precinct.
Romantic-stylez.
Ironically enough, that’s the best word to describe the beauty that this episode was. It was hilarious, purely Nine-Nine, and written with the utmost respect for the characters. Plus, it was full of amazing callbacks that went as far back as the episode’s Pilot, which, if you ask me, is where the real Jake and Amy dynamic started.
It doesn’t even matter that Teddy from jazz brunch, whom we already hated ever since he asked Amy out back in season one at the exact time when Jake was going to, kept interrupting the nuptials. As if it wasn’t bad enough that he’d proposed to Amy once before, he was back in business, ready to ruin Jake and Amy’s special day, proposing for a third and fourth time. Honestly, as hilarious and non-threatening as his interventions were, it was hard not to roll our eyes at him every time he opened his mouth.
Get another therapist, Teddy.
It doesn’t even matter that a bomb was threatening our favorite couple’s special day. Because they’re the best detectives in that precinct. We knew they were going to find the culprit and deal with the bomb before anyone got hurt.
But honestly, the best part of the episode was, of course, the wedding. Actually, in a very true Office style, the best part was almost the moments before the wedding itself.
We got to hear two different versions of Jake’s vows! I don’t care what you say, but Jake’s speech about him marrying Amy anywhere, at any time, sounded like wedding vows to me. And despite how dope his Addams-family vows certainly were going to be, I’m glad we got to presence one of the most beautiful declarations of love in any television show ever.
And I’m including Chandler and Monica’s in the list. Yeah. We’re not messing around.
But listen, as beautiful as the precinct looked covered in fairy lights —you go, Boyle!— and as beautiful as Amy’s —Gina’s— dress was, the most heart-warming aspect of “Jake and Amy” was that we got to see television’s healthiest and purest relationship culminate in the most love-filled wedding I could’ve possible imagined. No one was prouder than us —okay, maybe Charles— to see Jake’s awe-struck and love-struck face while Amy walked down the paper shreds-filled aisle. No one was crying more than us —okay, definitely Charles— when Holt admitted he loved them both, and they said it back. No one was squealing with more enthusiasm than us —never mind, for sure Charles— when Jake and Amy finally exchanged I Do’s.
Honestly, this is the only Royal Wedding I care about.
Because we’ve gone through this journey with them. We were there when Jake first had to deal with figuring out what he felt for Amy, and we were there when his feelings were unrequited. We threw confetti in the air when Amy admitted she might’ve felt the same way during that weird double date they ended up going on, and we were over the moon when they were forced to go undercover as a couple.
Look at where we are, and look at where we started.
It is so fulfilling to see this caring, honest, loving, marvelous relationship develop in the beautiful way it has despite the numerous difficulties these two have found in their way. And this wedding was the perfect way to celebrate it. The entire squad was there —the entire family—, Holt officiated in the most classy and generous way only Holt could, and there was a robot.
Also, Fred Armisen came back and absolutely killed it. Let him guest star on this show more often, please!
Of course Fred Armisen was only one of the many callbacks the episode gave us, as if to confirm that yes, all along, ever since the Pilot, these two were heading towards the altar. I mean, Jake telling Amy he looked great while they were storming a building is definitely not a coincidence.
But for sure, without a doubt in the world, the episode’s strongest writing point was the wedding vows. Apart from them being magical and true and inspiring, and a wonderful summary of their journey together, they proved why Jake and Amy make so much sense together. They, quite literally, and as awfully cliché as it sounds, complete each other. Jake calms Amy down. He proves that much this episode, always offering a quick and efficient solution to each and every one of the last-minute problems that threaten their wedding. And to think only a week ago he was worried about being a terrible husband. And Amy not only helps Jake settle down and become a much more mature version of himself, she also makes him the happiest because she is the one person who knows him best in the world.
And if you didn’t melt when Jake practically broke down after Amy said his butt was the bomb, what is wrong with you?
Honestly, books could be written about Andy Samberg and Melissa Fumero’s acting in that scene. They both care so much about their characters, about the relationship between them, that they’re always incredibly kind to them and unbelievably generous in their performances.
“Jake and Amy” being one of the show’s best episodes was a hard task to accomplish, definitely. Writing a wedding episode that was in line with the season’s utter hilarity and yet was equally touching and moving is a hard balance to handle. Especially when the episodes leading up to it have been so consistently on-point. They could’ve resorted to over-used wedding tropes about internal conflict within the characters, but they didn’t. They managed to build something unique and special and loving. Seriously, when have Dan Goor and the show’s writer’s room failed us?
Never. They’ve never failed us.
So here’s to a hilarious season five, perhaps one of the show’s best thus far, and here’s to the writers and the cast for breathing life into these characters that we love and adore so much. Here’s to NBC, for saving this gem of a show. Here’s to Hitchcock and Scully for never being afraid of being the butt of the jokes. Here’s to Charles for setting up a beautiful improvised wedding, and to Rosa for not being ashamed of who she is. Here’s to Holt for being the one person we all should aspire to be, and to Gina for being… Well, Gina.
Oh, and here’s to Jake and Amy. For a wonderful love story that has inspired and enchanted us.
And here’s to the Nine-Nine, for making us believe that we can always make the world a tiny bit better.
Nine-Nine!
Brooklyn Nine-Nine will air its sixth season on NBC.