The Peralta/Holt annual Halloween bet continues when Jake challenges the Captain that he can steal his watch before midnight. Meanwhile, Gina is upset that her dance team, Floorgasm, kicks her off the squad and Terry confronts her about her bad attitude.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine has grown a lot as a comedy since the first Halloween-themed episode aired a year ago. It has developed into a strong comedic ensemble that bounces off of each other in very interesting and entertaining ways. The first Halloween bet was a strong turning point for the series because it finally gave Jake a win over Holt. The show broke out of its rut and then became a great comedy after that.The Jake vs. Holt structure returns in "Halloween II" when Jake challenges the Captain to another bet on the night of the costumed holiday. It's a pivot for Jake as a character this season. So far, his infatuation with Amy has been fueling every action he has done. That has been meaningful character development but it could slowly take over every other great thing about the show - and Jake and Amy as characters. "Halloween II" diverts his attention elsewhere and the show is a lot better because of it.
And it turns out Holt has been planning his revenge on Jake for the past year. Yes, it's fun seeing how poorly the rest of Jake's night goes following successfully stealing Holt's watch - through the help of the entire squad plus a criminal. But the episode gets significantly better when Holt smugly explains to Jake how exactly he won the bet - though the help of the entire squad plus a criminal. It's the exact same resolution that came from the first halloween episode. And yet, it still feels wonderfully satisfying because it is Holt gloating about being victorious. It works now too because the show has moved past from Holt and Jake always being adversaries. And now, I'm perfectly fine with this being a standing tradition for the show at this time of the year. It's just a fun recurring story.
So much of the plot of "Halloween II" revolves around the Jake and Holt bet. There are a few cutaways to Gina getting kicked out of Floorgasm. Gina and Terry have always been a great pairing because he is one of the sanest characters on the show while she is the craziest. They both can be hilarious and they both can be heartfelt. Sure, the reveal that she has also been going to school felt like a resolution just to have one. It was amusing that she didn't see her work at the precinct as taking up a significant portion of her time. However, the plot ultimately was worth it just to see the two of them dancing at the very end.
Some more thoughts:
- "Halloween II" was written by Prentice Penny and directed by Eric Appel.
- The entire squad - minus Boyle - agreed to help Holt trick Jake because they thought it would be good to see him get embarrassed.
- And yet, the squad helping Jake in the beginning was pretty great too.
- Floorgasm has never been a major part of the narrative. Gina dancing has always been extremely entertaining. However, I really enjoyed how they kicked her out of the group.
- Another great cold open too. Boyle tests a bunch of costumes to see which his co-workers understand the most. They ultimately thought his He-Man outfit looked like a gay Robin Hood.
- Of course, Gina would respect Terry calling her attitude, "baditude"
