FOX's Brooklyn Nine-Nine - Episode 2.10 "The Pontiac Bandit Returns"
"The Pontiac Bandit," aka Doug Judy, is back in custody. When Rosa discovers that Judy knows the whereabouts of the "Giggle Pig" drug leader, Holt offers the perp a plea deal to help track down the drug kingpin. Gina and Boyle are nervous that their parents might be getting too close. Amy makes Holt a Christmas gift against his wishes.
"The Pontiac Bandit" was one of the best episodes from the first season. So, it's understandable that I had high hopes going into tonight's episode where Craig Robinson's criminal makes his return. Sequels are tough to get right. Doug Judy's interactions with Jake and Rosa were delightful the first time around but the reveal that he was actually the criminal they were chasing was incredibly smart and helped the show find its strong comedic energy in the back half of its first year. And now, Judy returns to the show. He's still the same fun character with a playful dynamic with Jake and romantic pining after Rosa. As much as this episode is about Doug Judy, it's even more about the conclusion to Rosa's Giggle Pig task force.I haven't always enjoyed the Giggle Pig arc this season. It had an amusing beginning - with Holt and Terry going around Wuntch to get it started - and a wonderful ending - with Jake choosing to arrest Tito Ruiz while letting Doug Judy escape. And yet, the middle part of this story was very awkward. It always felt like a story that had to be mentioned once every episode. Giggle Pig was a funny name to call a drug initially but it's grown increasingly stale every time it is mentioned. It was always something Rosa was working on but it lacked a personal story connection. None of the important players of this drug trade are given personalities. They were just meaningless but had to pop up to give the audience faith that Rosa is making progress with the task force. The only meaningful thing that Rosa does with this investigation occurs in this one episode. And frankly, it's weird that she is the only face of the task force. The rest of the detectives at the precinct have helped her but they are not active members of this special unit. That only further takes us out of this story.
And yet, I really enjoy Jake and Rosa together as a comedic pairing. That's something "The Pontiac Bandit" discovered last season. It's a dynamic that hasn't been used too often since though. They interact but they haven't been asked to carry a story opposite each other this season until this episode. That only makes it more important that this is also the episode that features the return of Doug Judy. Jake is determined not to make the same mistakes he did last time. Judy is a crafty criminal with a lot of friends. We know he can't be trusted. Him evading arrest is the same core structure from his first episode. However, it's still a lot of fun seeing him interact with Jake, Rosa and Holt. They are determined to send him to jail until he can help them with the Giggle Pig investigation. That leads to great accommodations as well as more fun with Jake and Rosa going undercover. It's amusing seeing Jake so on the edge that he explains how any object in the hotel room can be used to kill him and allow Judy to escape.
In the end though, Jake is faced with a choice. Judy is his personal nemesis. He has been tracking the Pontiac Bandit for years. And now, he has come close twice to locking him up and he has escaped both times. But Jake is now aware of how much this investigation means to Rosa. Previously, he hasn't followed her orders and it got him into trouble. Sure, everything worked out in the end. But he is suppose to be her friend and he frequently thinks about himself first. Choosing to take down Ruiz instead is a wonderful moment for him, Rosa and their friendship. She appreciates him making that choice and he is happy to say how easy it was to make. That's how we know this personal growth is meaningful. In the moment, it seemed like it was weighing hard on him. But to hear him admit that it was the necessary move to make shows how he is evolving as a character and thinking about more than just himself.
The main story of "The Pontiac Bandit Returns" is the true highlight of this episode. The two subplots then feel like they are alluding to the future. We saw Gina's mom and Boyle's dad get together in a previous episode. And now, we get confirmation of how far they have progressed in that relationship. They are moving in together and now their respective children are plotting to split them up. That makes me excited for the future. Even though a lot of it in this episode felt like giving the audience the information needed. Gina's bit about planned faces in regards to gift opening was pretty great though.
And then, there was Amy and her need to give Holt a gift because of the holiday season even though he has repeatedly said he does not want any gifts. It's simply in her nature to try to please the captain in order to earn good will and recognition. That's exactly why he doesn't want gifts. But she of course finds a loophole in Holt's definition of a gift - she's putting together a scrapbook of his life which doesn't cost her any money. The truly great twist comes once she realizes Holt made a mistake in a past case. It's a great reminder of all the colorful named crooks Holt has thrown in jail - with The Brooklyn Broiler joining the list this week. Her bringing it to his attention is the thing that Holt respects the most. It's that kind of anti-brown nosing that he appreciates. Now, they can work together to solve who really set a couple of those fires in the past. And that sounds like a great story for the future.
Some more thoughts:
- "The Pontiac Bandit Returns" was written by Matt O'Brien and directed by Max Winkler.
- Orion ring attack!
- I love that in every Christmas episode Jake ruins the image of Santa. Last year he and Boyle had to use force in order to arrest some drunk Santas in front of children. This year he is the one disguised as Santa and runs through a tree farm with a gun and later sets a tree on fire.
- Hitchcock cuts his hand and wants to wrap it up with tape because he believes it's the same tape the doctor would use.
- Jake and Rosa's undercover identities are Dante Thunderstone, who stole his first car at the tender age of nine and whose mom got struck by lightning and died while pregnant with him, and Doug Judy's wife, who would meet a drug dealer because their love is in everything they do. She later just becomes his bodyguard.
- It's also very amusing seeing Rosa play along with Judy's affections just to get the information out of him.
- That's two episodes in a row where Rosa smiling is played for comedic effect. And yet, it works so wonderfully because that is so not who the character is at her core. It's different and that's what makes it hilarious every time. And now, she can't stop smiling!
