It's the day of Gina and Charles' parents' wedding, and the whole squad is given a job to fulfill for the ceremony. However, Jake and Amy get sidetracked chasing a criminal, and Terry struggles to officiate the wedding.
Lynn Boyle and Darlene Linetti have had a whirlwind romance this season. They came together as a joke at the end of an episode last fall. Charles and Gina had just ended their relationship, and this twist of putting their parents together was meant to keep things complicated for them. Little did they know, their parents would fall hard for the other. Lynn is going "Full Boyle" just like his son. In that respect, it's easy to see the two of them getting married so quickly. The Boyles are fearless and over-exuberant when it comes to relationships. This story is very similar to Charles' engagement to Vivian last season. He feel for her hard and fast which led to wedding planning. This story just has a much happier ending. It works better than the last Boyle to contemplate marriage because it's happening to two non-regular characters. Lynn and Darlene are important in the lives of their children and have been fun additions this season. But they simply aren't main characters on Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Their happiness on their wedding day is infectious. It's whole point is to get many of the main characters to see their romantic futures much clearer.I didn't have any doubt that Lynn and Darlene wouldn't get married. Gina spent the bulk of the episode freaking out over how disastrous the day was becoming. That kind of chaos always hinted at a happy ending between the two. It was messy beforehand - with Jake losing the ring, Terry and Holt struggling as the officiant, and Lynn freaking out over this potentially being a huge mistake. But that only serves to highlight the simple happiness at episode's end. Lynn and Darlene do love each other. Nothing shows that more than in Gina's big speech to Lynn to get him recommitted to doing this. She points out that Darlene loves him because of the risks he takes. They don't always pay off but it's exciting to be with someone willing to do those types of things. Nothing is worse than being with someone who's afraid of what to say or do. With Lynn, Darlene wouldn't have to worry about that and that's what makes this the third best day of her life - after giving birth to Gina and having sex with a roadie from the Steve Miller Band, of course.
The show understandably gets swept up into the emotion and romance of this event. It provides the opportunity for the regular characters to take a step back and look at their lives and the people they are with romantically. Holt and Terry are in strong marriages but that doesn't mean they aren't moved by this ceremony. Terry gets too emotionally invested and has to pull out as the officiant. He went gorgeous with his speech and that took him to some emotionally real places. Holt brought something new to the important role in the ceremony. And yet, he was still very moving even in his own way. Marriage has new meaning when it comes to his with Kevin. They didn't know how long it would be legal for them to get married. So they rushed into it as efficiently as possible. They are perfect for each other but that doesn't mean they don't wish for something a little more extravagant now. Granted, it's Holt and Kevin. What does their version of extravagant look like? But it's still a very pleasant thought to have.
And then, there's Jake and Amy. They are the show's typical will-they/won't-they couple. They have wonderful chemistry together and the show has proved why each of them works as a human within this universe even with their eccentricities. The show hasn't been taking the typical route when it comes to putting them together romantically though. Yes, Jake had that big moment of saying he liked her in the finale last season. But that was merely a first step on a journey that is unlike most romantic comedies on TV. Both characters are aware that they both like each other. It's just that both confirmed it when the other was happily with someone else. But now, they are both single. It would be so easy for the show to put them together. They don't however and the show is better of for it. I don't want them to rush into a Jake-Amy pairing. The pacing so far has been wonderful. The awkwardness in their relationship is still apparent. Charles recognizes how it may be awkward discussing another girl with Jake in front of Amy. But both Jake and Amy are willing to admit that that stuff is all in the past. Right now, they are focusing on being each other's friend. If they can work as friends who are there for each other and support each other both at work and in life, then the possibility will open to them being something more. Jake is there for Amy to help her take down her criminal nemesis of two years while she does her best to make him look impressive to his childhood love. Sure, he ends up feeling the pain of love lost with Jenny Gildenhorn yet again. But Amy is there to comfort him in the best possible way - with a joke! It would be romantic if the episode ended with the two of them slow dancing. Instead it just feels right that Amy gives Jake that opportunity with Gina's elderly - and handsy - relative. It's because of her willingness to playfully mess with him that makes me respect the two of them as friends and, just maybe, a future couple.
Some more thoughts:
- "Boyle-Linetti Wedding" was written by Matt O'Brien and directed by Dean Holland.
- Rosa is nervous about bringing Marcus to the wedding because she doesn't want him to get too emotional about their relationship. And yet, she's inspired by Gina's big speech to make that first declaration of love to him. The two of them haven't really been a well developed relationship this year but I'm happy to see her growing as a person and finding some happiness.
- And yet, Marcus needing to DVR Bones as well as Charles thinking that show is too scary tells us so much about their characters.
- Of course, Lynn would want to take his soon-to-be wife's last name. Lynn Linetti is just too funny a name.
- After Gina's constant telling Charles what he can't include in his speech as best man, wasn't it a little disappointing that he didn't actually deliver one later? Or was the fact that he talked about them previously having a sexual relationship with the microphones turned on enough to make up for it?
- Holt to Terry: "Don't worry, I am good at emotion." That line was funny in the moment but actually very true later on.
