REVIEW: Brooklyn Nine Nine S6 E9 – The Golden Child

This week, Brooklyn Nine Nine becomes BrookLIN Nine Nine as one of the Guardians of the 99 guest stars as Amy’s brother.

We immediately learn that Jake and Amy are having dinner with Amy’s mom and her brother David, the golden child of the family. We learn that the Santiago’s keep their children’s pictures in a particular order based on how proud they are, and that David’s is always in the #1 spot on the mantle. Amy’s picture is on the piano as either 2, 3, or 4 which, as Rosa points out, is still good for most people. But not Amy, especially when she tells Rosa (complete with crazy eyes that Melissa Fumero does so well) that nobody even plays the piano. At dinner, David ruins Jake’s plans to brag about Amy by one-upping each story and performing the Heimlich Maneuver on Jake when he was “choking.” However, David is then arrested for cocaine possession, to Amy’s delight.

She remains gleeful all the way to when they bail him out. David appears to be embarrassed and blames the pressure of his parents, much to Amy’s delight that she finally can relate to David. However, once they enter the car David claims to have been framed and hasn’t felt any pressure, much to Amy’s chagrin and disappointment.

Jake persuades Amy that they need to help David (by using the Ninja Turtles as an example) clear his name (after he passed his drug test), which Amy only agrees to because she doesn’t want David to die and be loved by their parents even more. At a Brazilian night club, Amy snaps at David and the two bicker about David bragging/Amy being jealous, which naturally leads to a dance-off. The siblings decide that good dancing involves much use of the forearms and elbows. Amy attempts the death drop and lands on her head. David tends to her while Jake infiltrates an office for evidence. David and Amy soon join him, and Amy finds the evidence. Proud of the fact she beat David, she yells in delight and security discovers them. Jake gets caught and thrown into a van. Amy allows David to shoot the tires, only caring about Jake’s safety. The siblings reach an understanding and a bit of a reconciliation at another dinner with their mother and Jake. When Amy uses the bathroom, Jake unleashes on Mrs. Santiago about the pressure she puts on her kids, ranking them, bringing her own coffee to Jake and Amy’s home, etc. David watches this in amusement, which leads me to believe he does in fact feel pressure and has resented it.

Lin fit right in the show and he had great chemistry with Melissa Fumero. I want him back next season.

Elsewhere, Charles recruits Holt and Terry to go undercover to get the name of a drug supplier out of someone busted for selling. He puts the two through auditions and ultimately goes with Holt. This is a mistake, as Holt is a bad actor (believing the best way to act as a heterosexual is to constantly talk about woman’s breasts). Boyle sends Terry in to save the mission but constantly pulls him out with notes. Eventually Terry snaps and blows his cover, while the perp knew Holt was a cop the whole time. It appears that the operation failed, but in reality it went according to plan. Boyle’s real “star” was Rosa who got the information out of the seller. The seller believed that the operation failed as well, so he was more than willing to share. It’s a nice reminder that past all the clumsiness and creepy behavior towards Jake and Amy, Boyle is a good detective.

Highlights:

Melissa Fumero. She really shined again in this episode, and has been killing it all year.

The dance-off.

Jake’s argument involving the Ninja Turtles.