Gina is still so ashamed by the experience that she wears a shirt of a naked mole rat to the office, to emphasize the levels that her “power animal” has fallen. In one of Gina’s most brutal putdowns, she tells Boyle that every time he speaks, she hears “that sound that plays when Pac-Man dies.” Regardless, they end up in bed together again. Unfortunately though, this joke is too forced and contrived to promise a laugh, especially since this unlikely sexual pairing makes little to no sense. A look into the escalating states of alcoholism between Gina and Boyle that moves into the bedroom could be some hilarious television, though.
As a sophomore season opener goes, this is a solid but far from spectacular return. The laugh count is very high, mainly due to our glimpse into Cpt. Holt’s decidedly mature seven-year-old life. (He writes a script for Terry to use for the young boy he portrays. Sample line, cribbed from Holt’s own boyhood diary: “I am feeling trepidation at the prospect of a parentless existence.”) It heartens one to see that Andre Braugher still gives the show a gravitas at the same time he brings the role a terrific comic edge.
However, as excellent as the chemistry is between the members of the aforementioned Group of Seven, the weak link is – and has usually been – the show’s main star, Andy Samberg. He is brash and often funny in the role, but it does not take much for the ex-SNL star to go try a route that is too broadly funny, when the rest of the show depends on wit and speed for its comedy engine. He is charming, however, in the small peeks we get of his undercover role – singing “Piano Man” with some Soprano-like buffoons and later earning the affection (and kisses) of the main operators.
Although, once he returns to the Department and heads back on assignment, Peralta’s persona as the pre-conceived #1 cop starts becoming stale. As for the cast members who do not quite nail the quick-witted rhythms of the dialogue, Samberg also commits the greatest offenses. He is the least funny of the bunch, despite the actor’s Golden Globe win. On the bright side, Samberg gets to tone it down when he chats with Santiago about his proclamation of feelings for her – another touch from the end of the last season. While Brooklyn Nine-Nine could have coasted on the will-they-or-won’t-they chemistry, it is nice to accept that this subplot is taking a backseat. (For the time being, at least.)
Meanwhile, one of the biggest issues from season one continues to pain Goor and Schur’s sitcom: the inept comedic tag-team of Hitchcock and Scully. The writers have never really found a place for either of these inept office workers, save their witless personalities breaking up a serious situation through comic relief. Their one scene with Gina tonight was, unsurprisingly, too slight and silly to be memorable.
“I’ve missed us,” Jake squeals when he hugs Cpt. Holt for the first time in several months. It’s hard not to agree. But even with some big laughs, “Undercover” is not an episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine that earns Peralta’s designation of “awesome with an ‘O'” either.
