'Brooklyn Nine-Nine' Review/Recap: "Lockdown"

Marcela Lima ’18 / Emertainment Monthly Staff Writer

What can go wrong when Jake Peralta (Andy Samberg) is put in charge of the 99th precinct? Apparently… everything. As soon as Captain Holt (Andre Braugher) and Sergeant Jeffords (Terry Crews) left the office for their Thanksgiving break, the audience realized that assigning Peralta as the temporary captain was not the smartest move.
Peralta’s childish and immature behavior was as present as ever in this week’s “Lockdown” episode. While Detective Santiago (Melissa Fumero) insisted on running a tight ship, Peralta decided to break every rules and attempt to please every officer’s wishes instead. For example, Detective Boyle (Joe Lo Truglio) can now use the word “succulent.” He was banned before, and for good reason, too, once you hear how often and vivaciously he says it.
But what’s a good episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine without a riot? After a suspicious package full of white powder is found on the floor, Peralta is forced to lock down the precinct and trap everyone inside until the substance is tested and cleared as non-toxic.  Peralta’s “You can count on me!” promise to Captain Holt sounds a little less certain right about now, especially when Peralta decides to name this event the “Pop and Lock-Down.” Classic Peralta, making jokes when he really shouldn’t be.
Peralta’s characteristically juvenile behavior is extremely apparent in this episode. Especially when he decides his method of controlling mayhem in the precinct: lie to everyone. Instead of telling the entrapped civilians and criminals the truth about what’s happening, he decides to sugarcoat the situation and brush the incident off as an innocent mistake, and not as a potential case of anthrax poisoning.

Meanwhile, Sergeant Jeffords is showing us his vulnerable side. When Holt decides that he needs to keep an eye on the precinct, Jeffords takes him to his home office, but not before announcing his fear for his brother-in-law, Zeke (Jamal Duff). Now, anyone who’s seen Sergeant Jeffords knows that he’s a lean, mean, crime-fighting machine, (Aw come on, that was clever, right?). So why is he so afraid of Zeke? Believe it or not, Jeffords’ brother-in-law is taller, stronger, and has an even deeper voice than Jeffords does.
In this episode, we get to see Jeffords’ soft side. He shows us that he’s just as vulnerable and insecure as normal people are. When they begin to hit it off over having terrible bosses (Jeffords pretends that Holt is a jerk in order to bond with Zeke), Jeffords shows the audience his need for attention and for connection. Maybe we’re more like Jeffords than we thought. Well, minus the bulging muscles and ever-raging appetite.
While a riot ensues back at the 99th precinct, Peralta is just about to give up, but not before Santiago tells him that he has the power to control them and to make Captain Holt proud. Evidently enough, Peralta does just that. He asserts his dominance and commands attention and obedience. You go, Peralta.
Keeping within Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s theme of happy endings, the results from the lab come back negative, and Peralta proves that he is capable of keeping order in the 99th precinct. This episode was full of laughs, even more so than the other episodes. Surprisingly, this week’s childish jokes were witty and downright hilarious. And who doesn’t love a happy ending?
We can always expect a positive end with Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and that regularity keeps the fans tuning in every week. While we know that each week is going to end happily, we love the plot that takes us to that conclusion, and of course, the clever banter that entertains us along the way.
Overall Episode Grade: A