Photo Source: FOX // Brooklyn Nine Nine
Maybe I’m being ambitious because I haven’t done a rewatch of some of my other favorites in a while, but I’m pretty sure “The Box” is the best episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine ever released.
Let’s talk about how tight the plot, dialogue, and chemistry of the featured actors was! Yeah, It was so continuously entertaining that we did not need more than our three actors (Andy Samberg, Andre Braugher, and guest star Sterling K. Brown) at any point in the episode. We didn’t even need any setting other than a dark interrogation room. Yes, we had a few other shots and brief appearances by Gina and Charles, but they weren’t really necessary or memorable. This episode was fantastic because of the plot, chemistry, and dialogue—as I mentioned above.
Plot
Brown plays an arrogant dentist who is definitely guilty of murder, but no one can pin him to it definitively. That’s where Jake and Holt come in—Holt skips the opera to spend all night with Jake interrogating the dentist. Nothing they can think of works—smart cop dumb cop, various tricks, annoying guitar playing and yelling—it all seems to give the dentist MORE fuel to egg them on. The dentist actually seems to be beating them for a while when he pit Holt and Jake against each other. Until Jake thinks to insult the dentist’s intelligence by acting like the murder was all just dumb luck. Brown’s character actually cares more about proving his wit than maintaining his “innocence”!
Chemistry
We already knew Jake and Holt have great chemistry together…but add in Sterling K. Brown? Perfection. I mean…the three of them are fantastic on their own…so, together? Lightning on screen! We don’t usually see Brown play a “bad” guy, so it was fun to see him in a different role than usual. And, of course, he killed it. No pun intended.
Dialogue/Editing
You’d think an episode that takes place completely in an interrogation room might be slow, but thanks to fantastic, witty dialogue, fast takes, and smooth editing, the episode progressed quickly and entertainingly. The speed at which they progressed through each interrogation technique kept it fresh and fun.
So, do you agree with me? Was “The Box” your favorite episode? Or do you totally disagree with me? Let me know in the comments!
It was the best. As an avid Brooklyn Nine Nine watcher, I love every single one of the episodes but this one was truly special. It’s such an amazing show it would be a pity not renew it for a 6th season.