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Recap / Brooklyn Nine-Nine S 1 E 01 "Pilot"

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Left to right: Peralta, Boyle, and Diaz.

"That's how we do it in the Nine-Nine, sir: catch bad guys, and look good doing it."

Strict, rule-abiding Captain Ray Holt takes over Brooklyn's 99th precinct and immediately conflicts with free-spirited, cocky Detective Jake Peralta. Along for the ride are Peralta's straight-laced, overachieving partner Det. Amy Santiago, surly, aggressive Det. Rosa Diaz, bumbling, eager-to-please Det. Charles Boyle, neurotic, caring Sgt. Terry Jeffords, kooky civilian administrator Gina Linetti and Dets. Scully and Hitchcock as they attempt to catch a murderous meat vendor.

This episode premiered on September 17, 2013.

Tropes appearing in this episode:

  • Actually Pretty Funny:
    • Santiago is clearly trying to suppress a smile during "Fuzzy Cuddlebear's" speech about undercover work. Until "Fuzzy" starts hitting on her, that is.
    • Holt lets out a smile at the very last second of the episode when Jake reveals he's still wearing a speedo.
    • Upon discovering that the "hot eligible bachelor" turned out to an elderly man on a dialysis machine Santiago can't quite disguise a smirk when Peralta introduces them respectively as "Detective Terrible Detective" and "Detective Right-All-The-Time".
  • The Bet: The bet between Peralta and Santiago is introduced: if Santiago wins, Peralta gives her his car; if Peralta wins, she has to go on a date with him.
  • Chafing Against the Dress Code: When newly-instated Captain Holt commands that Jake wear a tie to work, Jake protests this by first wearing the tie under his shirt, then by wearing the tie properly, but with a speedo instead of pants (which backfires when Holt calls the rest of the precinct to come look at the speedo). Deconstructed when Jake discovers Holt's past as a shunned, openly-gay detective who has had to fight to get his own command, realizing that Holt's reasons for a dress code are benevolent.
    Jake: Oh my god, I just got the tie thing! [...] It's a uniform! We're a team! It's important to you, because you were kept off the team for so long, and now you're the coach, so you want us all to wear the same uniform.
  • Dropped After the Pilot: Daniels, the third veteran detective introduced alongside Scully and Hitchcock, doesn't appear again after this episode.
  • Early-Installment Weirdness: While their Ship Tease doesn't disappear, Peralta is a lot more openly attracted to and flirtatious with Santiago here than he is in later episodes in the season, and the bet between them is implied to be a way for Peralta to try and seduce her. In later episodes, Peralta treats the bet as more of a prank and the suggestion that he might have genuine feelings for Santiago comes as a genuine shock to him when it comes up again.
    • Captain Holt introduces himself as "Ray," even though it's later established that he hates that nickname.
  • Entertainingly Wrong: Amy bets Jake the witness they are about to question is a hot, eligible bachelor based on a few clues outside his apartment. When a very elderly man attached to a dialysis machine answers the door, Jake revels in how wrong Amy was.
    Jake: Oh! Hello, sir! How are you today? I'm Detective "Right All the Time", and this is my partner Detective "Terrible Detective".
  • Establishing Character Moment: As expected for a pilot episode.
    • Peralta's is goofing off in an electronics store, making us believe that he's a bumbling detective: until it's revealed that he got there before his partner and found a nanny cam which he used to ID the perp.
    • Holt's is making Peralta repeat his dismissive impersonation of him for everyone to hear instead of chewing him out, and then ordering him to wear a tie.
    • Gina's is telling Holt that she'll tell him the terms of Peralta and Santiago's bet if, among other things, she can use Holt's office as rehearsal space for her amateur dance moves. She then proceeds to go Too Much Information describing it. Before that, she's also very unnecessarily cruel to Boyle when he asks for her help to get cinema tickets to ask Diaz out with.
    • Jeffords gives one for the rest of the cast via flashback:
      • Santiago pours too much hot sauce onto her hotdog because Scully warned her it was hot.
      • Diaz intimidates Hitchcock into telling her that Scully got her a scarf for Secret Santa, and then further intimidating him into making him return it with nothing but a glare.
      • Boyle manages to turn eating a muffin into a series of minor physical disasters. He also gets another one in which he asks Rosa out to a showing of Citizen Kane, which he considers a classic. She tells him it's terrible, which he immediately agrees to.
      • A few minutes earlier he was seen laughing at Jake as he made fun of Holt then when Rosa said he seems cool he stopped laughing.
    • This exchange establishes both Holt's stoic demeanor and Santiago's eagerness to please him.
      Holt: I'm Captain Ray Holt. I'm your new commanding officer.
      Santiago: Speech!
      Holt: That was my speech.
      Santiago: Short and sweet.
  • "Eureka!" Moment: After Holt reveals he is gay and mentions that he doesn't hide it Peralta remembers several details from throughout the day that would have clued him in if he had been paying attention.
    Peralta: Damn, I am not a good detective.
  • Exact Words: Peralta wears a tie because Holt told him to. Didn't say anything about pants, though.
  • Funny Background Event: While Jake is needling Amy over the 92 year-old witness, Terry can be seen in the background performing a puppet show for his daughters via webcam.
  • Mood Whiplash: The stakeout is lighthearted and funny until Holt reveals that his homosexuality caused his career to stall. Peralta even drops his clownish behavior and apologizes for being insensitive.
  • No Pants Reveal: After Holt notices Peralta sitting at his desk wearing a tie, Peralta stands up to reveal that he's wearing a Speedo.
  • Pet the Dog: Despite unintentionally insulting her by calling her "opinionated" Rosa pays Boyle back the amount of money it cost for all the tickets he bought. She also tells him that she likes spending time with him because he's sweet.
  • Realistic Diction Is Unrealistic: Lampshaded when Jeffords describes Peralta with: "The only puzzle he never solved was how to grow up." Holt calls it very well-put before Terry says he'd talked about Jake enough in therapy.
  • Terrible Interviewees Montage: Door duty, in which Peralta and Santiago are treated to a host of colorful (and unhelpful) neighbors.
  • Welcome Episode: Captain Holt is a new commanding officer of the 99th Precinct of New York Police Department in Brooklyn. Sergeant Jeffords introduces his squad to him (and viewers).
  • With Due Respect: Peralta asking Holt why it took him so long to get his first command. Notable because this actually is the first time he shows Holt respect in the entire episode.

 
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Jack meets Captain Holt

When Peralta makes a mocking impression of a rule-following robot, Holt was actually there listening the whole time.

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