The Oolong Slayer is the fourth episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine's third season.
Stuck investigating "dunkers", Jake comes across evidence that the Oolong Slayer, a notorious serial killer, is making a return after five years. Forbidden by the Vulture to investigate anything more severe than a misdemeanor, Jake secretly teams up with Holt to try and take the Slayer down without NYPD resources.
Meanwhile, back at the Nine-Nine, the Vulture presses Rosa and Amy into planning his birthday party while Terry is overcome by home and workplace stress, leading him to find a dangerous new obsession.
This episode provides examples of:
- Behind the Black: An entire squadroom full of cops somehow failed to notice Gina sneak by them, install confetti cannons, and sit nonchalantly at her desk before setting off the aforementioned cannons. The feat earns her a round of applause.
- Berserk Button: Once again, do not call Terry fat. No matter how true it might be.Charles: I don't mean to overstep here, but you're looking a little...fat...
Terry: How dare you? You can't comment on my body. This is a workplace. Now I'm feeling objectified by your male gaze!
Charles: Absolutely not. Sir, just listen—
Terry: No! I don't want to listen, Boyle! You are trying to shame me and that will not fly!
Charles: Okay...
Terry: Now I need some more nibs just to calm down! - Big Eater: Terry starts stress eating cacao nibs to deal with the pressure put on him by the Vulture and by his home life. He eats so many that he goes back to being "Fat Terry"
- Blackmail: Jake is willing to let Chief Garmin take sole credit for capturing the Oolong Slayer on the condition that Holt gets reinstated to the Nine-Nine.
- Brick Joke: Task Forces being renamed in an effort to sound less aggressive.Chief of Detectives: (responding to Peralta's blackmail) So what do you want? Your own Do Group?
- Costume Inertia: Holt wears a Deputy Inspector's badge and Captain's bars for most of the episode. His insignia goes back to matching at the end of the episode.
- The Fat Episode: Terry's plot for the episode has him gain weight back while under stress. Justified here since he is established as Formerly Fat, thus is both more vulnerable to weight gain and has the tools to take the weight off again.
- He's Back!: Captain Holt comes back to the Nine-Nine.
- Hypocritical Humor: Terry gives a heartfelt speech about how he's learned his lesson about stress-eating and kicked his nib habit... as nibs start spilling out of his bag, which is packed with them.
- Jerkass: The Vulture forces the Nine-Nine to only investigate misdemeanors because he wants to win a bet and makes Amy and Rosa plan his birthday party just because they are women.
- Not So Above It All: Holt is surprisingly happy to go along with some of the sillier things Jake and Gina propose while investigating the return of the Oolong Slayer. He even adds his own embellishments to the scheme. It is justified as Holt, beaten down and defeated in his new role, is eagerly embracing what he sees as his last opportunity for 'real' police work.Jake: Okay, Slayer. Prepare to go to jail for oolong time!
Holt: Now say: "punk"!
Jake: Punk!
Holt: PUNK!
Jake: {annoyed} I said it! - Political Overcorrectness: Wuntch orders Holt to come up with an alternative to the term "Task Force", saying that it's much too aggressive for the New York public. The NYPD starts calling them "Do Groups".
- Reset Button: Jake uses the Oolong Killer arrest as leverage to get Holt back as captain of the Nine-Nine.
- Sitcom Arch-Nemesis: Wuntch continues to make sure that Holt finds no respite at work. She even assigns one of his civilian subordinates to act as his supervisor.Wuntch: There it is! The shriveled husk of Raymond Holt!
Holt: Look, Gina. Is that a talking raisin?
Wuntch: Enough foreplay. - Troubling Unchildlike Behavior: Jake mentions having wanted to catch a serial killer since he was 4 years old, which Holt mentions is troubling.
