"The Mattress" is the seventh episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine's third season.
Jake and Amy hit a new milestone in their career: their first case as a couple! Despite Captain Holt's warnings, they decide to track down the source of "Taxi", a new amphetamine that's hitting the streets, claiming that their relationship is strong enough to withstand any sort of conflict. Unfortunately for the couple, they quickly start butting heads, chiefly about Jake's uncomfortable mattress. More uncomfortable truths soon follow.
Back at the precinct, Charles finds himself fuming over a classic convertible that is carelessly parked across his designated spot. Things get complicated when he discovers that it actually belongs to Holt and he has to confess that he scratched the Captain's beloved "Gertie".
Also, Rosa becomes apoplectic upon discovering that her "little brother" from the Big Brothers and Sisters program was arrested for shoplifting. Terry tries everything he can to cool her down so that she can help the boy out instead of making sure that he gets sent to jail.
This episode provides examples of:
- Anger Born of Worry: Rosa's furious with her "little brother" for shoplifting and is way too hard on the kid, even though he's clearly remorseful, but it's clear it's because she genuinely expected better of him.
- Big "NO!": Jake lets one out in the cold open upon seeing that Hitchock drank a goldfish (see Take a Third Option for details).
- Comically Missing the Point: When Amy mentions breaking in Jake's potential new mattress, Jake's first thought is "mattress trampoline."
- Don't Explain the Analogy: Both Gina, and later Captain Holt, continue to explain exactly how their analogy applies to the other person's situation long after the other person has fully demonstrated they've understood the point being made:Gina: The cupcake was Gertie.Captain Holt: Yes.Gina: Your butt was Charles's car.Captain Holt: Yes.Gina: The chair was the parking space.Captain Holt: Yes, I get it.Gina: Your office was the garage.Captain Holt: Yes, I'm telling you I understand the lesson.Gina: And I was the brilliant Gina Linetti in both scenarios.Captain Holt: All right. We're done here.
- Going by the Matchbook: Amy and Jake both find matchbooks at the scene of the crime and note that the exact same match is missing from both, which they intuit to be some sort of code. Holt is excited at the prospect of figuring out the code, but then Amy figures out it is a room number immediately.
- Hypocrite: Gina plants a cupcake on Holt's chair to use his logic for blaming Charles for scratching "Gertie" (which was double-parked across Charles's parking space) against him. At the end, she demands payment for the cupcake just as Holt was demanding payment from Charles for scratching "Gertie", thus failing to learn her own lesson.
- I Call It "Vera": Holt and Kevin call their beloved convertible "Gertie".
- I Meant to Do That: Terry brings in Rosa's old ballet teacher to convince Rosa to go easier on her "little brother", but this appears to backfire when it turns out said ballet teacher was just as harsh as Rosa and still got results. But ultimately Rosa realizes how much she hated this "tough love" approach and resolves to treat her own little brother better. Terry then unconvincingly tries to claim this was his plan all along.
- Insecure Love Interest: As this episode reveals, both Amy and Jake are this to each other.
- Ironic Echo: Lampshaded during Jake and Amy's argument over their relationship:Jake: Wow, that sounds like such a huge drag. I guess I'm not "worth it". Boom! Used the thing you said to me in a different argument in this argument, I win the argument!
- Never My Fault: Holt is partially at fault for Charles scratching his car since he double parked it, but he's too stubborn to accept blame. Up until Gina relays the situation to him and he has a realization.
- Not Helping Your Case: Terry brings Rosa's old ballet teacher to help convince Rosa to take it easy on the "little brother". She turns out to be a Drill Sergeant Nasty who was cruel but got results, making the exact opposite point to what he intended. Subverted in that the encounter reminds Rosa how much she hated the teacher, and makes her realize she doesn't want to follow the same pattern. Terry unconvincingly tries to claim this was his plan all along.
- Oh, Crap!: Played for Laughs when Jake realizes that the mattress he tackled the Taxi dealer over is identical to his own mattress.
- Overly Long Gag: Jake trying to buy a mattress online.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: Holt lets Jake & Amy work in the field as a couple. When their argument tips off the perp and he gets away, instead of ripping Jake a new one, he gives solid advice about how sometimes it's better to swallow your pride for the sake of the relationship and how serious you are about it.
- Right for the Wrong Reasons: Terry brings Ms. Miriam, Rosa's old ballet teacher, into the precinct in a bid to make Rosa go easier on her "little brother"—and it works, but not for the reason Terry expected. Terry thought Miriam would be a positive example of the value of gentle encouragement. Instead, Miriam embodies the same "tough love" that Rosa has been practicing, but unintentionally makes Rosa realize how miserable it is being on the receiving end.
- Serious Business:
- Holt has an uncharacteristic and surprising attachment to his car "Gertie". It's later revealed that Kevin bought the car while they were dating long-distance, so they could see each other more often (which was a milestone in Holt realizing how serious they were about each other).
- Holt seems to consider Jake's lack of knowledge of puzzle expert Will Shortz to be adequate reason for Amy to break up with him.
- Shipper on Deck: Charles in desperation offers to buy the mattress that is creating a wedge between Jake and Amy.Amy: NO!
Jake: But it would make him so happy! - Sleep Deprivation: Amy comes to work 2 minutes late and extremely tired. Her boyfriend Jake is surprised because they went to bed early, and then jokes that she's tired from all the amazing sex. She actually couldn't sleep because Jake has an old, lumpy mattress.Amy: No, I was up all night because your dumb, lumpy mattress is so uncomfortable.
Jake: What? But I gave you the good lump.
Amy: Ugh, please stop talking till I finish eating my coffee. - Strange Minds Think Alike: Played with; at several points both Jake and Amy try to compare each other to Orangina
and orange soda with the intention that the other is the preferred beverage and they themselves are the inferior option. Unfortunately, Amy likes Orangina but not orange soda and Jake's preferences are vice versa, leading only to confusion and mild offence whenever the comparison is made. - Take a Third Option: An unwitting example. Upon discovering that Scully has bought a jar full of lemonade and that Hitchcock has bought a fish in an identical jar, Jake immediately takes bets on whether Scully will drink Hitchcock's fish or whether Hitchcock will put fish food into Scully's lemonade. He's unprepared for Hitchcock drinking his own fish for some reason.
- Vitriolic Best Buds: When things are going well, Rosa and her "little brother" share both insults and fist bumps. Terry is confused.
- Watch the Paint Job: Holt is livid that Charles scratched Gertie, especially since the color (raspberry sherbet) is no longer available.
