Return of the King is the fifteenth episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine's sixth season.
Gina, who is now a famous social media, youtube, and internet personality and runs a branding called "G-Hive", has called Jake out of the blue and asked him to come over. Terry is suspicious of her motives, because Gina hasn't spoken to anyone in the precinct in months. When the two of them go over to her apartment to see her, she asks them to provide security for an event she's holding and to meet her for drinks that night. They agree, but Terry is still suspicious. Jake defends her until she fails to show up for drinks that night, having sent her assistant instead. The next night, she claims that she had food poisoning and fires her assistant for not telling them that part. During the event, Jake and Terry spot a suspect, and Jake tries to get Gina out of the building, with a giant "G" crashing down right where she had just been standing. They get her to her apartment and patrol officers pick up the suspect. They plan to celebrate, but then Gina's manager calls and mentions that she got drinks with water bottle executives to make an endorsement deal when she had made the plans to get drinks with Jake and Terry, which causes them to leave. Gina runs outside to stop them, and gets stabbed. She and Jake make up, and after going to the hospital Jake realizes that the real suspect was a guy who's wife left him when following Gina's advice. After catching him, they go to Shaw's with Terry, and Gina agrees to see them more. Gina and Jake also surprise Terry by bringing one of his old friends to the bar.
Meanwhile, Boyle brings Nikolaj to work with him, where Holt discovers that he may be a genius after he seemingly solves an equation. Holt tries to make Boyle do more to support Nikolaj, until they realize that when he seemingly solved the equation, he was really drawing Captain Latvia's sidekick.
Also, Rosa has bandages on her hands after accidentally touching poison ivy, and Amy tries to make her realize that she needs help, while Rosa insists she can be independent even with her injuries. Later on, Rosa accidentally locks herself in a closet, and still refuses any help from Amy until she's exhausted all of her options. When she does call Amy, Amy encourages her to open it herself. Rosa is ultimately successful in freeing herself.
This episode contains examples of:
- Blasphemous Boast: Gina's video begins by saying that Confucius, Buddha and Jesus didn't have as many social media followers as her, so "THEY CAN ALL SUCK IT!" She also has "Gina-mandments", which are "like the Ten Commandments, only there's more and they're better." When Jake and Terry come to visit her, she is shooting a video dressed as Moses.
- The Bus Came Back: As promised, Gina returns in this episode.
- Call-Back: Gina, after narrowly escaping being crushed, says that she hasn't felt that alive since the time she was hit by the bus.
- Chekhov's Gunman: The real perp turns out to be the husband of the woman who thanks Gina for her advice during the event.
- Disproportionate Retribution: The killer attempts to murder Gina, including stabbing her, solely because his wife decided to leave him after being inspired by Gina's lifestyle movement.
- "Eureka!" Moment: Jake has one when realizing who the real suspect is.
- Gretzky Has the Ball: Holt complaining about his father making him play basketball when he was young.Holt: As if I care about slam-dunking a three-pointer.
- In the Back: Gina's stalker gets her with a knife to the shoulder blade while she's arguing with Jake.
- It's All About Me:
- Gina has this in spades, but even more so than usual, having achieved wealth, fame, and success, to the point that she hasn't even contacted any of her old friends at the Nine-Nine in months until she needed a favor from them.
- Captain Holt also experiences this with Boyle and Nikolaj, due to his own daddy issues.
- Major Injury Underreaction: Other than some delayed squeaks of pain, Gina takes a knife to the shoulder with bemusement.
- Mistaken for Profound: Holt thinks Nikolaj solved a statistics problem that had him stumped, and jumps on Boyle to enroll the boy in a gifted boarding school. Turns out, Nikolaj's solution was a doodle of the insignia of his favorite superhero's sidekick.
- Mundane Made Awesome: Rosa managing to get herself out of the supply cupboard by opening the door with her chin (because her hands are bandaged) is like this, complete with an inspiring speech from Amy about how Rosa is badass and doesn't need help from anyone. When Rosa finally gets out, she and Amy are joyful about the victory. Immediately subverted:Rosa: Oh, that was great! I love being independent! [Beat] I have to go to the bathroom.
Amy: Oh, okay, I'll help you. [They leave] - Not So Above It All: Rosa reveals that she got poison ivy while picking a pretty flower, and experiences this again when she finally relents and calls Amy for help.
- Gina also experiences this at the end of the episode, while getting drinks with Jake and Terry.
- Red Herring: Jake and Terry's original suspect turned out to be this.
- Shout-Out:
- The title is a shoutout to the third book of the The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
- Boyle implies that he is related to Susan Boyle, the famous singer.
- Spotting the Thread: Jake figures out who the culprit who stabbed Gina is due to Terry revealing he escaped via parkour — one of Gina's followers was motivated to leave her husband due to his over-obsession with it.
- Tough Love: Boyle's idea of tough love is more love than tough.Boyle: I don't spank him, but I will reprimand him in my own way. (sternly) Niko, I love you.Nikolaj: I'm so sorry, daddy!
- What the Hell, Hero?: Jake tells off Gina for ghosting them in favor of her new life.
