"The Good Ones" is the first episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine's eighth season. It aired back-to-back with "The Lake House".
Major changes are happening at the Nine-Nine.
In the wake of George Floyd's murder and the subsequent nationwide protests, Rosa decides to resign from the NYPD and become a private investigator, feeling she can no longer be a part of an institution that is the source of so much fear and anger. This upsets Jake, as they came up through the ranks together, and he starts making great efforts to show that not all cops are bad as he assists her in trying to bring two rogue cops to justice. However, Jake soon learns that the problems affecting police forces everywhere run very deep.
Amy is back on the job after her maternity leave was unexpectedly lengthened due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although happy to be back, she's upset when Holt acts distant towards her and tries to repair their relationship, only to learn that the events of 2020 have affected Holt more than he'd like to admit.
Charles, meanwhile, is bending over backwards trying to show that he's not racist. Unfortunately, he does this by butting in on Terry's life after work, which Terry does not appreciate.
Also, Hitchcock has retired. However, Scully keeps his longtime friend close by keeping him on permanent video chat in the precinct.
This episode contains examples of:
- Bittersweet Ending: Rosa gets the charges dropped from her client, and she and Peralta maintain their friendship, but after a few laughs, the episode ends with the quiet realization between them of the system in place protecting and sometimes encouraging the Dirty Cop.
- Character Filibuster: There are several cuts in the captain's lengthy speech about the appeals process and various red tape protecting the officers from actually losing their job.
- Deconstruction: The concept of the Nine-Nine being a progressive precinct is hit badly with this. Jake and the squad have assumed that a forced transfer or resignation is a 10-Minute Retirement, with Boyle, Terry and Holt, as in a previous episode he and Amy tied Holt to a bed to shout some sense into him about potential retirement. That doesn't happen with Rosa; she points out that Jake means well, but a squad of idealistic cops can't take down the ordinary monsters in the system that covers up their misdeeds. Jake is chagrined to find out that Rosa is right when their attempts to take down two cops result in a superior deleting the evidence and claiming she's a "good cop," something Jake claimed earlier. Going to social media isn't an option either; that could lead to more protests, and cops cracking down on peaceful demonstrators, making things worse. In the end, Jake concedes to Rosa that the system is broken and she has every right to leave. Which she does, permanently.
- Dirty Cop: The main conflict and theme of the episode. Rosa leaves the force after her disgust from the murder of George Floyd. The Time Skip deals with her and Peralta seeking to bring two abusive and racist officers to justice while Jake and Rosa are resented and shunned by New York's citizens, a union rep hiding evidence, and the officers' captain destroying it to avoid the paperwork that would lead to them being reinstated anyway.
- Disaster Dominoes: In the Cold Opening, when Rosa informs Jake and Charles that she quit the force, Jake accidentally hits Terry with his COVID Five (a broom with a giant foam hand on the top of it), which causes him to bump into Scully, which causes Scully to spill his coffee on his shirt, which causes him to bump into a printer and as it falls to the ground and catches on fire, it causes a power outage at the precinct.
- Distinction Without a Difference: Frank the union rep does not live with his mother. She lives with him... in her house.
- Exact Words: Amy is concerned about Holt making small talk because he always said it was only for "strangers and con men." Holt then confesses that he is a con man... because he fooled the others into thinking he was doing better than he actually was.
- Heroic BSoD: The events of 2020 led Holt to become estranged to his husband, damaging their relationship.
- Inherent in the System: Captain Lamazar goes into detail about how the system for punishing cops is designed to be as complicated as possible, and is filled with people who have a vested interest in making sure cops are never, ever punished.
- Ironic Echo: Jake's repeated reassurance that he's a good cop to Rosa's client is repeated by Lamazar after destroying evidence of her officers' brutal behavior. Rosa acknowledges this with a Death Glare to Peralta.
- It's All About Me: Jake takes Rosa leaving the force personally, helping her on the case only to prove to her he's not a bad cop. His shortsightedness jeopardizes their friendship.
- Jerkass Has a Point: Jake calls Captain Lamazar "a villain" after she deletes the video footage of the two cops assaulting an innocent woman. Lamazar, however, goes on a lengthy lecture explaining how the system works and all the legal loopholes the police union can (and will) use to make sure that the corrupt cops get away scot-free while she gets blacklisted and maybe even fired for reporting them. Jake hangs his head in acknowledgement, and not even Rosa disputes this.
- Jerkass Realization: Jake finally realizes why Rosa was annoyed at his constant insistence "I'm one of the good ones" when he hears just about every other cop in this case using that as the excuse for their actions.
- Misplaced a Decimal Point: Boyle accidentally sent $10,000 dollars to Terry instead of $100 because he mistakenly used a comma instead of a period as a decimal point.
- Momma's Boy: Frank the union rep lists his mom as one of the three most important things to him, and becomes jealous when she wants to bring someone to a concert.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Amy takes Holt making small talk as a sign something's wrong, as he considers it "for strangers and conmen"
- A subtle example, but when Holt reveals that he and Kevin split up, he visibly cries. That level of emotional expression and vulnerability is almost unheard of for him.
- Portmanteau Couple Name: In-Universe. Amy claims that they call her and Holt "Raymy".
- Phone-In Detective: Subverted: Hitchcock is retired after the Time Skip, but has Scully FaceTime on a tablet as he misses his company.
- Real Life Writes the Plot: The impact of Covid-19 and the George Floyd Protests led to this episode being written with several others being scrapped.
- Resign in Protest: Rosa leaves the police after the death of George Floyd as she no longer wanted to be part of a system oppressing people of color.
- Shirtless Scene: Played for Fan Disservice with Hitchcock, after complaining that the union rep insisted that he wear one all the time.
- Shout-Out: Holt complains that ever since he's been making small talk, Jake won't stop talking to him about someone named Wario.
- Skewed Priorities: Hitchcock and Scully help Rosa sneak into the union rep's office... because they mandate wearing a shirt.
- Suspiciously Specific Denial: One running gag is Terry vocally declaring his sex book belongs to Scully. Even when he's not in the room.
- Surprisingly Realistic Outcome: Outlined by Lamazar on what happens if she tries to fire those corrupt cops: The police union will immediately appeal it and the complaints will ultimately go nowhere as other superior officers will want to look the other way "for the good of the badge." Even if she goes to the commissioner to suspend the guys, it's unlikely they ever see trial as prosecutors are reluctant to anger cops by going after their own. In the end, the officers will get "qualified immunity" and be back on the streets in no time while Lamazar gets blackballed and perhaps fired herself.
- Time Skip: The cold open starts in June 2020, during the pandemic and George Floyd protests, with the remainder of the episode and season taking place the spring of the following year.
- Title Drop: Used by both Jake and Lamazar to assure they aren't Dirty Cops - the former sincerely, the latter in self-denial.
- Unwanted Assistance: Boyle goes overboard on his public support of the black community - specifically seeing a black barber, wearing an African-inspired scarf (and matching mask) on Juneteenth, and accidentally wiring Terry 100x more money than he intended. Terry guessed the last example's a mistake, but let him sweat it out as a lesson.
- Very Special Episode: Inspired by the George Floyd protests and the subsequent scrutiny on police brutality and corruption.
- We Need a Distraction: Jake distracts Frank while Rosa is in his office by pretending to be a citizen reporting an anti-police incident.
- Wham Line:
- Rosa to Jake: "I'm quitting the force."
- Holt to Santiago: "Kevin and I have separated."
- White Guilt: Boyle, a white cop, responded to the George Floyd protests by becoming an obnoxious "ally", to the chagrin of his black colleagues.
