When Kevin is in danger, the squad finally ends things with Seamus once and for all!
Brooklyn Nine-Nine 5×12 “Safe House” on FOX had us remembering why we love this show so much. It’s been a while since our favorite detective squad graced our screens, but they made the wait worthwhile. When Kevin (Marc Evan Jackson) is in danger because of Seamus, (Paul Adelstein) Holt, (Andre Braugher) Jake, (Andy Samberg) and the rest of the squad finally get the information they need to take Seamus down! It takes every member of the team playing to their strengths, including surprising aid from Scully (Joel McKinnon Miller).
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When Rosa (Stephanie Beatriz) needs to go undercover, it’s Gina’s (Chelsea Peretti) knowledge of gossip that helps Rosa and Charles (Joe Lo Truglio) get the information they need on Seamus’ location. Meanwhile, Terry (Terry Crews) and Amy (Melissa Fumero) spend their time piecing together shredded documents to get the evidence needed to get Seamus out of their lives for good. When they get stuck under piles of shredded paper, this is where Scully’s skill comes in. It seems the usually useless detective has a rare gift of quickly and efficiently piecing together shredded documents with ease. Not only can we all breathe a sigh of relief that Seamus is finally gone, but we can get excited about the next storyline!
Let’s break it down with our roundtable guests of the week!
Betsy (@RobarBetsy) – Just a Brooklyn Nine-Nine fan!
Kaysi (@julietknope) – Trash for good television.
Aurora (@AurorasBlog) – Marathon runner and equity actress, currently running 882 miles for the 882 daily victims of assault for Project882!
Marilyn (@Marilyn72568293) – Cosmetologist and lover of fun! Enjoy watching the best shows I can find!
Pamela (@CharlesonPamela) – Teacher, aunt, and sister who also loves watching Brooklyn Nine-Nine!
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1. What did you think of not only the squad’s disguises, but of their effortless retrieval of Kevin?
Betsy (@RobarBetsy): I loved it! They are such a great squad and we don’t always get to see every one of them work together. It’s my favorite when they do!
Kaysi (@julietknope): The entire cold open was golden! I absolutely loved it.
Aurora (@aurorasblog): It was incredible! I feel like sometimes some shows try to tell us people are good at their jobs by putting it in a lot of dialogue. But just to see the squad members being amazing at their jobs, was awesome – and what a fun way to start an episode after being gone for too long!
Marilyn (@Marilyn72568293): Honestly, that was the best operation I have ever seen them perform. Effortless is the perfect word to describe it! They all knew exactly what parts they were playing and none of them hesitated for even a moment.
Pamela (@CharlesonPamela): It was great to see them do this mission so quickly and easily. They have all come so far over the last five years, it’s nice to see it represented like this. Probably my new favorite operation!
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2. It looks like Gina is finally back regularly! Do you think her character has changed at all with becoming a mother?
Betsy: I feel like Gina has changed in a few ways. She was a little more reserved than we are used to. I’m not sure if I like it or not just yet.
Kaysi: Yes, finally! It is so good to have her back! I think she has changed, especially after what we saw of her in the previous episode. She has matured a bit while still being herself.
Aurora: I really don’t know yet. But I’m excited to find out.
Marilyn: While I’ve always loved Gina’s sarcasm, there always seemed to be a slight edge that at times seemed like she really didn’t care for the precinct. It’s nice to see that while she still has the sarcasm, Gina seems to have settled a bit with her squad.
Pamela: I’m not sure that she’s really changed much. Motherhood is a huge lifestyle change for her though, so maybe as time goes on we will see a new side of her. It just may take a while.
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3. Even though Jake felt like it was his fault that Kevin was in danger, do you think it would have been better for the squad to take turns protecting him?
Betsy: I would think the more people going in and out of a safe house would make things more dangerous. But Holt came and went and even Amy showed up. If Seamus was smart, he would have had his men following the squad! Thank goodness he didn’t.
Kaysi: Yeah. Being confined in a house with one other person for so long would be enough to drive anybody nuts. Taking turns probably would have been much better for everyone!
Aurora: Hard to say. I have no true knowledge of police safety protocol. So, I don’t know if it would’ve aroused more suspicion to have more people going in and out of the safe house or not.
Marilyn: Hmm, I’m going to go with probably not. Even though it seemed to make them both crazy, it was probably safer to only have one person staying with Kevin. There would have been a bigger chance of Seamus and his men finding the safe house if members of the precinct were going in and out all the time.
Pamela: I completely get why Jake felt responsible, but I’m surprised that Holt would want anyone other than himself protecting Kevin. Even Jake. Besides that, Holt showed up at the safe house so much that he and Jake may as well have been taking shifts. But the whole squad doing it could have been a mistake.
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4. Was it actually good for Kevin and Jake to spend time alone together and be forced to bond even though they acted as though it was an awful experience?
Betsy: I loved seeing them bond! You can only resist Jake Peralta for so long! I knew that Kevin would grow to like him eventually. If this is what it took to make it happen, I’m game.
Kaysi: I think so. Things were so rocky for Kevin and Jake when they first met. So it was nice to see the two of them have to work together and actually get along for the most part
Aurora: Totally. I bet they both grew in new ways and learned new things. I love that B99 is always showing us new episodes exploring new dynamics between characters. Just when we think we’ve seen a bunch of fun pairings – boom, a Kevin episode.
Marilyn: I’m not sure if it was good for them, but it sure was hilarious! They were totally pretending about thinking the whole ordeal was awful. I fully believe that they both enjoyed the experience and just don’t want to admit it.
Pamela: Kevin has always been so uptight when he makes his appearances, this was a wonderful change of pace. Jake spending so much time with Kevin seemed to help both Kevin relax, and Jake take things a little more serious. The two really bonded. Something that I think is really important since they both love Holt so much.
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5. Even though Gina isn’t a detective, she was an important piece of Rosa getting information. Do you think Gina should be allowed to participate like this in investigations?
Betsy: Technically, probably not. But by my standards, heck yes!
Kaysi: Yeah, she definitely should. Gina has always been one to get information out of people and she has proven just how valuable she is to the team. There is no reason she shouldn’t be able to help them like that more.
Aurora: Sure! It seemed safe for her in a truck with two police officers. And she did a fantastic job helping out!
Marilyn: Gina has been a part of this family for so long, she may as well be an honorary detective. Not only that, but Gina always seems to have contacts everywhere. Even when she doesn’t she always has valuable information. But I think Gina participating from the safety of the van was the best way to go about the investigation.
Pamela: While I would always rather Gina stay safe, it wouldn’t be that far-fetched for Gina to be the one to go undercover. Civilians have been sent undercover before right? So why shouldn’t Gina, who has been a part of the squad for years? I totally think she should be allowed to participate like this and more.
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6. We learned more about Kevin in this episode than ever before. Were you surprised to learn not only how much Kevin knew about self defense but the fact that he was the one to save Jake and Holt?
Betsy: I have always thought Kevin was a badass under all that dignity. So glad it proved to be true!
Kaysi: Kevin’s knowledge of self-defense definitely came as a surprise! I loved that he was able to save Jake and Holt. It was really fun getting to learn more about Kevin this week!
Aurora: I was definitely surprised to learn how much he knew about self-defense, but it immediately made so much sense, since his husband is the captain after all. I sort of suspected he’d save Jake and Captain Holt.
He and Jake parted ways at the perfect time for him to not be caught, but still be around. So, yes, I suspected it. But I also loved it.
Marilyn: I have always loved Kevin! This episode was such a treat in so many ways. But it was the best to see that Kevin is interested in Holt’s job. That he listens to his husband and has taken it upon himself to know some self-defense. But seeing Kevin save Holt and Jake? That was amazing! Way to go Kevin!
Pamela: I never expected Kevin to have any self-defense skills. I certainly never expected him to be able to save Jake and Holt. Especially since these two have proven to be such pros when it comes to getting themselves and each other out of sticky situations. There has just always been something about Seamus that keeps them from getting him. So it was great to see him taken down by Kevin of all people.
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7. Once again, Scully shocked us with how useful he can be. Did it shock you with how quickly and accurately he was able to piece together the documents on Seamus?
Betsy: Every time I tell myself we’ve learned the last strange thing Scully can do, I’m shocked again. There just seem to be no limits to his shockingly useful knowledge.
Kaysi: Part of me wants to say that I’m shocked but at this point, I feel like the strange things he is able to do should not surprise me anymore!
Aurora: No. I anticipated he’d save the day in that way. It seems like he and Hitchcock always come through on the very few things at which the other detectives aren’t great. That’s why they’re all such a great team. Everyone compliments everyone else’s strengths and weaknesses.
Marilyn: Scully! He has always been one of my favorite characters and I think he is one of the funniest on the show. I especially love it when he proves to be useful at the most unexpected of times! When he first said that he was great at piecing things together, I never expected him to actually be able to back it up. But I love being pleasantly surprised by Scully!
Pamela: At this point, nothing surprises me about Hitchcock or Scully anymore. The two are always so unpredictably useful! Every time you think they never do anything to help the rest of the squad, they completely surprise you and leave your jaw hanging open in shock! I love it!
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Final Verdict: Now that Seamus isn’t going to be bothering our squad anymore, where do we go from here?
The writing on this show has always been phenomenal! But after five years, just when we expect things to get stale and tired, this show does the exact opposite. We were a bit worried that the Seamus storyline was going to extend for too long, but it seemed to wrap up perfectly. It provided the perfect opportunity for some team bonding and new team ups. Something that we always enjoy watching. While the detectives in the precinct have always been close, we don’t always realize the one on one partnerships are fun to watch too! It’s great that even after five years, the writers of this show are still able to show us new relationships and the members of the team getting closer than ever before. We couldn’t ask for more and we’re so glad the show can still surprise us after all this time!
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While it’s always been great that Jake and Amy’s romantic relationship is never overbearing or the main focus of the show, seeing them together is our favorite thing. We got less than five minutes of the two of them together and we got absolutely no wedding talk. The fact that Jake has grown so much over the last five years and finally cemented his relationship with Amy and made the decision to actually commit is a big deal. We think sometimes the writers get so involved with the comedy of it all, sometimes they forget the importance of the serious issues and key points of the show.
We’re so glad to have our show back and we can’t wait to see what’s going to happen next. Especially now that the Seamus storyline is over. We know we have Jake and Amy’s wedding to look forward to, but next week is going to be great too! The only teaser we’ve been given is that Jake is going to be confronting a familiar face from his past. We’re so anxious to see which one of the people from Jake’s past comes back in a big way we can barely contain ourselves. The only way to find out is to watch!