TV Review: Brooklyn Nine-Nine "Charges and Specs" 1x22

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I remember when I first saw previews for Brooklyn Nine-Nine...I honestly didn't think it would amount to much.

It seemed like it would be a nice little show with a few laughs but with the big possibility that it would only be around for one season.

I never expected myself to say that Brooklyn Nine-Nine is easily the funniest comedy on television right now and that it pains me that this is the final episode of the season.

Led by Andy Samberg with an absolutely amazing supporting cast, Brooklyn Nine-Nine has been able provide a lot of laughs and a lot of heart in almost every episode.

What makes Brooklyn Nine-Nine such a successful show is the fact that showrunners Dan Goor and Michael Schur knew exactly what they wanted with their characters. All of the jokes centering characters don't offend, but instead are meant as light jabs from people who genuinely do care about each other.

Such as with friends in real life, sure you push buttons but you know where the line is.

Each character goes through their own personal growth and development in ways that are unexpected and every potential twist and turn never feels forced.

Goor and Schur are no strangers when it comes to working on successful comedies (between the two they've worked on The Office and Parks and Recreation) but if Brooklyn Nine-Nine can continue to be this good in future seasons...this may be the best show they've done yet.

On to the season finale, "Charges and Specs," the episode starts off with a twist: Jake drunk in a bar "celebrating" the fact that he's been fired from the NYPD. A chapter card saying 'One Week Earlier' pops up and we find out exactly what's been going on over the last week in the Nine-Nine. Along with Jake's surprise news, there's also Boyle who has been dumped by his fiancee Vivian and now dressed up as a character from The Matrix since he's now "settling into the darkness." Peralta is then summoned into Holt's office only to see Commissioner Podolski (guest star James M. Connor) waiting for him. Why is this bad? Well Peralta only arrested Podolski's son so...it's safe to say him and the Commissioner are enemies for life (Peralta's words). This visit comes down to the fact Peralta is investigating a beloved community figure for drug laundering and has been told to stop.

Peralta obviously doesn't stop. He tricks Santiago into staking out Lucas Wint as he's heard some "tiddletaddle" that Wint will be meeting with a well known drug dealer. Unfortunately for Peralta, Wint finds him and now Peralta faces suspension and is on administrative leave until his hearing.

Jump to the day of the hearing now and Peralta asks Holt to meet him in an alley in Bensonhurst where Santiago (who is rebelling against Holt as well) finds a drug pusher for the Bay Ridge Boys.

Isaac tells Holt about the donations for Wint Community Center where it's being put down as Charitable Donations, which means Peralta could be right.

Rosa and Terry decide to help Boyle by introducing him to what they do to feel better: burn everything and breaking plates. I'll let you decide which one does which. But, as it would with Boyle, both go horribly wrong -- he winds up burning his hand and in his attempt to smash a plate it bounces up and nails him in the testicles. To get into the community center they need a warrant and to get a warrant...someone has to charm the judge so it can happen quickly.

Let's just say Holt has a new nickname -- Captain Raymond Sex-Vibes. They receive the warrant but now have to go undercover as amateur ballroom dancers.

Peralta knows the way to fit in -- THRIFT STORE. And in a slow motion sequence, Santiago and Holt walk out of dressing rooms looking fly and Peralta looking like...well...a doofus.

An hour remains until the hearing so the three of them come up with a plan to try and find the evidence they need. At Police Headquarters, the rest of the Nine-Nine try to stall the hearing as much as possible so their statements end up being long and...well...it gets weird. At the ballroom dance, Peralta and Santiago attempt to dance where she is...terrible.

Holt finds himself a partner and he is...so amazing at dancing which you obviously should have expected. Santiago provides the distraction needed and Peralta is able to sneak upstairs and get the evidence.

He takes pictures and then all of them head back to the hearing but Holt has a request for Peralta.

At his hearing, Peralta, with Holt sitting next to him, says he has no evidence and gets himself fired from the force at Holt's request.

Holt, with a group of men, come to a waiting Peralta in a parking garage where Peralta finds out that the FBI are investigating Lucas Wint and they couldn't risk Peralta harming their investigation. The FBI believes Wint has ties to the Iannucci family, one of the big crime families in New York and they have moles in the NYPD. So the FBI requested that Peralta get fired so that he can go undercover and help with the investigation.

Back at the Nine-Nine, Holt brings in Peralta, Boyle, Diaz, Terry, and Santiago and let them know what's going with Peralta.

He'll be undercover for about six months and his story is that he's been fired so to make the rest of the office believe this...well he throws a Peralta like tantrum and it's perfect.

At the bar, Terry and Diaz decide to help Boyle by having him drink his pain away and it brings about a nice tender moment between Diaz and Boyle which...well...you know what's gonna happen. Outside the Nine-Nine, Peralta, with his box of stuff, sees Santiago and goes to talk with her for what could possibly be the final time. Peralta lets Santiago know how he feels about her and it's really a nice, almost bittersweet moment between the two and you can feel Jake's pain.

Jumping back to Jake at the beginning of the episode, drunk and at a bar "celebrating" he talks with another man at the bar -- Leo Iannucci. Boyle finds himself waking up in what is clearly another woman's bed...yeah it's happening.

Except it isn't---since he finds himself awake next to Gina...which leaves them both horrified.

There you have it...the season finale of Brooklyn Nine-Nine. "Charges and Specs" may be the best episode yet of Brooklyn Nine-Nine while also leaving a whole lot of questions for the next season.

What the hell will happen with Gina and Boyle? How will Jake's assignment go? Could anything ever happen between Santiago and Jake? It's a big sad to see the first season end but the set up for season two is there and I'm excited for the future of the show.

Until then, I'll probably re-watch the first season of Brooklyn Nine-Nine to hold me over and I'd recommend you all doing the same as well.