Brooklyn Nine-Nine 6.16: Backstabbing & Betrayal In A Cinco De Mayo Heist

Hitchcock rolls into the precinct ready to celebrate his favorite time of year, Cinco de Mayo. He’s decked out in a poncho and even brings his own mariachi band. All the noise annoys Terry because he’s studying for the lieutenant’s exam. The crew had to previously postpone the annual Halloween heist due to an emergency gas line explosion. In order to help alleviate the sergeant’s stress and help him take his mind off the exam, they decide to hold the heist now.

[*Spoilers For 6.16 Ahead!]

The whole crew set down the ground rules for this year’s competition. The prize is Scully’s medical alert bracelet and whoever possesses it at the end of the day is the winner. Everyone quickly begins pairing up into teams like Terry and Jake, Holt and Amy and Boyle tries to partner with Rosa, but to her, their game has grown stale throughout the years and declines participating. Plus, as the captain points out, Charles’ only advantage was having a doppelganger, Bill, but he recently passed away in an accident. Speaking of lookalikes, Peralta employs Scully’s identical twin, Earl, to help him out. As the officer enters the bullpen with the decoy, he is shocked by his wife who discreetly placed a taser in his Fitbit. In the chaos, Terry frees the real Scully and takes the bracelet. When he rendezvous with his partner, Jake double crosses him taking the prize and locking him up.

The reason know one knew about Earl, is because he’s estranged from his brother. When Scully learns his twin is in the precinct the two begin to scuffle. The fight serves as a good distraction for Boyle as he lifts the bracelet from Jake’s pocket. He meets up with his cohort, Rosa, who betrays him by placing chloroform in his costume. She is really in cahoots with Holt and brings him the prize. Kevin and Cheddar pay the captain a visit and Holt uses the opportunity to hide the bracelet in his dog’s chew toy, Hootsworth. Terry finally escapes but somehow is convinced to work with Jake again. He paints himself gold like Gina’s statue and takes the chew toy when Cheddar goes outside to use the bathroom. He should have learned his lesson the first time as Jake screws him over again taking the toy and handcuffing him to a gate.

Apparently, Kevin joins the heist because he doesn’t like how the contest makes his husband irrational nor does he like the past trophies hung in their home as decorations. He swaps out Hootsworth when no one was looking and gives the bracelet to Amy. Jake repays his wife from earlier when he shocks her with a hidden taser in her pen. In a desperate move, Amy tells her husband she’s pregnant. Soon everyone begins arguing because of all the deception and lies. Terry becomes frustrated because the game is no longer fun. He is then knocked out by Jake’s celebratory victory sign that prematurely falls.

With the lieutenant’s test approaching, the gang transport a concussed Terry to the examination room but are confused when they find it empty. It was all part of Jeffords’ plan because he is now in possession of the bracelet. He begins to celebrate with the mariachi band from before and a little victory shuffle, which could give Amy’s wing dance a run for its money. He was the puppet master sewing seeds of conflict with everyone and pulling the strings so he would win. He had the only loyal partner, Cheddar, who fetched Hootsworth via magnetic collar. As for the exam, he took it weeks ago and passed. Everyone goes to Shaw’s for congratulatory drinks for both of Terry’s accomplishments.

This was a wild and crazy episode with so much backstabbing, you could lose track who was really working together. There was so much deceit, it bordered on the absurd and it served as a contrast to last year, which had the sentimental ending of Jake’s proposal to Amy. Also, it seems the heist has gained a new player in Kevin who enjoyed participating. Terry had a nice moment by winning this year and we don’t have to mourn the loss of Bill because he turned up alive and well. The only hitch was believing such informed people like Amy and Holt would not know when the lieutenant’s exam was. Just a small glitch in an otherwise, fun episode.

My Favorite Lines:

Amy: You’re having a high-grade pre-test freak out. I’ve been there. March 13, 2001. AP Calc test…

Jake: Ames, I hate to cut you off but we all know where this story’s going.

Amy: Oh yeah? You know that I crapped my pants in the middle of the test?

Jake: Oh my god, no. I thought you got a B+ or something.

Amy: No, I got BM.

—

Amy: Yes, and I would love to defend my crown after I destroyed you all last year.

Jake: Well, I mean, the proposal was all part of my plan.

Amy: All I remember was you bowing to me on your knees.

Jake: Yeah, I was asking you to marry me.

Amy: Well, you looked like a fool.

—

Terry: Yeah, I mean, I would like to take my mind off the test. Maybe I’ll win this year.

Holt: Ahh, the heist is already working. Sergeant Jeffords has recovered his sense of humor.

—

Holt: Again, with this nonsense? I’m the reigning champ. The only thing you won last heist was a lifetime of mediocre heterosexual intercourse with Jake.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine airs Thursdays at 9:00 pm on NBC.