10 Reasons to Watch the Return of Brooklyn Nine-Nine

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10 Reasons to Watch the Return of Brooklyn Nine-Nine

It was a long winter for fans of the lovable cop comedy Brooklyn Nine-Nine. More than three months after the midseason finale doubleheader, “The Fugitive Part 1” and “The Fugitive Part 2,” the series finally returns tonight with “The Audit.”

There’s plenty of unfinished business. “The Fugitive Part 1” focused on the capture of nine hardened criminals after their escape from a dramatic van rollover, while Amy Santiago (Melissa Fumero) and Jake Peralta (Andy Samberg) finally decided to move in together. In “Part 2,” the Pontiac Bandit (Craig Robinson) was given immunity from hundreds of crimes after agreeing to help find his brother, the last missing convict. And Gina (Chelsea Peretti) was apparently hit by a bus after answering a text from Charles Boyle (Joe Lo Truglio), newly accepted into the group’s text chain.

As we head into the latter stages of Season Four, we’re hoping to see more of what makes the precinct so memorable, including Boyle’s disgusting references to food and/or shampoo, Capt. Holt’s (Andre Braugher) over enunciation of words like “punk,” and Terry Jefford’s (Terry Crews) habit of breaking criminals in half, then later enjoying a tasty yogurt.

The latest promo for “The Audit,” which boasts “busts, break-ins and blackmail,” opens with Jake and Charles struggling to hoist what look like bulky, Costco-sized weapons. The trailer also includes more Die Hard references (duh), and Amy appears to channel Rosa Diaz (Stephanie Beatriz) in a rage fit against technology.

Here are 10 reasons why viewers should watch Brooklyn Nine-Nine, including what we can expect from “The Audit” and refreshers on why the tight-knit squad is so fun to watch. (There are mild plot spoilers ahead.)

1. The precinct is in danger

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As crime is down and a precinct must close (maybe thanks to the Pontiac Bandit?), the Nine-Nine is now vulnerable. Amy’s ex-boyfriend, Teddy (Kyle Bornheimer) returns as an auditor, who could report that the Nine-Nine is no longer needed. How will Amy react to seeing Teddy again? Will it be up to her to save everyone’s job? While Amy and Teddy probably won’t get back together, he could use his power as auditor to get the whole squad fired as revenge. Or maybe he’ll just talk more about Pilsners.

2. The Gina Cliffhanger


We may finally find out what happens to Gina. At the end of the “The Fugitive, Part 2,” while Gina is answering a text from Boyle in the middle of the street, she’s hit by a bus. There’s a good chance she’s not dead—it is a sitcom, after all—but how do you come back from something like that? What’s also strange is that a press release plugging “The Audit” fails to include Chelsea Peretti in the cast list. Either they’re being extra sneaky with tonight’s episode, or Peretti doesn’t actually return yet. The plot thickens.

3. Jake and Amy are moving in together

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In “The Fugitive, Part 1,” the pair made a bet that whoever caught fewer criminals would have to move into the winner’s apartment. Jake caved, and a good thing, too, as his apartment is pretty crowded with black mold. Moving in is a massive step for both of them. As you may have guessed, Amy is a neat freak, while Jake owns a perpetually damp gray towel, so this transition might not go well. Their relationship on the show always seems subdued, so it will be fun to see this development.

4. The Rosa/Pimento relationship

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Earlier in Season Four, the terrifying duo was taking it slow after nearly getting married. They’re still engaged, but that storyline has been nonexistent for a while. The last we heard from Adrian Pimento (Jason Mantzoukas) was in &#8220”Mr. Santiago” when he won big after betting Holt’s money on a dog show. In that episode he mentioned taking a tropical vacation. Is Pimento coming back, or will the relationship fizzle? Rosa’s relationship with Marcus was pitiful to watch because they were so mismatched, and the fact that Pimento is Rosa’s equal should count for something.

5. The amazing guest stars and recurring characters


Recurring characters Madeline Wuntch (Kyra Sedgwick) and the Vulture (Dean Winters) were deliciously funny foils for the Nine-Nine. This season, Capt. CJ Stentley (Ken Marino), the bumbling buffoon and folk singer, lost a duffel bag full of drugs during “The Overmining” and was transferred. He will be missed. We need another steady Wuntch-type character, and maybe we’ll find it in Holt’s mom. L. Scott Caldwell is scheduled to play Laverne this season. While Laverne has not appeared on the show yet, Capt. Holt has referred to his mother, a federal judge, as “Your Honor”—naturally. Prepare for a few of Raymond’s favorite things: sleepy music and arcane, useless factoids.

6. Terrible, yet also amazing, undercover disguises

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The squad’s undercover getups are nearly always misguided. Who could forget the time Holt and Jake got duded up in oven mitts and medical masks to go after a suspect while suffering from the mumps? When Jake dresses up as Santa, he doesn’t even try to make it look authentic. Even Terry got in on the act as a bare-chested DC Parlov character in “Skyfire Cycle.”

7. The Jake/Boyle Bromance


Even before “The Stakeout” in Season Two—a major test in their friendship—Jake and Boyle have been best friends. Boyle makes sure Jake eats right while on the job, and Jake loyally helped Boyle plan his doomed wedding to Vivian (for that, you can blame Boyle’s “STDs”—Save the Date cards). The two need each other. Boyle is settled down now with Genevieve and their adopted son, Nicolaj. Jake needs someone with stability to guide him, re: personal hygiene and better eating habits, if he wants to keep his relationship with Amy.

8. The stellar cold opens


The series’ opening scenes are usually well-crafted gems of comedic timing. A recent classic was when Boyle tells Jake, straight-faced, that he came down with a “big ‘ol Dianne Wiest infection” after watching Bullets Over Broadway. Other memorable opens include Holt’s well-documented “hot damn!” outburst, his hula-hoop disclosure to Jake, and Scully and Hitchcock’s epic takedown of the captain’s rare vacation high. The Brooklyn Nine-Nine cold open is not to be missed.

9. Will the Pontiac Bandit return?


We hope so. The last we heard from Doug Judy, he was given full immunity from hundreds of crimes, leaving him free to commit more. It’s been months now; he’s probably been pining for Rosa all this time. He didn’t get a chance to serenade her this season, which would give him plenty of reason to nick a car or two and return to the precinct. We could also use more theme songs from Jake and Doug Judy, because their raps are perfect earworms.

10. Scully and Hitchcock

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Which one has the nastiest feet? Scully. Which one mistakenly ate a live fish? Hitchcock. Who’s going to burn down the precinct this time? The jury’s still out. The two are inseparable, and more disease-ridden than anyone in the holding tank. They’re also damned good detectives who can easily solve crimes on the DL, but choose not to because it’s naptime. We need their laziness to counteract the Nine-Nine’s amazing efficiencies.

Season Four of Brooklyn Nine-Nine resumes tonight at 8 p.m. on FOX.

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