Perhaps the funniest joke that the heist episodes repeatedly exploit is the lengths all of these people go to win a silly, meaningless competition. Our central characters become relentless, plotting snakes capable of getting a dog fat shamed on Instagram or hiring a pretend therapist. The reality of the show’s already slightly cartoonish world bends toward chaos, and it’s fun to see our favorites at their most devious. At the beginning of the episode, Jake pitches a friendly, less venomous version of the game, but that idea is immediately torn apart by the competitive nature of the precinct. Terry even vows to sit the heist out, but he’s inevitably pulled into its orbit.
I’ll spare recapping each step in Rosa’s bonkers plan, but I will mention that Cheddar’s entrance to the Stooges and Amy firing the first shot, calling Holt a “dusty old skeleton” deserved to be mentioned. Also, this episode means that the only main cast member, barring Hitchcock and Scully, to go without a win in the Halloween Heist is Boyle, which could be a catalyst for a fresh direction for the episode come season eight.
Maybe a POV Boyle episode where we watch him pull off the heist from his own perspective, a la It’s Always Sunny’s “Being Frank,” taking things to ridiculous new lengths, could be an idea. No matter what the Brooklyn Nine-Nine team decides to do, we’re on board. It was nice to know one annual event this time of year went on as planned and delivered.
