‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’ Review: In Season 6, ‘The Nine-Nine’ Matters More than Ever
In Season 2, they can and do say everything. Even the secret that started it all, which was inexplicably held back at the end of Season 1 when all the others came spilling out in those final, confounding minutes, is now out in the open. Lisa (and everyone else) knows about Sam and Ethan’s affair, the couples are all separated or going through couples’ therapy, and the group is permanently disbanded. The only reason they’re coming together is for Max’s wedding, and you better believe they’re ready to throw a few choice words at each other.
The show — and the cast — delight in the newfound freedom. Keegan-Michael Key ditches the obnoxious persona of “Fun Ethan” (“He’s dead and buried,” Ethan says in the first episode); Jae Suh Park comes to life as the blunt-talking wild card, always ready to force a delicate confrontation or surprise everyone with a pithy revelation. Cobie Smulders excels as the pissed-off, coldly hurting victim, making you feel the damage wrought around her (and wrought herself). Fred Savage whispers caustic asides that are meant to be heard, while taking on an ensemble’s workload of physical comedy unto himself.
There are still aches and pains along the way, especially when the audience is asked to root for any of these couples to succeed. So much pernicious behavior and oblivious errors make it hard to believe any pairing makes the individuals better. (Plus, the audience cues that Ethan is meant for Sam, and Lisa is meant for Nat Faxon’s Nick, can feel forced.) But by the end of the season, when the group has faced its own self-destructive tendencies and lived to gather again for dinner, the last-minute twists and turns actually carry some weight.
The final shot of Sam is silly to the point of mocking her, let alone her relationship, but six of the seven arcs are on sturdy ground with potential for further growth. That’s an impressive upgrade when looking back at who was worth tracking after Season 1. (Hint: It was six less than now.) In the mad flood of content, sometimes it feels like you have to ditch a broken show instead of considering if it can be fixed — only the best (or most appealing) has a chance to breakthrough. Thankfully, Netflix took a page out of the old network playbook and trusted “Friends From College” to get better (that, or a buttload of people watched Season 1). Consider it the “most improved” show of 2019, even if the year is still young.
Grade: B
“Friends From College” Season 2 is streaming now on Netflix.
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