Article contributed by Tyler Constable
Now well into its seventh season, Brooklyn Nine-Nine has made its mark as one of the most celebrated sitcoms of modern times. Known for its lovable diverse cast and an endless array of memorable quotes; New York’s ninety ninth precinct is now beloved by fans worldwide and nothing gets those fans excited quite like the annual Halloween Heist.
Originating back in season 1 as a small bet wagered between capable but goofy detective Jake Peralta (Andy Samberg) and stoic Captain Holt (Andre Braugher), the event has since evolved into a cut-throat competition as the entire squad battle to claim the coveted title of ‘ultimate human/genius.’ Over the years we’ve seen many intricate action plans, triumphant victories, and even a marriage proposal, but if there’s one thing that’s certain about a Halloween Heist, it’s that you never know what to expect.
Things kick off on Halloween night as Jake assembles the squad and reveals that, in the spirit of decorum, this year there ‘will be no betrayals’ – a concept instilled with the pre-selection of teammates and the extreme measures of everyone being handcuffed to their partner. Remove the cuffs and you lose. After some reluctant selections and a withdrawal from the Lieutenant (Terry Crews’ Terry Jeffords), the teams are set: it’s Rosa (Stephanie Beatriz) and Scully (Joel Mckinnon Miller), Amy (Melissa Fumero) and Charles (Joe Lo Truglio), and the seemingly unstoppable combination of Jake and Holt.
This years prize is revealed to be the infinitude gobbler – a knock-off of Thanos’ signature Infinity Gauntlet from the Avengers. The task to obtain it is simple: whoever retrieves the gobbler’s three gems by midnight wins. The gems are quickly entrusted to Charles’ lookalike, Bill, and the games begin.
Jake and Holt are swift to make the first move, encompassing the bullpen in smoke in an attempt to swipe the gems. It seems like they have a fair chance at first, despite a complete lack of visuals, due to Jake’s previous dedication to navigate the area blindfolded. However, an out of place office chair foils their plans causing the gems to slip from his grasp. Holt is well prepared though and enlists the help of his four-legged partner-in-crime. Cheddar the dog scoops up the gems as Amy and Charles hastily arrive at the scene, with Rosa and Scully close behind (having missed the smoke incident due to Scully attending to bathroom business, a revelation he only shared with Rosa once they were handcuffed together). Things go further downhill for Jake and Holt though when Cheddar swallows the gems and an emergency trip to the vet is made. There’s thankfully nothing to fear as it’s confirmed that Cheddar should painlessly pass the gems naturally and the squad agree to put the heist on-hold for the time being. Fast forward to four months later and the ‘Valentine’s Day Heist’ is on.
The teams and rules remain the same, but now the detectives only have six hours to acquire the recently sterilised gems. This time, it’s an elaborate ruse featuring a dozen flower delivery men as the teams all corner Bill in an effort to claim the victory. Rosa and Scully seem to succeed here before Scully follows Cheddar’s example and accidentally swallows the gems, bringing the heist to a stop once again.
The final rescheduled iteration of the heist falls on Easter and there’s a bump in the road right from the get go as Scully admits he’s had to drop out following doctors orders. With Rosa left partnerless, she opts to team-up with a filing cabinet rather than withdraw due to the objects ‘flat-top’ likeness to Scully. Jake agrees on the condition that her starting location remains the same as where she began all those months ago: in the men’s bathroom. With Rosa stuck, only having been stumbled upon by Terry, the remaining pairs look to enact a masterplan involving an army of Easter bunnies.
Although originally concocted by Jake, Amy tells Charles that she was able to eavesdrop on the idea through the act of sneaking into her husband’s therapy sessions where he’s become accustom to voicing his frustrations about Holt’s differing approach to the plan. Clad head to toe in bunny costumes (including Holt’s additions of glasses and ‘little blue waistcoats’), the teams make a break for it, while Rosa (also sporting a bunny outfit) struggles her way into the bullpen. An outburst of fluffy frenzy soon erupts and the gems, along with the infinitude gobbler, are picked up by a rogue rabbit.
The victor swan dives off the precinct roof as Jake, Holt, Amy, and Charles clamber to catch up while presuming this must be the actions of the Lieutenant having joined in the game. As the last bunny arrives however, the final twist is revealed. We discover that it’s Terry underneath the mask and the squad lean over to witness detective Diaz deliver the most badass win reveal in heist history – igniting her name in fire on the pavement for all to see.
Congratulations are bestowed upon Rosa before she sheds light on how her plan’s been in place since the initial Heist six months ago. With the key ingredient of ham, the detective managed to pull everyone’s strings, successfully swapping each set of gems out before they were consumed, sweeping the Halloween, Valentine’s and Easter heists and becoming the first ‘three time winner.’
After such an outlandish episode and a masterplan so intricate, it’s hard to imagine what the writers will come up with for next year’s festivities but rest assured we’ll be waiting with bated breathe to find out.
Season 7 of Brooklyn Nine-Nine is currently airing on NBC every Thursday at 8:30 EST/9:30 PT.
