The Bet (Brooklyn Nine-Nine)
"The Bet" is the thirteenth episode of the first season of the American television police sitcom series Brooklyn Nine-Nine. It is the 13th overall episode of the series and is written by co-executive producer Laura McCreary and directed by Julian Farino. It aired on Fox in the United States on January 14, 2014. It is the twelfth episode to be produced but the thirteenth to be broadcast.
| "The Bet" | |
|---|---|
| Brooklyn Nine-Nine episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 13 |
| Directed by | Julian Farino |
| Written by | Laura McCreary |
| Produced by | |
| Featured music | |
| Cinematography by | Giovani Lampassi |
| Editing by | Sandra Montiel |
| Production code | 112 |
| Original air date | January 14, 2014 |
| Running time | 22 minutes |
| Guest appearance(s) | |
The show revolves around the fictitious 99th precinct of the New York Police Department in Brooklyn and the officers and detectives that work in the precinct. Jake Peralta (Andy Samberg) is an immature yet very talented detective in the precinct with an astounding record of crimes solved, putting him in a competition with fellow detective Amy Santiago (Melissa Fumero). The precinct's status changes when the Captain is retiring and a new commanding officer, Cpt. Raymond Holt (Andre Braugher) is appointed as the newest Captain. This creates a conflict between Peralta and Holt over their respective methods in the field. In the episode, Peralta finally wins the bet he had with Santiago to catch the biggest number of criminals and sets to bring her to the "worst date ever". However, the date is interrupted when they are forced to participate in a stakeout. Meanwhile, Charles Boyle (Joe Lo Truglio) is honored with the Medal of Valor but suffers effects from medication.
The episode was seen by an estimated 3.53 million household viewers and gained a 1.4/4 ratings share among adults aged 18–49, according to Nielsen Media Research. The episode received mostly positive reviews from critics, who praised the performances of the cast, particularly Samberg's and Fumero's.
Plot
Charles Boyle (Joe Lo Truglio) is awarded the Medal of Valor in a ceremony. However, his moment is overshadowed by another recipient of the Medal, a horse called Sgt. Peanut Butter who poops on stage. During a photo session, Boyle falls off the stage and is treated with medication. However, the medication makes Boyle reveal the truth to anyone he talks to.
Jake Peralta (Andy Samberg) and Amy Santiago's (Melissa Fumero) competition for most criminals caught is soon to end, and both are tied in score. With one minute left, Santiago catches a criminal but Peralta reveals he just led a raid into a sex ring and arrested 30 men, effectively winning the bet. Peralta then takes Santiago on the "worst date ever" - for this, Peralta gets to make every decision for Santiago until midnight. They go to a bar where the precinct has gone to celebrate Boyle's award. However, Raymond Holt (Andre Braugher) accidentally reveals to Sharon Jeffords (Merrin Dungey) that her husband Terry (Terry Crews) has returned to the force after saving his life, causing her to storm off.
Jake and Amy's date is interrupted when Holt gets notice of a stakeout, forcing Peralta to bring Santiago with him. During the stakeout, Peralta and Santiago bond over previous dates, with Peralta going as far as to decline Holt's offer to get replacements. Posing as a couple, they manage to catch a perp. Meanwhile, Rosa Diaz (Stephanie Beatriz) evades Boyle as she fears he will reveal his feelings for her. However, he reveals that he didn't know she was the one he was saving, having acted out of instinct.
Reception
Viewers
In its original American broadcast, "The Bet" was seen by an estimated 3.53 million household viewers and gained a 1.4/4 ratings share among adults aged 18–49, according to Nielsen Media Research.[1] This was a slight increase in viewership from the previous episode, which was watched by 3.44 million viewers with a 1.5/4 in the 18-49 demographics.[2] This means that 1.4 percent of all households with televisions watched the episode, while 4 percent of all households watching television at that time watched it. With these ratings, Brooklyn Nine-Nine was the second most watched show on FOX for the night, beating Dads and The Mindy Project but behind New Girl, fourth on its timeslot and ninth for the night in the 18-49 demographics, behind New Girl, The Biggest Loser, The Goldbergs, Chicago Fire, Person of Interest, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., NCIS: Los Angeles, and NCIS.
Critical reviews
"The Bet" received mostly positive reviews from critics. Roth Cornet of IGN gave the episode a "great" 8.5 out of 10 and wrote, "Brooklyn Nine-Nine delivers another great episode following their big Golden Globe win, as Peralta must deal with grown-up feelings and Holt - as much as Holt can - loses his cool."[3]
Molly Eichel of The A.V. Club gave the episode an "A-" grade and wrote, "You have to figure (or at least hope) that 'The Bet' will land a few new pairs of eyeballs intrigued by the out-of-nowhere Golden Globes domination. So, it's a good thing that Brooklyn Nine-Nine came back with an episode that was both sweet and funny, combining some of the best aspects of the show into one entry."[4]
Alan Sepinwall of HitFix wrote, "Beyond that, 'The Bet' was another strong episode for the whole ensemble. Boyle being upstaged by Sgt. Peanut Butter was maybe too similar to L'il Sebastian, but his bout of candor from the painkillers led to a lot of funny moments, plus one absolutely perfect stunned reaction from Stephanie Beatriz after Charles told Rosa of his plan to win her heart by being himself. Holt getting Terry into trouble felt a bit formulaic, but it's also good to see something Holt isn’t good at, and to have Merrin Dungey (Francie!) join the larger ensemble as Terry’s wife Sharon."[5]
References
- Gorman, Bill (January 15, 2014). "Tuesday Final Ratings: 'The Mindy Project' Adjusted Down; No Adjustment for 'Chicago Fire' or 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine'". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
- Gorman, Bill (January 8, 2014). "Tuesday Final Ratings: 'Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.', 'NCIS' & 'Chicago Fire' Adjusted Up; 'Trophy Wife' Adjusted Down". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
- Cornet, Roth (January 14, 2014). "Brooklyn Nine-Nine: "The Bet" Review". IGN. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
- Eichel, Molly (January 14, 2014). "Brooklyn Nine-Nine: "The Bet"". The A.V. Club. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
- Sepinwall, Alan (January 14, 2014). "Review: 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine' – 'The Bet': Worst date ever?". HitFix. Retrieved January 15, 2018.