‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’: Will Gina Linetti’s ‘G-Hive’ Turn Against Its Queen? (RECAP)
Spoiler Alert
If absolute power corrupts absolutely, does fame work the same way? On Brooklyn Nine-Nine, it certainly, and unfortunately, seems to be the case.
Gina Linetti’s departure from the precinct to pursue her dreams of owning her own company has been successful… so much so that it turned her into a celebrity. When she reaches out to Jake for a favor, he’s happy to hear from her, but Terry warns him that she probably only wants his help, not his friendship.
Meanwhile, Holt becomes convinced Nikolaj is a genius and encourages Boyle to allow him to help Nikolaj reach his full potential.
An Idle Threat?
Jake tells the precinct he got off the phone with Gina, and she invited them to see her new place. According to Terry, he shouldn’t be excited to see her — she’s apparently been blowing him off for months. When they show up, it appears things won’t be like old times; she’s in the middle of a photoshoot, has an assistant and seems to be a full-blown celebrity.
Gina, Jake and Holt talk afterward. She says she’s called them because someone’s threatened to kill her, but she’s not worried. That said, she needs police presence at her talk the next day or it’ll be cancelled. Holt and Jake agree to make sure she’s safe, but they’re interrupted by Gina’s publicist. Though she has to take the call, she asks them to meet at Shaw’s for drinks later… and then she doesn’t show. This hurts for Jake, but it’s even worse for Terry, who has been through this painful process before with another friend who made it big and forgot about him.
Crushing It
At the talk the next day, Jake says he’s going to say something to Gina about how the only thing that matters to her is work. They tell her they traced the comments to an “inspirational baker” named Lennox, but Gina insists the guy isn’t a threat. When Jake tries to bring up her absence at drinks, Gina insists she had food poisoning and says she’ll fire her assistant for not telling them.
Gina gives her talk to a crowd of crazy-adoring fans, with Jake and Terry protecting her. While her fans ask questions, Terry notices Lennox is there and Jake starts to pull Gina offstage. “You’re overreacting,” she insists, but moments later, one of her decorations falls and crushes the platform. Had she been standing there, it would’ve killed her!
Five Percent More
After they save Gina and apprehend Lennox, Gina suggests they drink champagne to celebrate. Unfortunately, her publicist calls, she puts him on speaker, and he reveals she was at drinks at night with a brand director for Smart Water — not sick with food poisoning. Hurt, Jake tells her there’s been a change of plans and they’re leaving. Gina follows him outside and tries to talk to him, but Jake has nothing to say to her.
Things take an unpleasant turn when she gets stabbed in the back while trying to apologize. They wait for an ambulance, and Terry goes after the perp. Gina wants to continue their conversation, but it’s pretty hard to chat when she’s in terrible pain. Eventually, they come to an understanding: She’s sorry for what she did, and they’ll try to see each other five percent more.
At the hospital, Terry says he didn’t catch the perp because they escaped by swinging around a pole like Spider-Man. They realize the ex-husband of one of Gina’s fans at the talk, who said during the Q&A that Gina’s teachings convinced to her leave him, was the perp. As the episode ends Gina and Jake get their drink at Shaw’s, and Terry reconnects with his famous friend.
Cultivating Potential
Meanwhile, Holt is amazed that Nikolaj cracked an equation he’d been puzzling over. He assumes Nikolaj is a genius and chides Boyle for not cultivating his incredible mind. “My father never cultivated my potential,” Holt says. “Don’t be my father, Boyle!” He offers to tutor Nikolaj, and with a little pressure, Boyle caves and cancels his son’s cartooning class for Holt’s lessons despite the fact that Nikolaj loves it.
During Holt’s first lesson, it becomes apparent Nikolaj isn’t a genius: the solution for his formula was the symbol of Captain Latvia’s sidekick. It was all a coincidence… but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing of value in his talents. Holt tells Boyle he’s a good parent, and that Nikolaj is a talented artist.
Hands-Free
Amy offers to help Rosa get through the day after she injures her hands and can’t type, but Rosa turns her down. She struggles throughout the day and gets herself locked in a closet, and Amy again insists she might need help. But Amy changes her tune after watching Rosa try to escape the closet for hours, and she insists there’s nothing the human spirit cannot endure. With Amy’s encouragement, Rosa opens the door by herself: But when she says she has to go to the bathroom, they decide that’s a job she’ll need help with.
Other Observations
- Fun fact: Tonight’s episode was directed by Melissa Fumero (Amy)! Much of Nine-Nine’s cast has directed this season. Stephanie Beatriz, Joe Lo Truglio and Melissa Fumero have all taken turns in the director’s chair for some pretty powerful — and fun — episodes.
- How great was it to see Gina again, especially after it seemed her departure would be permanent? Here’s hoping we see her again at some point next season, too.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Thursdays, 9/8c, NBC
