A New App Brings Out Holt’s ‘Petty’ Side on ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’ (RECAP)

Emily Hannemann May 16, 2019, 10:03 pm

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Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Sicko

Season 6 • Episode 17

[SPOILER ALERT! The following contains major spoilers for Brooklyn Nine-Nine Season 6, episode 17, “Sicko.” The recap for episode 18, “Suicide Squad,” will be posted tomorrow.]

Brooklyn Nine-Nine hasn’t had much of an overarching storyline this season, but this episode continues the closest thing Season 6 has to one — Holt’s ongoing, if offscreen, feud with Commissioner John Kelly.

Kelly has invented a new app that allows people to call in tips from around the city, but because Kelly was the one to implement it, Holt’s vehemently against it. That becomes a problem when the app has a tip essential to a case Jake and Boyle have been tasked with solving… and getting to the bottom of things might mean bringing back some old enemies. Meanwhile, the Nine-Nine’s budget problems have created a catastrophe for Terry.

The Mind of a Sicko

The main story this episode revolves around Jake and Boyle’s investigation of a serial killer. Commissioner Kelly, Holt says, is breathing down his neck and he needs the case handled. Jake convinces him that he and Boyle can be serious when need be, and they’re given the case.

As they investigate, Kelly uses his friendly-threatening manner to put pressure on Jake, Boyle and Holt and he suggests his app might solve the crime faster. With their jobs potentially on the line, Jake says to get into the mind of a sicko, they need to talk to another sicko — and thus, they go to talk to Jake’s old prison cellmate, Caleb. Later, Commissioner Kelly stops by the precinct and says his app gave him a great tip that would help them solve the case, and that info aligns with what they learned from Caleb.

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The pair follow that info to an apartment building, where Holt corners them and orders them to tell him about the tip. He’s skeptical, but as it turns out, Kelly was right and they find the killer’s kill room… though the perp gets away. “Should we throw him a parade?” Holt asks about Kelly, sarcastically. “Yeah!” Jake exclaims. “Maybe!”

App-rehended?

In the aftermath of losing the perp, Holt admits he was wrong to take out his pettiness about the app on Jake and Boyle. They go back to Caleb for more clues, and with his help, they realize they’re not looking for a serial killer — they’re looking for someone who stole the hearts for a transplant.

This leads them to the Renaldi crime family, and thus, they solve the case: the head of the family did it. They meet with Kelly, and grudgingly, Holt admits they couldn’t have done it without the app. Things go sideways fast when they realize Kelly’s assistant was the one who called the tip in to the app… and Kelly orders him to lock all the doors, so no one can get in or out.

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Kelly’s Police State

Jake, Boyle and Holt figure out Kelly’s using illegal wiretaps to get his information and invented the app to cover it up. Kelly admits to using a “stingray” system that uses people’s location, texts, voicemails, etc. Of course, the trio wants to come forward with the information, but Kelly has evidence that Holt would do anything to get him out of office. As such, he can’t come forward without losing his job.

As the episode ends, Jake goes to see a despondent Holt and tells him as long as they can prove the stingray system exists, they can still get Kelly out of office. Holt’s confused at first, and he asks how they can do that — and who they can use for the job, who isn’t already loyal to Kelly. “These guys aren’t loyal to anyone,” Jake says… and out walks CJ, The Vulture and Madeline Wuntsch.

Broadway Brian

Meanwhile, Terry finds out he’s going to be transferred to Staten Island because the Nine-Nine doesn’t have enough money for his raise once he becomes a lieutenant. He’s none too pleased about being transferred out of the city, and he tries to find ways to cut corners at the Nine-Nine to save enough to keep him at the precinct.

Amy says there’s only one way to get enough money for Terry’s salary: they have to fire someone. They can’t do that, but they can “inspire someone to quit,” which lands them on Broadway Brian. Broadway Brian is always singing, and they justify getting him out of the office by saying he can follow his dreams. Terry convinces Broadway Brian to quit, and as he belts out a song, he says he owes it all to Terry.

Unfortunately, Terry’s too kind to let Brian go through with it when he realizes Brian has little kids, hardly any savings and a terrible singing voice. For the moment, it seems he’ll be transferred from the Nine-Nine… unless the team can figure out another way to keep him around.