Terry: Be appropriate, on three. One, two, three —
Everyone: [hushed whisper] Be appropriate!
Everyone: [hushed whisper] Be appropriate!
"The Party" is the sixteenth episode of Brooklyn Nine Nine's first season.
When Captain Holt's husband Kevin Cozner, head of the classics department at Columbia University, invites the squad to Holt's birthday party, Jeffords attempts to wrangle his socially inept colleagues into people fit to mingle with the rest of the high-profile guests. Gina dazzles shrinks with her unique psychology, Boyle quickly charms and hooks up with renowned foodie Vivian Ludley, Santiago attempts to get to know Holt better by breaking into his rooms and taking notes on his preferences, and Peralta ends up accidentally claiming he's pro-slavery in an attempt to suck up to Kevin. Hilarity Ensues.
Tropes present in this episode:
- Actually Pretty Funny: When Holt says "you've been needling poor Peralta so much you've practically made him a new suit!" Kevin gets frustrated that even when they're arguing Holt is hilarious.
- All Psychology Is Freudian: The psychologists at the party are fascinated by Gina, with one in particular using the Id, Superego, & Ego concepts to describe her:Gina: I feel like I'm the Paris of people.
Professor: Complete overlap of ego and id. It's been theorized, but I never thought I'd see it.
Gina: I'm exquisite. - Almost Famous Name: Lampshaded when Jake hears that Kevin's last name is "Cozner" and sarcastically asks if he's the star of "Danzez With Wolvez".
- Bathroom Stall of Overheard Insults: Inverted. While hiding in the master bathroom, Peralta, Santiago, and Jeffords overhear Holt taking Kevin to task for being cold and attempting to embarrass the detectives, and that Holt was the one who insisted they be invited.
- Being Personal Isn't Professional: Outside of work Holt is still The Stoic and The Comically Serious, but he treats the squad like welcome guests at his party, encourages them not to try too hard to impress the others, and when they inevitably have No Social Skills instead of being angry or embarrassed by them he chews out Kevin for being rude and inhospitable to them. While at work he claimed Kevin had invited them, it turns out in reality Holt had to push him to do so. He also apparently has an amazing sense of humor and loves to play practical jokes on his husband.
- Brick Joke: One of the first things Terry mentions in his pre-party briefing is that no one is to wear shorts. He reiterates this when Gina asks if fashionable shorts are acceptable: "No. They're still shorts." So we get to the party, and what is Scully wearing?
- Call-Back:
- Jeffords once again refers to "Breathless" as Truffault's best film.
- Scully's love of opera (especially singing it), first seen in "Thanksgiving", is referenced again in this episode.
- Continuity Nod:
- Jeffords's painting of Holt is seen in Kevin's office.
- Amy's dog allergy, first mentioned in "Pontiac Bandit", once again comes into play in this episode.
- Cringe Comedy: There's cringing all over this episode, but as usual Amy gets the worst of it. When the squad arrives at the party, she audibly scolds herself for telling Holt "those slacks are a knockout". The conversation pieces she picks up from the kitchen completely fall flat with Holt. And of course, she is caught along with Jake and Terry hiding in Holt's bathroom.
- Digging Yourself Deeper: Peralta's attempts to discuss a New Yorker article he read while under dental anesthetic gets progressively worse.Jake: I need to find a New Yorker that Kevin left by the bed so I can justify this whole pro-slavery stance I've backed myself into.
- Fake Texting: The detectives are invited to Captain Holt's birthday party. Terry wants to keep them in line and tries to enforce good behaviour. One of the first thing he says is "no staring at your phones".
- Fish out of Water: Much of the episode's humor comes from the lowbrow, socially awkward cops being at odds with their high-profile surroundings.
- Huddle Power: Terry calls the squad to a party huddle soon after they arrive because his advice from the emergency meeting didn't help much. They break the huddle with cheer-whispering "be appropriate".Terry: Party huddle, stat! Okay, gang, we need a new strategy.
- Implausible Deniability:Holt: Santiago, are you hiding in my bathroom with a dog that you're deathly allergic to?
Santiago: ...no? - Laughing Gas: Jake has a flashback to the dentist's office where he is laughing while being pumped with gas.
- Meet Cute:
- Mentioned verbatim by Scully and Played for Laughs when he describes how he met his wife by bumping into her in the street as she was leaving an orgy.
- Also occurs between Charles and Vivian Ludley, when he discovers that she is the author of one of his favorite recipe books and they share the same interest in bizarre food.
- Mistaken for Gay: Some of Kevin's party guests mistake detectives Hitchcock and Scully from Raymond's precinct for a gay couple due to their Heterosexual Life-Partners status. They are likely projecting because the party is hosted by Kevin and Raymond who are a happily married gay couple. There is also a misunderstanding of the word "partner".Scully: [singing opera]
Hitchcock: This song gets to me every time.
Guest #1: It's beautiful. You must be so proud.
Hitchcock: I sure am.
Guest #1: How long have you two been together?
Hitchcock: We've been partners for almost 30 years.
Guest #1: So do you two ever get harassed at work?
Hitchcock: Harassed? For what?
Guest #2: For being a gay couple who works together in the NYPD.
Hitchcock: Bu-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-ooh... - Only Sane Man: Jeffords. He has to hold a squad briefing to make sure everyone knows how to behave like rational adults at a party, assigns them strategic positions when they get there, corrals them, and even then it's not enough to stop them from getting kicked out.
- Opposites Attract: Subverted. Jake initially assumes that Kevin will be "the fun one" in his and Holt's relationship. Kevin turns out to be exactly as stoic and serious as Holt. If anything, Holt seems to be considered the "fun one" by their peers.
- Person as Verb: Jake is horrified when he realizes that Terry is hitchcocking him. Not after the famous director, but their inept colleague.Terry: Keep a low profile, chuckle at anecdotes. Try not to start any conversations.
Jake Got it. Wait a minute, you're hitchcocking me?
Hitchcock Well, not surprising. We're practically twins. - Shout-Out:
- Not recognizing Holt's husband's name, Jake jokes that Kevin Cozner must be the star of "Dan-zez with Wolve-z".
- Shortly after that, Boyle theorizes that Holt's house must be "really fancy, like Beauty and the Beast fancy".
- Sticky Fingers: Rosa is tasked with keeping Gina from stealing guests's stuff.Jake: Gina has brought back all the silverware that she stole from your house.
[Gina dumps a load of silverware on the table]
Kevin: Oh my...
[Rosa steps forward and places a clock on the table as well]
Rosa: Also this clock.
Holt: This isn't ours. - Some of My Best Friends Are X: When Peralta says that Kevin doesn't like cops, Kevin replies that he's married to one. However, Peralta has correctly surmised that this is why Kevin doesn't like them, because he's spent the last twenty-five years watching other cops exclude and disrespect the one he's married to.
- Straight Gay: Kevin is as equally dry and not-stereotypical as his husband.
- Team Dad: Although Jeffords usually plays the Team Mom, in this episode he has to keep his more childish subordinates in line.
- Throw the Dog a Bone: While everyone else embarrasses themselves or is embarrassed, Boyle really hits it off with a culinary expert.
