"The Overmining" is the ninth episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine's fourth season.
The Nine Nine's detective squad is still stuck working nights and the strain is getting to be too much to bear. Jake, however, sees an opportunity to change the situation when Captain Stentley, the Nine Nine's cheerfully incompetent dayshift commander, admits to having lost a bag full of drugs and a cellphone that could have been used to take down a notorious supplier. Seeing this as a chance to get Stentley transferred to a cushy desk job and the squad back to working during the day, Jake talks Holt into teaming up with Stentley to take down the supplier. Hilarity Ensues.
Meanwhile, Terry is stressed out and is taking it out on the precinct by trying to strictly enforce the NYPD's new power conservation initiative. Learning that his attitude is because he recently failed the department's lieutenant's exam, Amy pitches into help but the two of them are stymied at every turn by Gina's refusal to give up "Jacinta", her deluxe space heater.
Also, Charles discovers a 24-hour foot massage parlor and finds that getting his feet rubbed helps make the night shift go by quicker. Seeing that Rosa is stressed out by paperwork, he tricks her into joining him, only for them to discover that there is something nefarious going on in the back room.
This episode contains examples of:
- Accidental Hero: Stentley stops El Flaco when he accidentally hit him with the car door trying to get away from a spider.
- Call-Back:
- Amy still has problems with small spaces despite confronting her claustrophobia in "House Mouses".
- Terry's taken and failed the lieutenant's exam, which was sparked by a discussion he had with Holt about his leadership abilities in "Hostage Situation".
- Conspicuous Consumption: Gina flagrantly goes against Terry's desire to cut down on power consumption by installing three space heaters at her desk and turning it into a makeshift hothouse for orchids (notoriously expensive and finicky flowers to own and raise), and deals with the heat by installing a portable air conditioner behind her chair.
- Cruel to Be Kind: Gina's continued refusal to give up Jacinta is because she knows Terry failed his lieutenant's exam. She drags out the conflict for as long as possible so that he'll appreciate the win more and his mood will be boosted as a result.
- Disaster Dominoes: What Rosa and Boyle think — or, perhaps more accurately, desperately try to convince themselves — will happennote if they close down their favorite foot massage parlor. They still shut the place down anyway.
- Does This Remind You of Anything?: Charles and Rosa's trip to the foot massage parlor has blatant sexual implications and it's played as if the two are having a secret affair.
- Facepalm: Captain Holt covers his face with his palm when he has to deal with an incompetent Captain Jason Stentley. One facepalm comes when Stentley admits being terrified while undercover and says that in the worst case, he will start shooting things. And then another facepalm comes when Stentley's left in the van to keep an eye out and listen as Holt and Jake talk to the suspect, trying to make a deal and gain evidence, but Stentley keeps talking in their earpieces.
- Fan Disservice: In-Universe. Terry agrees to let Gina have a space heater... as long as everyone gets a heater as well. Including Hitchcock, who takes off his shirt to enjoy it. This gets Gina to give it up.Terry: Is that mayonnaise or sweat?
- Freudian Slip:
- Holt calls Jake "Son" and Jake calls Holt "Dad" without either ever realizing what they just did.
- When arresting the employees of the foot massage parlour, Charles and Rosa can't quite contain their resentment at having to do so:Rosa: You're under arrest for ruining something perfect!
Charles: [Sotto voce] Money-laundering...
Rosa: Yes, money-laundering, whatever!
- Gilligan Cut: Rosa agrees to go with Boyle for a massage, but says she won't enjoy it. Cut to her moaning with pleasure.
- Hidden Wire: Holt and Jake try to infiltrate a drug operation wearing wires, while Stentley stays in the car to warn them of suspicious activity. Unfortunately, Stentley won't stop yammering through the wires, until Jake and Holt yell at him to shut up, blowing their cover.
- I Call It "Vera": Gina calls her space heater "Jacinta".
- The Load: Stentley contributes nothing of any value to the El Flaco investigation, and his one moment of glory — stopping El Flaco — happened entirely by accident.
- Kicked Upstairs: Stentley receives the NYPD's Medal of Honor despite being completely incompetent. turns out it was all part of Holt's plan to get rid of him; he knew Stentley would blow it at the press conference and would at least be transferred to someplace away from the public eye.
- Lame Pun Reaction: In the Cold Open, Jake reacts to Charles' "Dianne Wiest infection" joke with stony-faced silence.Charles: [after a long beat] ...like yeast!
- Noodle Incident: Whatever happened that inspired Jake to create the word "snaccident".
- Perfectly Cromulent Word: "Overmining", which Jake claims is the opposite of undermining. Holt objects, but later uses it himself (and hates himself for it).
- Pimped-Out Dress: Gina puts on a very fancy dress and hides Jacinta under the billowing skirt to prevent Terry from simply taking Jacinta away. The dress quickly catches on fire but Gina is so stubborn she refuses to react.
- Reset Button: With Stentley gone, Holt is once again captain and the Nine-Nine crew is off the night shift.
- Shout-Out: The sequence set at Severino's restaurant uses the split-screen technique like 24 used to.
- Suspiciously Specific Denial: It's not like laminating is the thing that gives Santiago the most pleasure in life.
- Sweet and Sour Grapes: Charles and Rosa shut down the foot-massage parlor, even though it was the only thing getting them through the night shift. Afterwards, the squad is transferred back to the day shift.
- Toyota Tripwire: How Stentley stops the drug runner El Flaco. By sheer accident, of course.
- What You Are in the Dark: Rosa and Charles are the only two who've figured out that the foot-massage parlor is a front for money-laundering, and are clearly somewhat tempted to just let it slide so that they can continue to enjoy the foot-massages, but (reluctantly) realize that they have to do their jobs and shut them down. Although they're clearly somewhat resentful about it.
