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Mar. 24th, 2014 08:21 amIn general, I've really been enjoying Brooklyn 9-9 lately... the ensemble is so on and in-character that they're able to mix it up in unusual combos without breaking the energy of the team- we got a Terry&Jake subplot this week, and a Gina&Jake plot the other week, and both were funny in different ways for the show. And I appreciate that they feel comfortable enough in the Hitchcock & Scully jokes to subvert them with the secret bathroom storyline, not to mention the upside down shooting joke and the Scully singing opera bit.
But damn I am not happy with where they've taken Peralta/Santiago. Terry telling Peralta that the reason he wasn't happy despite his professional successes is because of Santiago was like the opposite of the place I was hoping this would go.
As I noted in my previous post on the show, what I liked about Peralta/Santiago was that it was clear that they were attracted to each other, they acknowledged this attraction, and they were not going to act on it because Santiago was too emotionally intelligent to date a person like Peralta.
It wasn't generic UST, it was a very specific unresolved relationship dynamic that worked for the two of them because it was open and honest and even sometimes contributed positively to their work relationship. And there was a path forward for the relationship, because if Peralta ever matured enough to be worth Santiago's time, maybe she would accept one of his invitations. And if she didn't- if it didn't work out because she was seeing someone else, or because she just decided she wasn't interested anymore- he would be able to accept also that because of his newfound maturity. This was what the show was supposed to move toward, under the mentorship of Holt.
Instead, we've seen 9-9 fall into the trap that Mike Schur shows sometimes struggle with of how to keep the comedy consistent when there is character growth. Late season Parks & Rec episodes sometimes lapse Leslie Knope back into Season 1 mode for a single, confusing episode where she ends up re-learning the lessons she learned in season 1- that she can't do it alone, that she sometimes tries to bowl people over in her enthusiasm when she can get more done by trying to work together and compromise with people she disagrees with, etc... These episodes aren't just bad because they're not actually funny, they're bad because they compromise the character arcs of the shows.
Peralta has been taught several strong lessons by Holt, and as we've seen their relationship grow, we've seen evidence of that learning. In the beginning, Peralta listened to Holt because Holt was his boss and he had to. Now, Peralta listens to Holt because he knows he's probably right, even though it may be painful. The throwaway joke about Holt's injury in the cold open this week was a great example of the growth in their personal and professional relationship. It was the kind of casual cruelty you can only pull off with someone you trust.
The ensuing main plot involved Peralta trying to solve an unsolveable case. This should have been a story about his growth. This should have been a story about everything he has learned from Holt, synthesized with everything he has refused to let Holt strip away. Instead, it was a story about Peralta's inconsistent prodigy brilliance, untempered by Holt. Instead, the lesson Peralta seems to learn is that whatever partial maturity he has gained by figuring out how to work for his professional triumphs has just made him less happy.
Peralta needs to figure out that he can't depend on Santiago being there when he's ready for her. She's a person, not an object. Only then will he actually be ready for her. (Ironically, the show's masterful if panicked efforts at backing Boyle off of Diaz have been much more successful as character gestures for me)
But damn I am not happy with where they've taken Peralta/Santiago. Terry telling Peralta that the reason he wasn't happy despite his professional successes is because of Santiago was like the opposite of the place I was hoping this would go.
As I noted in my previous post on the show, what I liked about Peralta/Santiago was that it was clear that they were attracted to each other, they acknowledged this attraction, and they were not going to act on it because Santiago was too emotionally intelligent to date a person like Peralta.
It wasn't generic UST, it was a very specific unresolved relationship dynamic that worked for the two of them because it was open and honest and even sometimes contributed positively to their work relationship. And there was a path forward for the relationship, because if Peralta ever matured enough to be worth Santiago's time, maybe she would accept one of his invitations. And if she didn't- if it didn't work out because she was seeing someone else, or because she just decided she wasn't interested anymore- he would be able to accept also that because of his newfound maturity. This was what the show was supposed to move toward, under the mentorship of Holt.
Instead, we've seen 9-9 fall into the trap that Mike Schur shows sometimes struggle with of how to keep the comedy consistent when there is character growth. Late season Parks & Rec episodes sometimes lapse Leslie Knope back into Season 1 mode for a single, confusing episode where she ends up re-learning the lessons she learned in season 1- that she can't do it alone, that she sometimes tries to bowl people over in her enthusiasm when she can get more done by trying to work together and compromise with people she disagrees with, etc... These episodes aren't just bad because they're not actually funny, they're bad because they compromise the character arcs of the shows.
Peralta has been taught several strong lessons by Holt, and as we've seen their relationship grow, we've seen evidence of that learning. In the beginning, Peralta listened to Holt because Holt was his boss and he had to. Now, Peralta listens to Holt because he knows he's probably right, even though it may be painful. The throwaway joke about Holt's injury in the cold open this week was a great example of the growth in their personal and professional relationship. It was the kind of casual cruelty you can only pull off with someone you trust.
The ensuing main plot involved Peralta trying to solve an unsolveable case. This should have been a story about his growth. This should have been a story about everything he has learned from Holt, synthesized with everything he has refused to let Holt strip away. Instead, it was a story about Peralta's inconsistent prodigy brilliance, untempered by Holt. Instead, the lesson Peralta seems to learn is that whatever partial maturity he has gained by figuring out how to work for his professional triumphs has just made him less happy.
Peralta needs to figure out that he can't depend on Santiago being there when he's ready for her. She's a person, not an object. Only then will he actually be ready for her. (Ironically, the show's masterful if panicked efforts at backing Boyle off of Diaz have been much more successful as character gestures for me)