'Undercover' Review 

Brooklyn Nine-Nine returned with an episode that recaptured the magic that we\'d come to expect from the comedy, with Terry Crews nearly stealing the show. I\'d banged a fairly consistent "more Jeffords!" drum last season (there is no such thing as too much Terry Crews), so it was a pleasure to see the Sergeant front and center in the opener with a storyline that allowed his comedic prowess to shine.

Though six-months of story time have passed since the Nine-Nine crew were last united, "Undercover" essentially picked up where the season 1 finale left off.  There was a sense that we, the audience, were being welcomed back into this world of misfits and maniacs even as Peralta was enveloped in Captain Holt\'s familiar, chilly embrace.

Writer Prentice Penny and director Dean Holland solidly re-established the existing dynamics, while also setting a couple of the characters on interesting - and somewhat new - paths. It\'s not unusual for a series to spend some time course-correcting in the latter part of its freshman season; tweaking this or that storyline or character. In some cases, we\'ve seen dramatic overhauls. Brooklyn Nine-Nine didn\'t actually need to do much in the way of adjustments, but some attention was paid to making two key characters more likable as the season came to a close: series lead Jake Peralta and wacky administrator/den mother most likely to eat her young, Gina.

(As a side note, Prentice Penny is an amazing name. I want to be named Prentice Penny. I am also choosing to believe it is birth-given, rather than a created stage moniker.)

Santiago become increasingly goofy and less brash as the episodes evolved, but Gina and Jake were the most divisive of the Nine-Nine players. Jake often read as obnoxious and too cocksure and Gina, well, perhaps just too 

 for some (rude, odd, thoughtless, arrogant...). Personally, I\'d always counted her as a favorite and find Chelsea Peretti to be a brilliant comedian with just about perfect delivery.

However, what\'s interesting is that real-life childhood friends Peretti and Andy Samberg were able to provide each others characters with a boost of depth and vulnerability with episodes like "The Apartment". She became a more fleshed out and less self-involved version of herself, while he was forced to admit weakness when it came to financial management. It also didn\'t hurt that they each had a great affection for his Nanna. The show further humanized Peralta via his "too little, too late" play for Santiago. It was satisfying to see that the story thread that they\'d left dangling in the finale wasn\'t forgotten, nor did the creators overplay their hand with the "will they, or won\'t they" of it all when it comes to Jake and Amy.

Jake felt exposed and helpless with Santiago, which acted as a catalyst for his re-entry into the mob - as girl troubles do - so their interplay helped to drive the story. Thankfully, the issue was also addressed by the conclusion of the half-hour, with Jake and Santiago back into a snuggly "I\'m with someone and nothing\'s gonna happen, the name of your sex tape" rapport. Yet, Peralta fully owned that he\'d meant what he said, which is a big and very adult move for the character and leaves the door open for the writers to continue to explore this dynamic without it feeling overwrought or manipulative. Well played.

Boyle is another character who served to - somewhat inadvertently - make Jake more likable. The writers often used Jake\'s sweet treatment of the quirky detective to endear him to us. We softened to Jake because he was nice to Boyle - who we love mostly due to Joe Lo Truglio\'s brilliant portrayal. We also often see Jake through Boyle\'s eyes, which certainly adds a rosiness to our perception. Boyle\'s jealousy of Jake\'s fake undercover bestie not only firmly re-established their loving bromance, but it also effectively reminded us that - at least as far as Boyle\'s concerned - Peralta\'s the star of the show.

The pairing that I\'m most invested in seeing evolve over this season, though, is Boyle and Gina. They have the potential to emerge as a couple that is so,

, very wrong that they\'re right. Their shared shame provided an opportunity for Charles to move past his man-crush dependence on Jake\'s approval and act on his own, while Gina had to eat a nutritious dish of humble pie; given that Boyle is neither bike messenger nor - by her standards - better. We think he\'s amazing. He\'s a solidly employed foodie with a heart as big as the Hudson. Lock it down, Gina! In any event, Boyle\'s warranted fear of Ms. Linetti\'s cray-cray and wrath has kept him quiet thus far, and it feels like their clandestine secret-loverishness can be mined for piles of additional comedy gold.

I know I\'ve left a few key players out, here. Andre Braugher, Stephanie Beatriz and the rest of the cast continue to elevate the show with stellar performances. Holt and Diaz are both by far the most pointedly understated and often the most comedically successful characters in the series. In general, Brooklyn Nine-Nine is frequently deceptively sharp, clever, and layered. Ultimately, it was a delight to see this team brought back together and heading into what looks to be an interesting, weird, and hilarious second season.

"I have to ask, do you think awesome begins with an O?"

"Timmy was cranky, we\'re just letting him tire himself out."

"Only I can talk about my spirit animal that way. C\'mon, Santiago!"

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Brooklyn Nine-Nine returned with a strong entry that simultaneously reminded us of what we loved about the series in its freshman season, and paved the way for some interesting new directions as it heads into its second.

Roth Cornet is an Entertainment Editor for IGN. You can chat with her on Twitter: @RothCornet, or follow Roth-IGN on IGN.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine returns with an episode that delivered a strong start to its second season.  RT

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