The Cruise

"The Cruise" is the 13th episode of Season Three of the FOX television show Brooklyn Nine-Nine. It originally aired on January 26, 2016 to 2.38 million viewers.

Episode Synopsis[]

Jake and Amy are excited to go on their first real vacation together, but Amy’s perfectly planned cruise ship itinerary is thwarted when they discover an old adversary is on board with them. Meanwhile, Gina and Terry help Captain Holt survive a visit from his sister, Debbie (guest star Niecy Nash), and Charles and Rosa vie for the same apartment.^[1]

Plot[]

Jake and Amy prepare to leave for their cruise

Jake Peralta arrives at the precinct with some luggage and prepares to leave with Amy Santiago for their cruise vacation. Jake asks if Charles Boyle is sure he does not mind keeping track of Jake's cases while he is away and the latter assures Jake that he is, jokingly asking Jake not to make any new best friends on the cruise before nervously saying Jake shouldn't go. Jake tells Boyle he has been excited for this week long cruise, and plans to do nothing but lounge around. Amy then arrives and excitedly says that she has signed them up for all of the activities on the cruise except for speed dating for widows. Despite their different ideas on what to do on the cruise, Jake says he is still looking forward to the cruise and says goodbye to his coworkers.

Judy tells Jake and Amy that his life is in danger

On the cruise, Amy suggests that they first take in the music at the all ages piano lounge, with Jake agreeing once Amy entices him with a special potato skin drink available at the lounge. When they arrive, they discover that the lounge singer is Doug Judy, the Pontiac Bandit. Jake believes that this is a coincidence and sees this as an opportunity to arrest Judy by catching him off guard, when to his surprise the spotlight shines on him and Judy warmly welcomes Jake. At the precinct, Terry Jeffords and Gina Linetti are worried about Captain Holt as he has been drinking an excessive amount of seltzer water, and he explains that he is dreading an upcoming visit from his melodramatic sister Debbie. Gina and Terry wonder how dramatic Holt's sister could be given how formal and strict his family is, but Holt insists that he is not exaggerating as Debbie arrives. To Gina and Terry's surprise, Debbie is indeed a very melodramatic person who tells them that a story of how she believes her cab driver threatened to kill her. Meanwhile, Boyle and Rosa Diaz are investigating a D.O.A. case but they believe that this death may be due to natural causes due to the victim's old age. Boyle is amazed by the quality of the apartment and tells Rosa that he intends to apply to become its new applicant. Rosa is initially disgusted by Boyle's behavior but is then amazed herself by the size of the closet and decides to apply herself. The two of them then agree to compete against each other to become the apartment's new tenant. On the cruise, Judy tells Jake that it was not a coincidence that Jake is on the same cruise as him, pointing out that Jake won the cruise tickets without entering into any contest. Judy explains that he gave the tickets to Jake because he believes that his life is in peril, and he wants Jake to protect him, claiming that Jake is his best friend. Jake does not believe Judy and decides to arrest him but Judy tells him that they are in international waters, which Amy confirms. Amy insists however that the captain of the ship can grant the authority to arrest Judy. To their surprise, the captain is unfazed as most of the crew are criminals. The captain also tells them that as he needs Judy to keep people happy and entertained, Judy will remain a free man as long as he is on the ship.

Judy shows Jake and Amy his cabin, which Amy comments is an exclusive royale level suite. Judy offers to let them stay with him but Jake insists that Judy is attempting to con him once again, and tells Judy that he and Amy will be watching Judy. Amy then agrees in disappointment and proceeds to throw away her itinerary when she is stopped by Judy, who suggests that since the activities take them all over the ship, they can follow the itinerary to find the hitman. At the precinct, Holt tells Terry and Gina that Debbie spent the previous night telling him about a fight she had over a hairbrush with her trainer, and that she is currently yelling at their mother. Terry and Gina offer to distract Debbie for Holt, just before she returns from her phone call. Holt tells Debbie that he is busy with police matters, and she comments that Holt used to be fun which briefly offends him. Debbie tells Terry that Holt used to build forts in the basement for them to play in as children, when Gina asks if Debbie would like to follow her to do some errands around New York City. Holt tells Debbie he is sorry that they won't spend a lot of time together, but Debbie reveals that she will be staying with Holt for the next 6 weeks. On the cruise, Judy tells Jake that he has discovered someone boarded the cruise under the name "Henry Coles", which Jake realizes is a reference to the location of Judy's old chop shop. Judy informs him that no one has checked into the cabin, and the two briefly bond while imagining the assassin hiding in shrubbery like the predator, before Jake stops himself and regains his composure. At the precinct, Boyle sees that Rosa is talking to the landlord of the apartment, Mr. Gotaro, and Rosa tells him that she has been "buttering him up" all day. Boyle then tells Rosa that he can do a better job of sucking up to Mr. Gotaro before regretting his choice of words. On the cruise, Amy and Jake start playing shuffle board and Jake ends up enjoying the game. Judy comments that it was about time that Jake lighten up and advices him to be more receptive to Amy's interests. Jake plays off Judy's advice as being a hoax, but Judy insists that his advice is as genuine as Henry Coles coming to kill him, when an old frail man overhears their conversation and tells them that he himself is Henry Coles. Jake and Amy escort Judy back to his suite as Judy insists the threat on his life is real. Jake tells Judy that he and Amy will be taking turns watching him at all times in his cabin, which Judy says makes him feel safer. Amy asks if they need to sacrifice their sleep for the next few nights, but relents as she understands how important the Pontiac Bandit case is to Jake. As Amy leaves, Jake hears Judy struggling inside the cabin and sees a masked man strangling him. The hitman then runs away and Jake realizes that the threat on Judy's life is real.

Judy thanks Jake for saving his life, but Jake coldly says that he cannot arrest a dead person. Judy then tells Amy that Jake has a hard time expressing his feelings, which Amy concurs as every time the couple has an emotional moment, Jake ends up saying nothing but "noice, smort." Jake interrupts them and points out that they still don't know what the hitman looks like. Judy suggests that the hitman will most likely strike again when Judy is on stage, and Jake suggests that Judy perform as normal to bait out the hitman. Jake and Amy then change into Hawaiian shirts and shorts to blend in with the crowd, and the trio proceed to the lounge for Judy's show. In the precinct, Terry and Gina find Holt drinking more seltzer in the evidence room, despondent that Debbie will be staying with him for 6 weeks. Gina suggests that Holt "fight drama with drama", and Holt accepts her idea. Holt pretends to rant to Debbie that he is upset about Kevin leaving for Paris, and that he is overwhelmed with work and stress, with Gina coming into the office to claim the commissioner called to ask Holt when crime will be down. Debbie tells Holt that she doesn't want to overstay her welcome if Holt will be even more stressed, and admits that she only came to visit him to cope with her husband leaving her after he had an affair. In the bullpen, Rosa discovers that Boyle has been bonding with Mr.Gotaro and has even offered him a local delicacy from Gotaro's Andalusian culture. Gotaro accepts Boyle's gift, but reveals to Boyle and Rosa's dismay that he has decided to rent the apartment to someone else. In the lounge, Judy's show begins and he directs Jake and Amy through his song lyrics to a man he believes is the hitman. As Jake attempts to look for the man Judy described, the hitman manages to take Judy hostage on stage and leads him away. Jake attempts to talk down the hitman when Amy manages to knock him out from behind. As they tie up the hitman, Judy escapes and blocks the door behind him.

Jake and Amy kiss after saying "I Love You" for the first time

Jake and Amy are confused on where Judy has escaped to as they have searched all over the boat, when Judy's voice calls over the water and they discover that he is on a small boat in the water, talking to Jake through a megaphone. Judy apologizes for outsmarting Jake again, but insists that he does not want to go to jail and tells Jake to check his pockets, where Jake finds the key to Judy's suite for him to stay in with Amy for the rest of the cruise. Jake yells that he will never stop chasing Judy, but as the latter cannot hear him, Judy tells Jake through his megaphone that he assumes Jake is acknowledging that they are best friends, and tells Jake to be more appreciative of Amy before sailing his boat away. In the precinct, Terry brings Debbie to Holt's office, explaining that Holt specifically asked for Debbie to be brought there. Debbie enters to find that Holt built a fort in his office, who offers to talk with Debbie about her problems. Holt apologizes for avoiding her, but promises to always be involved in her life. Meanwhile, Boyle and Rosa arrest Mr. Gotaro for murdering his previous tenant. Suspicious that he did not want to rent the apartment to them despite them being excellent potential tenants, they discovered that the toxicology report revealed the old lady who died was poisoned. Rosa asks who will be in charge of renting the apartment and Gotaro reveals that the apartment will belong to a trust controlled by the bank. Boyle then leaves to head to the bank before returning immediately to help in arresting Gotaro. On the cruise, Amy tells Jake she knows that he is upset about Judy's escape and suggests that they can spend the rest of the cruise eating shrimp in bed like Jake wanted. Jake tells Amy that he appreciates the gesture, but tells her they should continue with the activities she wanted to do. The two of them go salsa dancing, where Amy tells Jake that she appreciates him doing this for her and tells him she loves him for the first time. Jake initially replies "noice, smurt" nervously, before regaining his composure and telling Amy that he loves her too. The two kiss and realize afterwards that the event they are at is intended only for widows.

Cast[]

Actor		Character
Andy Samberg	...	Jake Peralta
Stephanie Beatriz	...	Rosa Diaz
Terry Crews	...	Terry Jeffords
Melissa Fumero	...	Amy Santiago
Joe Lo Truglio	...	Charles Boyle
Chelsea Peretti	...	Gina Linetti
Andre Braugher	...	Captain Ray Holt
Dirk Blocker	...	Michael Hitchcock
Joel McKinnon Miller	...	Norm Scully
Craig Robinson	...	Doug Judy
Paul F. Tompkins	...	Captain Orleans
Niecy Nash	...	Debbie
Sam Adgoke	...	Ship Photographer
Jack Axelrod	...	Henry Coles
Mike Watson	...	Bill Dugan
Ruben Garfias	...	Luis Gotaro

Soundtrack[]

Escape' (The Piña Colada Song) by Rupert Holmes plays after Doug Judy tells Jake and Amy to blend in and appear wearing tourist-esque clothing. The song was previously sung by Charles in Full Boyle.