Andy Samberg and company had a very promising start in this new comedy from the creators of "Parks and Recreation". Samberg plays young and promising police officer Jake Peralta, who is the best detective in his squad, but is held back professionally by his immaturity. "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" is funny, which is just about the highest compliment a comedy can get. This is especially difficult in a first episode, as pilots tend to be weighed down by the need to set up the premise and introduce the characters, leaving little time for laughs. Samberg manages to tone down ever-so-slightly the ridiculous persona that he made famous on Saturday Night Live and in his musical comedy troupe Lonely Island. The decision of creators Michael Schuer and Dan Goor to make Samberg and his coworkers quite competent police officers was a smart one, turning Samberg’s wackiness into a humorous peripheral characteristic rather than a cringe-worthy flaw.
Samberg works besides some very talented colleagues in "Brooklyn Nine-Nine". The episode starts with the appearance of new captain Ray Holt, a straight laced and no-nonsense veteran played by Andre Braughter (of "Homicide", "Men of a Certain Age", and the recently cancelled "Last Resort"). Braughter brings a surprisingly astute sense of comic timing for someone who has largely plied his trade in dramatic roles; he works well as a foil for the sillier Samberg to play off of. Samberg’s partner is played by relative newcomer Melissa Fumero, a young up-and-comer like Samberg, who has the no-nonsense instincts of Holt and also plays a straight role, although less dryly, against Samberg's wackiness. Samberg isn't the only silly character. Stand-up comedienne Chelsea Peretti plays a civilian administrator who would be irritating if her lines weren't also funny. Former "The State" member Joe LoTrugio plays the hard-working but minimally competent detective Charles Boyle, who partners with and crushes on the scary Rosa Diaz, played Stephanie Beatriz. LoTruglio gets the majority of the physical humor in the pilot, and sells it. "The Newsroom" and "Everybody Hates Chris" veteran Terry Cruz plays the district's sergeant.
Not every joke took, and there were a couple of false starts, but that’s to be expected in comedy, a genre in which, moreso than hour long dramas, takes chemistry and comic timing -- which grow over time -- to find a rhythm. A comedy that gets even a couple of solid laughs in the pilot is worth giving a solid try, and "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" gets more than its fair share. Even within this first episode, I found the second half -- when I had started to become acclimated to the world -- to be funnier than the first. Samberg, who in unedited form, is simply out of control, can be extremely funny when guided by the right hands and from what I’ve seen so far, I think Michael Schur and Dan Goor may be just the writers to do it.
