Pilot: FOX's newest comedy is a curious thing. The concept of a 30 minutes crime procedural is intriguing, but to make it a comedy? The cast and the writers have to be exceptionally strong! By the end of the pilot, I am reminded of "Scrubs": a 30 minutes comedy set in a hospital but was not "ER" or "Chicago Hope" (and now "Gray's Anatomy"). However, unlike "Scrubs", "Brooklyn Nine-Nine"' has Andy Samberg who lacked Zach Braff's naive self-depreciating humour, and Melissa Fumero who lacked Sarah Chalke's gift for physical comedy and comedic timing. But, instead, we got Andre Braugher in a decidedly uncharacteristic role. Outwardly, he may be similar to his many previous characters especially in "Last Resort" where he was also in uniform, but as the episode progress, his deadpanned line reading belies some hilarious comedic moments. The rest of the cast had their moments but perhaps over time, "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" can be as funny and imaginative as "Scrubs" was in its prime.
Episode 2, "The Tagger": I don't get this comedy. Yes, it is funny, but it ain't laugh out loud funny. More like, snigger, snigger...heh. Man-child characters annoy me a lot, and a lot of the comedy here is derived from Samberg behaving as such. Although Braugher is still the secret weapon of this show. His straight-faced deadpan deliveries are spot on. Joe Lo Truglio and Stephanie Beatriz are the other two standouts.
Episode #3, "The Slump": A much better entry with equal time for each cast member to shine. Less of Samberg is a good thing. There is no laugh track here which emphasises the importance of comedy, and this show really does have its lines. Sure, no laugh out loud moments, but there are many snarks, sniggers, and hehe-s.
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