At the end of last season, Jake and his Suicide Squad of the show’s villains took down the Commissioner due to his racist and Big Brother like policies. In the process, Madeline Wuntch maneuvered herself to become acting commissioner and demoted Captain Holt back to a patrolman due to a technicality. In the season seven premiere, we see the whole precinct adjusting to the new power dynamic.
[SPOILERS FOR 7.1 AHEAD!]
The episode begins with the crew hypothesizing which one of them would win in a fighting tournament if they couldn’t use their hands. Scully has the hardest head but his lack of speed could hinder him while Hitchcock is the best biter. Boyle boasts of his pelvic action being a game changer. Terry suddenly interrupts the pretend kumite and informs them of a manhunt for an attempted assassin. When they all get to the scene, they see their former captain working crowd control.
Holt’s new patrolman status has hit him pretty hard. He’s lost the respect of his husband, peers and even his dog. Peralta, who’s in charge of the manhunt, pities his surrogate father figure’s current state and allows him to help. Pretty soon Holt hijacks the case and is featured on the news when he scores a description of the assassin from a local hotdog vendor.
Peralta tries to reassert his control over the case and sends his mentor on a wild goose chase. He also follows up on a called in tip and catches his culprit. When Holt and his partner, Officer Fogle, return, he informs Jake that they have the wrong guy. The assassin was really the hotdog vendor because he mysteriously disappeared after questioning and gave a fake description to draw suspicion away from him.
Holt and Fogle disobey orders and pursue the hotdog vendor. Their hunch turns out to be right but the perp gets the drop on them and holds them at gunpoint. Meanwhile, Jake can’t shake the feeling that his former captain is right so he consults with Scully and Hitchcock who know all the hotdog vendors in the city. The Weiner Warriors tell him there shouldn’t be any in the area because of zoning laws. Scared that Holt might be in danger, the crew track him down via a social pedometer app and save him and his partner from the assassin.
Elsewhere, Amy fears she’s pregnant and Rosa helps her out by purchasing pregnancy tests. Every time Terry checks up on them, they immediately turn quiet because they want to keep the potential baby news a secret. Because of their peculiar behavior, the Lieutenant thinks they’re gossiping about him.
Later in the evening when they return home, Amy informs Jake of the pregnancy scare but how the test results were negative. Both admit they’re relieved since a baby would complicate their current life plans, but they’re also disappointed by the news because of the joy and experiences a child could bring. Afterwards, they decide to try to have a baby for real.
This episode introduces the new normal and flips the script on the Jake/Holt relationship. We’ve spent the past six seasons with Holt in charge and now he’s taking orders from Peralta. It will be interesting how these two interact now because Jake still has an enormous amount of respect for his former captain and is uncomfortable with being his superior. Even when he does put his foot down, like in this episode, he’s still proven wrong.
There were also some great character beats as we see Holt adjusting to his demotion and being self-conscious about how everyone views him. He feels a real shame now that he no longer holds a prestigious position but all those years as captain haven’t diminished his policing skills one bit. He’s the one who broke the case open.
Amy also had some great moments. For someone who’s so organized and obsessively plans out her life to every detail, it was good to see her take a chance and pivot so easily for something she knows she wants like motherhood.
I’m curious if we’ll see more of Holt’s partner, Officer Fogle. The show has introduced some great characters like Doug Judy, The Vulture and the previously mentioned, Wuntch and I’m kind of indifferent towards her so far as her lines could be hit or miss.
My Favorite Lines:
Jake: Oh my god, it’s a man hunt…And I’m the manhunter.
Boyle: And I’m your sidekick, the boy hunter.
Amy: I spent all of yesterday in a room with Hitchcock and his new cologne which can’t be good for the baby – it is literally called “Zika”.
Officer Fogle: Okay. I know you haven’t done this in a while so here’s a tip. Keep your hat on. Because of all the standing still, the pigeons think we’re statues. And they will poop on you or peck you. Both are bad.
<comms are on>
Assassin: Okay cop. Turn it off.
Officer Fogle: Nice try. My partner doesn’t listen to orders.
Holt: Debbie, your misreading the situation.
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