None of the five episodes provided for review contain any reasons for fans to turn it off, I'm happy to report. Indeed, the show incorporates our changed view of policing into a season-long arc involving McGinley while still finding time for farcical misadventures. ... It's about the people, and at the end of the day they still make the case that we can find comfort in hanging out with them for little while longer.
The show's strengths [are] quirky workplace comedy, goofy throwaway lines, and best as always, Andre Braugher's superb Captain Holt. [19/26 Sep 2014, p.127]
It’s got that awkward but lovable and relatable sense of humor. A few too many easy jokes in the premiere can be forgiven for setting up the characters and premise.
No one will accuse 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine' of too much authenticity, but it does have a confident breeziness in its banter that almost immediately locates a ['Barney Miller']-esque balance in the more absurd aspects of law enforcement.
It's almost a laugh track style sitcom but without the laugh track and pauses. Characters are too one-dimensional, the same quirks every episode. Also, LOUD isn't funny, so many screaming / loud parts in every episode, it makes it harder to binge and have on in the background. That said, it has some good moments, sometimes bringing up serious topics, sometimes more interesting multi-episode stories. The settings also all are or appear real, not like old school sitcoms where it's obviously a stage setup. Also, I'm not a fan of police shows, especially these days but it's not really about making the police look great and sometimes they fit in criticism of police issues in the US.
The first five seasons are quite good - season 6 is a mixed bag, and then 7 and 8 are total write-offs. While the show was always political in the sense of (comedic) commentary on society, they definitely started ratcheting up the identity politics angle, at the expense of the show.
To fans of the show its no secret that it has turned into a propaganda mouthpiece over the last few seasons. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing them **** up to the people that canceled them and thereby cost them their jobs.
You reap what you sow