Brooklyn Nine-Nine season 6, episode 14 recap: Ticking Clocks

Mamma Maglione! Brooklyn Nine-Nine is back with the real-time episode “Ticking Clocks.” Sean Astin and Cameron Esposito guest star. Let’s recap!

“Ticking Clocks” was written by Carol Kolb (Wrecked) and directed by Payman Benz (The Last Man on Earth). This episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine takes place in real time. A cyber attack is perpetrated on the Nine-Nine and the squad has the last 19 minutes and 57 seconds of the episode to track down the hacker. The action is fast, the jokes are furious, and lasagna needs garlic bread!

Kolb’s script is solid. The pace is meant to be frenetic. The roadblocks she throws in to slow everyone down are perfect and completely relatable. When a crisis starts in real life, you never know when key players may be stuck at the dentist or, you know, looking for garlic bread.

Benz does a great job moving the camera through shots. It added depth to the picture. Just when characters would get physical momentum, they would often be halted or literally pulled in other directions.

Even though the perp becomes more obvious throughout the episode, it’s easy to see how the squad gets caught up in the whirlwind of the action. The script and direction keep a lot of plates spinning. This was one of the best episodes of Brooklyn Nine-Nine this season. Mamma Maglione!

Photo Credit: NBC

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Sam-Wise should stay out of offices

Sean Astin (Stranger Things) plays Sergeant Knox. He’s the guy from cyber crimes who is trying to prevent the hacker from gaining access to the local evidence server. If the hacker succeeds, all of the evidence is tainted. Captain Holt (Andre Braugher) has only one fail-safe: wipe the server. That would delete all logged evidence for the past four months.

The squad is under intense pressure. Plus, no one has any idea how computers work or what any of the technical jargon should sound like. So, the Nine-Nine busies itself with police work. Jake (Andy Samberg) and Rosa (Stephanie Beatriz) go to sweep the first floor. Terry (Terry Crews) and Boyle (Joe Lo Truglio) clear the upper floors.

Amy (Melissa Fumero) is stuck at the dentist when the hack occurs. She makes a run for it while still wearing her spit bib. Hitchcock (Dirk Blocker) and Scully (Joel McKinnon Miller) are out buying garlic bread for the lasagna they are slow cooking in the break room.

The last time Astin played an office guy was in “Day 5” of 24. As Lynn McGill, he was so arrogant and desperate to hang on to power that he gets his sister and a whole bunch of CTU staff killed. He does realize the error of his ways, but it’s too late. Dude should really stay out of offices. This doesn’t go great for him, either. But, it’s cool to see one of the Protectors of the Nine-Nine guest star.

Photo Credit: NBC

The Price is Right

When Jake and Rosa go to sweep the first floor, the elevator opens and Jocelyn Price (Cameron Esposito) walks into the squad. She’s carrying luggage. Jocelyn tells Rosa that she should’ve mentioned something the night before. That doesn’t sound good. And, it isn’t. Jocelyn (that’s…Jocelyn Price) wants to break up with Rosa because she’s always too busy with work for their relationship.

But the hacker! Rosa asks Jocelyn for ten minutes. Jocelyn (that’s…Jocelyn Price) uses this as a prime example of how Rosa is too busy for their relationship. Rosa tells Jake that she wants to win Jocelyn back so that she can break up with her when she least expects it. Jake tells Rosa that’s psychotic, but Rosa insists that she always wins break-ups. She is a perfect 12-0.

Later on, Rosa admits that she wants to stay together with Jocelyn (that’s…Jocelyn Price) because she really loves her. In Jocelyn’s defense, she is very reasonable about the break-up. She knows that Rosa’s job helps people and is important. But there’s a certain level of sacrifice that prevents you from living your best life. It’s no one’s fault. But you have to get out of these relationships. Again, Brooklyn Nine-Nine is one of the most emotionally complex shows on television.

Braided Belts and the Avery Street Murderer

There was also a mass infestation of Kappa Alpha Kappa in the holding cell. They were busy telling Terry how unfashionable and peasant-like he was. The hacker unlocks the holding cells, which unleashed them on the squad. Their drunken shenanigans threw a wrench into the squad’s crisis.

Photo Credit: NBC

Jake, Rosa, Amy, Terry, and Boyle are sent by Sergeant Knox to room 103. that is where the hacker is! On the way down, Amy thinks she recognizes Knox. Jake deduces that Knox was taking advantage of their lack of computer knowledge to blow smoke.

Amy then remembers that Knox is actually a perp caught on surveillance of the Avery Street murders. It’s a rouse! Knox wants Holt to wipe the evidence server because it would wipe him out of those tapes.

When the squad confronts Knox, he takes Holt hostage. Luckily, Hitchcock and Scully’s garlic bread burns, which causes the fire alarm to sound. Holt grabs the gun while Jake rolls and takes out Knox’s legs. The hacker is captured!

Meanwhile, Rosa and Jocelyn have decided to put a real effort into their work/life balance. They make-up and all is well at the Nine-Nine. Wow. How do you come down from a 24-esque episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine? Spend the credits watching Hitchcock and Scully eating lasagna without any garlic bread. What a time to be alive! Mamma Maglione!

Did you like the real-time aspect of “Ticking Clocks?” Are you enjoying this season of Brooklyn Nine-Nine? Let’s discuss in the comments!