Sabotage (Brooklyn Nine-Nine)

Plot

After several unfortunate incidents, Jake is informed by Holt that he failed a drug test due to cocaine and methamphetamine in his urine. Holt believes Jake is innocent but must suspend him. Holt assigns Amy and Rosa to investigate the possible sabotage. Jake repeatedly tries to assist them, which they find frustrating. Later, Geoffrey Hoytsman kidnaps Jake and reveals he orchestrated the sabotage, blaming Jake for ruining his life. Hoytsman attempts to force Jake to confess at gunpoint, but Rosa and Amy locate and arrest him, clearing Jake. Meanwhile, Boyle works a case with Hitchcock and Scully, who initially seem incompetent but solve it, though they ask Boyle to keep their competence secret. Holt misses one of Gina's dance performances, causing her to quit dancing; following Terry's advice about lying, Holt arranges for her to perform at an important event.

Reception

In its original American broadcast, Sabotage was seen by an estimated 2.96 million household viewers and gained a 1.4/4 ratings share among adults aged 18–49, according to Nielsen Media Research. This was a slight decrease from the previous episode, which had 3.11 million viewers and a 1.5/4 rating. The episode was the fourth most watched show on FOX for the night, beating Bob's Burgers but trailing The Simpsons, The Last Man on Earth, and Family Guy; it was third in its timeslot and seventh for the night behind Secrets and Lies, The Simpsons, 60 Minutes, The Last Man on Earth, Family Guy, and Once Upon a Time.

The episode received generally positive reviews from critics. Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya of The A.V. Club gave it a B− grade, writing that it did not continue the careful character work the series had accomplished lately. Allie Pape from Vulture gave it 3 out of 5 stars, expressing uncertainty about the season's direction. Alan Sepinwall of HitFix noted that the three-story structure mostly worked, with funny ideas in the subplots involving Holt and Terry lying to Gina and Boyle discovering Hitchcock and Scully's competence.

Andy Crump of Paste gave the episode an 8.5 rating, stating there were good wisecracks and character beats but also lax writing and missed opportunities.