NINE - NINE! For this blog, I’m combining two episodes from my favorite show (since they are really one long plot line) “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”, for those who have never seen this show, it’s the quirky comedy of a group of Brooklyn detectives.
Within the first of these episodes, Sergeant Terry Jeffords (played by the greatest fictional president of all time, Terry Crews) is excited that their latest case involves his lifelong favorite epic fantasy author, D.C. Parlov (guest star Fred Melamd). Parlov, author of the Game of Throne-esque SkyFire Cycle, has received death threats, but Terry is more excited finally tell the man how much he has meant to him since childhood. Terry tells Jake Peralta (the immature showrunner detective played by Andy Samberg) that as a young man he sent a letter to Parlov and received a kind and inspiring response that he based much of his confidence on.
Parlov is the publishing version of an aging rock star, attracting much debate at the same time as still attracting hot, young women. “He pulls, Jake!” Terry insists. The author is more interested in the publicity the whole situation is creating for his new books than the actual thought of his own life being taken by a disgruntled fan. The death threats sent to the author co-inside with an announcement that a formally thought male dragon character is in-fact female, stirring up bro anger.
SPOILER ALERT:
It turns out the death threats are coming from Parlov’s former assistant whose handwriting matches the inspirational note that shaped Terry’s life. At first Terry is devastated that his connection to Parlov was fake, but Jake convinces him that the source of the words don’t matter, just that Terry is an amazing human being.
The second episode featuring Parlov takes place in the following season and is called “Return to Skyfire” in which Terry, Jake, and Detective Rosa Diaz (Stephanie Beatriz) have to attend a fantasy fan convention and find out who leaked Parlov’s latest novel onto the internet. Jake has joined Terry in his love of the novels having read them in previous episodes, however Rosa is less than stoked when she discovers that her signature look is basically the cover of every steampunk novel.
Despite the betrayal and general jerk behavior of the author in the previous episode, Terry and Parlov stayed in touch over the last year. This has inspired Terry to try writing a fantasy novel himself, which Jake sends to Parlov. He then reads it himself, discovering that Terry’s first literary attempt stinks.
Parlov’s rival, author Landon Lawson played by Rob Huebel, also has his latest work leaked and the two men become more insistent that the Brooklyn PD find the mole involved. However, Parlov also tells a star eyed Terry that his first draft is being sent to his publisher, Jake realizes that the authors are lying and leaked their own novels.
There are 3 themes that come up in these episodes. First - Fandom can be hard. Everyone is surprised when the muscular Terry turns out to be a huge fantasy nerd, but they do quickly embrace this fact. Rose even ends up buying a steampunk novel under Terry’s influence. Even though there is that brief suspension of belief among his co-workers, they accept that Terry likes what he likes.
Second - kill the author. Even though Parlov turns out to be a mega-douche, Terry and Jake still love the books. Sometimes, it’s difficult to separate a writer’s work from their personality or real world opinions (cough cough Rowling cough). Yet Terry is unwilling to give up a series that meant to much to him, instead compartmentalizing the author and the series within his own mind.
Lastly - first time writers. Terry’s first draft of his first novel is described as awful. But Jake points out that Terry can get better. And that’s always a good thing to keep in mind.
