Jake and Amy tackle workplace sexual assault in a surprisingly balanced episode.
We’re over a year out from when the #MeToo movement picked up speed, and at this point, a lot of shows have addressed it in some way. I went into this episode impressed and pleased that Brooklyn was tackling an important issue so far outside their comfort zone, but also a little skeptical that they could pull it off. It’s just so far outside their comfort zone, even taking into account their solid history of dealing with serious issues.
Sexual assault is inherently unfunny, and while murder is as well, the victim is long gone, making it a little easier to crack jokes. It’s much, much harder when the survivor is standing right there, and when, as Amy dealt with this episode, her future is at stake.
All that’s to say that I’m shocked by how well-balanced this episode was. Even within what should have been a very serious A-story, the writers found opportunities for humor that provided relief without making light of the situation. Amy, Rosa, and Jake’s conversation in the break room was the best example of this; Jake’s commentary was funny while also interrogating the role men should play when these issues arise.
That scene also reminded me of something Stephanie Beatriz and Melissa Fumero have spoken about in the past: that when you have two members of one group in the same show or scene, neither person has to represent their group entirely. Here, as two women, Rosa and Amy were free to disagree and show that this is a messy issue. Namely, you can be two people completely in support of women who have different ideas of how to support those women. Like Amy said at the end, it showed that “We can be different and still have the same cause.”
Jake and Amy’s conversations were also a high point, the first of which showed harassment and sexism Amy has faced and the second where she shared her story of sexual assault. I think it’s important that they included both scenes because while harassment, sexism, and assault are different things, they all contribute to and are symptoms of the pervasively misogynistic culture we live in. Basically, it was a smart way to show that sexist behavior comes in all shapes and sizes, but none of it is ok.
The second conversation was impressive as a pretty standard length scene that still gave Amy enough room to tell her story. Melissa Fumero really showed off her dramatic chops there, and Andy Samberg had a fine line to walk as well, cracking jokes one minute and playing supportive husband the next.
The Disco Strangler B-plot also helped the episode’s balance; it was just ridiculous enough to cushion the blow of Jake and Amy’s storyline without taking away from its importance. It’s always fun when Holt is so convinced of something that he basically goes crazy. Let me be bold and state that Andre Braugher is a pretty good comedic actor. The idea of Holt trying to convince everyone that an eighty-year-old man was a dangerous criminal was hilarious enough on his own, but add in Terry and Boyle parroting back a story they’ve heard a thousand times and Holt having to repeat his carefully chosen insults to the hard-of-hearing Strangler, and it became my favorite B-story in recent memory.
Other thoughts:
This was Stephanie Beatriz’s directorial debut. Go, girl, go!
The ending scene with Amy, Rosa, and Jake was great too, especially the reveal that the co-worker came forward.
I think this episode just generally did a good job of showing that, unfortunately, there are few outright victories when it comes to this issue. It’s not as neat and tidy as I wish it could be, but definitely realistic.
What did you think of “He Said, She Said?” Hit the comments, and let me know!
Just a Girl, Standing in Front of a TV... 