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2 • April 9 - 15, 2017 • Brainerd Dispatch By Kyla Brewer TV Media S hows about police officers have been a staple of the prime-time landscape for many years, and they seem to be back with a vengeance lately. While cop dramas are once again in vogue, one hit series takes a look at the lighter side of police work. Andy Samberg ("Saturday Night Live") returns as Det. Jake Peralta in the midseason premiere of "Brooklyn Nine-Nine," airing Tues- day, April 11, on Fox. Peralta and his colleagues at the NYPD's fictional 99th precinct solve crimes with a healthy dose of humor in the Gold- en Globe-winning sitcom, which has been on hiatus since Jan. 1, an episode that ended with a cliff- hanger and left fans anxious for more. The fate of series regular Chel- sea Peretti's ("Kroll Show") charac- ter Gina Linetti hangs in the bal- ance since (spoiler alert!) she was hit by a bus in the most recent epi- sode, and fans are concerned that the show may lose one of its be- loved regulars. In an interview with the Hollywood Reporter shortly af- ter the episode aired, co-creator and showrunner Daniel Goor ("Parks and Recreation") weighed in on whether Gina will survive. "I think another valid question is: did the bus survive? Either way, audiences will see Chelsea again — she is a force of nature and one of the greatest comic minds out there." In a real-life plot twist, Peretti re- vealed earlier this year (though well after the bus episode aired) that she's pregnant, and many fans speculate that her pending mater- nity leave is the driving force be- hind her character's bus-related trauma. Getting ready to step into first-time parenthood is no small thing, and Peretti and her husband, comedian and filmmaker Jordan Peele ("Key & Peele"), have been receiving a lot of good will from "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" fans. We're all hoping that Gina will recuperate and return to the Nine-Nine in all her fabulous glory, but even if she doesn't, the rich tapestry of charac- ters that make the comedy one of the highest-rated shows on broad- cast television is reason enough to tune in. Samberg won a Golden Globe in 2014 for his role as Peralta, who is endearing, despite the fact that he doesn't always take his job serious- ly. His antics often frustrate other members of the team, especially his uber-serious boss, Capt. Ray Holt, played by fan favorite Andre Braugher. Before "Brooklyn Nine- Nine," Braugher was best known for his work in another cop show, the much more serious "Homicide: Life on the Street," which earned him an Emmy in 1998. So far, his role as Holt has netted him three consecutive Emmy nominations. Former NFLer-turned-actor Terry Crews ("Everybody Hates Chris") portrays Holt's second in command, Sgt. Terry Jeffords, the yogurt-lov- ing father of three girls. Peralta's new girlfriend is none other than his by-the-book colleague Amy Santiago (Melissa Fumero, "Gossip Girl"), who, until relatively recently, was annoyed by Peralta's on-duty shenanigans. Joe Lo Truglio ("The State") plays Det. Charles Boyle, Peralta's BFF, and mysterious, no- nonsense cop Rosa Diaz (Stephanie Beatriz, "Modern Family") serves as Peralta's partner. Joel McKinnon Miller ("Big Love") and Dirk Block- er ("Baa Baa Black Sheep") round out the cast as veteran detectives Scully and Hitchcock, respectively. Described as "Police Academy" (1984) meets "The Office," "Brook- lyn Nine-Nine" has broad appeal for anyone looking to lighten up the work week. It also helps that the series has an impressive history of rounding up high-profile guest stars, and the remainder of season 4 is no exception. Viewers can expect to see film actress Gina Gershon ("Showgirls," 1995) as the leader of an elite NYPD unit who inspires a competi- tion between Peralta and Diaz. Other season 4 guest stars include NFL player Marshawn Lynch, Eric Roberts ("Runaway Train," 1985), Jim O'Heir ("Parks and Recre- ation"), Nathan Fillion ("Castle") and Greg Germann ("Ally Mc- Beal"). Past "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" guests have included TV legend Rhea Perlman ("Cheers"), Zooey Deschanel ("New Girl"), Bill Hader ("Saturday Night Live"), Katey Sa- gal ("Sons of Anarchy"), Nick Can- non ("America's Got Talent") and even famed astrophysicist Neil de- Grasse Tyson. The show has been popular since its very first season, garnering an 88 percent approval rating on re- view aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, which ranked the second season even higher than the first, with an impressive 100 percent. While last season clocked in at 90 percent, season 4 was back up to 100 per- cent as of press time. It's been so popular with TV viewers, the show has even ex- panded into other areas. "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" left its mark on the world of apps when, in 2015, pro- duction company Universal teamed up with RED Games to launch a puzzle game called Kwazy Cup- cakes, inspired by a game featured in the series. For superfans not satisfied with the addictive app and reruns on Netflix, the midseason premiere continues the fun that began in September. Discover what happens to Gina and find out how the gang at the NYPD's 99th precinct is far- ing when "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" re- turns Tuesday, April 11, on Fox. Andre Braugher as seen in "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" Fans anxiously await return of 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine' Cover Story this week 501 W Washington St., Brainerd, MN | 218-828-1823 | www.heartlandtireservice.com COMPLETE AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR ALL MAKES, ALL MODELS SAVE $10 OFF REG. PRICE ALL FULL SERVICE VALVOLINE OIL CHANGES CHOOSE FROM CONVENTIONAL. SEMI SYNTHETIC OR FULL SYNTHETIC. . INCLUDES UP TO 5 QTS OF OIL & FILTER . WRITTEN 44 POINT MAJOR COMPONENT INSPECTION. . 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