'Brooklyn Nine-Nine' Season 3, Episode 4: 'The Oolong Slayer' Recap

Based on a bet with another department, the Vulture is not letting anyone take on hard cases, so they can be sure to have everything solved. However Jake thinks he has evidence of the "Oolong Slayer," a serial killer who hasn't been around for five years. Against orders, he works on the case.

Jake takes the case to Holt, and the two have to meet in secret to discuss it to avoid Wuntch and the Vulture. They decide to work it together, on the DL. They go to the tea shop where the serial killer buys the tea bags he leaves in the mouths of his victim and create a diversion while Gina copies the customer files off the computer.

They find someone who fits the bill and break into his apartment... but only find an older woman. Their suspect is dead, apparently.

This gets them busted by Wuntch and the Vulture. Both Jake and Holt are suspended.

Jake, sad, drinks at the bar with Gina. In discussion, he realizes that none of the victims had a drop of booze in their houses. He looks into it and finds they were all recovering alcoholics, in a group run by the same man... who has a record and a history of torturing animals. He tells Holt what he learned, but Holt insists he give the case up and leave it alone before they get into more trouble.

He goes to the mannequin factory where the suspect works, but the man gets the drop on Jake and holds him at gunpoint. Luckily Holt appears and they arrest him. Holt and Jake thank each other and Holt suggests Jake get full credit for the arrest, since catching a serial killer has always been Jake's dream.

Jake takes the case to the higher-ups and suggests that it will make them look bad since he solved it and not them... He trades giving them the credit for getting Holt back at the nine-nine.