S05E09 - Departure

"Departure" is the ninth episode of Season 5 of We Can Fix Pawbert and a crossover with Brooklyn Nine-Nine.

Synopsis

The Precinct 99 squad departs the mansion after the Otterdam heist, and a forgotten invitation brings a surprise gathering of Pawbert's friends to the mansion, revealing the breadth of the community he has built over the years. CTU teams hold position at an empty harbor, awaiting the Frost Crown's arrival.

Plot

The morning after the heist, Luther takes a call from Costa confirming that CTU forces are positioning at the harbor, port authority coordination is locked in, and the Frost Crown's arrival window is less than two days away. The pack gathers in the kitchen while the Nine-Nine stirs in the guest wing, Charles already emotional about the framed napkin on the wall and Terry declaring his protein requirements at volume. Luther tells the pack that the trap is set and there is nothing more to do until Icener arrives.

The departure unfolds in the circular driveway. Rosa and Luther exchange a clipped professional farewell, with Rosa requesting point position next time and Luther agreeing. Holt extends his trunk to Pawbert and tells him that the mammal who once required protection has become someone who provides it, adding that Pawbert had opportunity and chose to use it well. Jake and Nick perform their elaborate handshake, complete with a newly invented spin, while Amy and Judy share a hug and a mutual understanding of their partners' ridiculousness. Charles sobs into Pawbert's shoulder about the napkin, the mansion, and the veggieball tournament before hurrying off to argue with Terry about scoring. Jake drops his usual comedy to deliver a sincere farewell, telling the pack that they trusted the Nine-Nine with something real. Nick responds that family shows up, and Jake tells all four of them that he loves them. Holt's final words are directed to Luther: guard what you have built here, it is not a small thing. The vehicles pull away with Jake shouting "NINE-NINE!" out the window and Nick shouting it back.

In the quiet that follows, the pack settles into the living room. The heist trophy gleams on the mantel, the corkboard holds its accumulated memories, and the four of them sit in comfortable silence. Nick attempts to bring up what happens after the crisis, glancing at Judy with visible intention, but Luther suggests a trip and Pawbert mentions Deersneyland and Judy proposes Outback Island before Nick can articulate what he actually wants to say. He lets the moment pass with quiet resignation.

Hours later, the doorbell rings and Luther's paw moves instinctively toward his weapon. Pawbert realizes that three weeks earlier, before any of the crisis began, he had invited friends over for a casual gathering and completely forgotten. Lane arrives first with three bottles of wine, Brim on his shoulder, and what Lane interpreted as "bring everyone you know" trailing behind them. Selma coordinates the flow of mammals into the mansion with professional efficiency. The house fills rapidly.

The gathering spreads through every room. Mika finds Pawbert between conversations and gently reminds him that his paintings are still waiting at her studio. In the kitchen, Lane holds court with Snarlbucks stories while Brim provides flat commentary and Selma and Tara anchor the warmth. Sorrel and Wendell represent ZRS, Sorrel's steady presence a reminder of the professional world Pawbert has built. The GYU contingent claims the library, where Maya examines the bookshelves, Jun catalogs the shelving system, Hector marvels at the sheer number of books, and Etta arrives carrying a drink. Cameron and Mitchell, the jackrabbit neighbors from down the lane, admire the personalized key hooks in the foyer. Renny finds the piano and begins playing something soft. Felix, a former ZRS client, sits quietly in a chair, his stable presence a testament to the work that Pawbert does. Gordon, an opossum who worked alongside Pawbert during kitchen shifts at ZCF, arrives last with cherry pastries from his bakery and tells Pawbert simply that he did good.

Nick and Judy observe from near the corkboard as Pawbert moves through the room, stopping to talk with Sorrel, laughing at something Lane says, checking on Gordon in a quiet corner, introducing Maya to Luther. Judy notes that Pawbert still sees himself as the scared kid from the safehouse, but he has become who he was always going to be. Luther watches from the library doorway, Holt's parting words echoing in his mind, as the lynx who once hid in a safehouse navigates a room full of friends with grace. As the gathering winds down, Sorrel tells Pawbert not to disappear, Gordon shakes his paw and says that the kitchen shifts at ZCF meant everything, and Mika reminds him of his promise to return to the studio.

After the last guest leaves, the pack returns to the same positions in the living room. Luther takes Pawbert's paw and tells him that those mammals, those friendships, the life that brought them here tonight, Pawbert built it. The pack exchanges the word "tomorrow" in quiet succession, the weight of anticipation settling over the room. Pawbert pulls Luther up and they head to bed while Nick reaches for Judy's paw and they sit together in the quiet. At the harbor, CTU agents sweep the dark water with scopes and monitor vessel tracking on tablets. No movement. No approaching lights. The trap is set.

Key Moments

• Luther confirms CTU forces are positioning at the harbor and the trap is set
• Rosa and Luther exchange a brief professional farewell built on mutual respect
• Holt tells Pawbert that the mammal who once needed protection now provides it
• Charles sobs through his farewell over the framed napkin and veggieball tournament
• Jake drops his comedic persona to deliver a sincere farewell to the pack
• Nick and Jake perform their elaborate handshake with a newly invented spin
• Nick tries to discuss his future plans with Judy but is repeatedly interrupted
• Pawbert realizes he forgot inviting friends over three weeks earlier
• Lane arrives with wine and an expanded guest list, filling the mansion
• Gordon from ZCF arrives with cherry pastries from his bakery
• Pawbert moves through the gathering with a quiet confidence built over years
• Luther watches Pawbert navigate a room full of friends, reflecting on Holt's words
• Sorrel, Mika, and Gordon each deliver parting words of care and connection
• The pack exchanges the word "tomorrow" in anticipation of the Frost Crown's arrival
• CTU agents hold position at an empty harbor with no approaching vessels

Key Lines

Characters Introduced

Locations

• Pawthorne Mansion - Kitchen, living room, library, foyer, circular driveway, guest wing, master bedroom
• Zootopia Harbor - CTU surveillance position; empty approach waters

Items

• Framed napkin - Charles's grandmother's recipe; still on the kitchen wall
• Cherry pastries - Gordon brings from his bakery; the ones Pawbert liked during ZCF kitchen shifts
• Wine bottles - Lane brings three (red, white, and rose)
• Piano - Renny plays soft music during the gathering
• Heist trophy - On the mantel; "ULTIMATE HEIST CHAMPION/GENIUS"
• Corkboard - Polaroid, Maddie's card, accumulated memories; displayed in the living room
• Personalized key hooks - L.P., P.L., N.W., J.H.; Cameron admires them in the foyer

Notes

• Holt's observation about Pawbert encapsulates the entire series arc: from a mammal who needed saving to one who saves others.
• Gordon's appearance connects Pawbert's prison past to his present life, showing that relationships formed during incarceration can be genuine and lasting.
• The gathering scene visually demonstrates the breadth of Pawbert's social network, contrasting sharply with the isolated mammal he was years earlier.
• Nick's interrupted conversation with Judy foreshadows the proposal arc later in the season.
• Cameron and Mitchell, the Meadowlands neighbors, are named after Cameron Tucker and Mitchell Pritchett from Modern Family. All of the pack's Meadowlands neighbors across the season are named after Modern Family characters.