Chocolate Milk (Brooklyn Nine-Nine)

In its original American broadcast, "Chocolate Milk" was seen by an estimated 3.31 million household viewers and gained a 1.6/4 ratings share among adults aged 18–49, according to Nielsen Media Research.[1] This was a 40% decrease in viewership from the previous episode, which was watched by 5.46 million viewers with a 2.6/7 in the 18-49 demographics.[2] This means that 1.6 percent of all households with televisions watched the episode, while 4 percent of all households watching television at that time watched it. With these ratings, Brooklyn Nine-Nine was the third most watched show on FOX for the night, beating Mulaney but behind Family Guy and The Simpsons, sixth on its timeslot and eight for the night, behind Madam Secretary, Family Guy, The Simpsons, 60 Minutes, Once Upon a Time, NFL on CBS, and NBC Sunday Night Football.

"Chocolate Milk" received mostly positive reviews from critics. LaToya Ferguson of The A.V. Club gave the episode an "A−" grade and wrote, "Much like in real life, it's sort of a staple in sitcoms to have certain people realize that, despite the amount of time they may spend with each other, they're not exactly the best of friends. They may be technically close friends through family or other friends, but for some reason, they've never really had to do 'friend things' with each other. It's more than a casual friendship, and it might not even be a thing where there’s an inherent dislike or difference between the two. They're just not 'friend friends.' Call it a fact of life. The second episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine's sophomore season not only hits that point just right, it returns the series to form in a way that was somewhat absent in the season premiere."[3]

Jackson McHenry of Entertainment Weekly wrote, "Nobody gives lectures about intimacy in the workplace. People talk about sex — what 'Chocolate Milk' is ostensibly about, with plots that feature seduction, friends with benefits relationships, and even a vasectomy — but nobody tells you how to be friends. It's hard to be friends, when you're competitive, when you're trying keep your distance, when you don't know if a real relationship is possible. The typical workplace terms then build themselves around emotional distance: work friends, bone bros, master and student. But if you spend too much time with anyone, those labels become harder to define. And on Brooklyn Nine-Nine this week, the easy distinctions in the precinct start to dissolve, like chocolate in teat-to-mouth raw milk."[4]

Alan Sepinwall of HitFix wrote, "There's plenty of funny stuff for the whole Brooklyn ensemble in 'Chocolate Milk,' from Gina slapping Boyle at the thought of them being 'bone bros' to Santiago's eyes going wide with terror at the realization that she just yelled at her captain, to the spectacle of Terry being high. (In addition to the spectacle of Jake clinging to Terry's ankle as Terry easily continues walking.) Solid episode all-around."[5] Andy Crump of Paste gave the episode a 9.0 and wrote, "And Brooklyn Nine-Nine continues to show its strength as an ensemble comedy, though lingering questions remain over how the overarching stories introduced in 'Undercover' will impact the series going forward. Given how well 'Chocolate Milk' handles its pursuit of character, though, maybe those don't matter much just yet."[6]