In the episode, Jake Peralta (Andy Samberg) and his old friend Stevie Schillens (Damon Wayans Jr.) reunite after their precincts are merged, leaving Charles Boyle (Joe Lo Truglio) feeling sidelined.
The episode was seen by an estimated 2.28 million household viewers and gained a 1.0/3 ratings share among adults aged 18–49, according to Nielsen Media Research.
In its original American broadcast, "The 9-8" was seen by an estimated 2.28 million household viewers and gained a 1.0/3 ratings share among adults aged 18–49, according to Nielsen Media Research.
Club gave the episode an "A" grade and wrote, "It feels safe to say this three seasons in: The men and women of the Nine-Nine are very much set in their ways.
"[3] Allie Pape from Vulture gave the show a perfect 5 star rating out of 5 and wrote, "Given the massive episode orders they must fill, network sitcom writers are often tempted to subdivide their stories into neat A-, B-, and C-plots that don't relate thematically or dovetail together.
"[4] Alan Sepinwall of HitFix wrote, "I don't always love Brooklyn episodes where the squadroom fills up past capacity, as the show tends to get too frantic for its own good in those stories.
"[5] Andy Crump of Paste gave the episode a 9.0 rating and wrote, "So you kind of know that 'The 9-8' is going to end in altercations and animosity, though watching the set turn into a riff on Blazing Saddles remains nothing short of an acrimonious delight.