Meanwhile, Holt and Gina meet the competition for Police Commissioner and are intimidated by a young woman in the running while Terry, Rosa, Hitchcock, and Scully debate over who should get the new Detective car.
According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode was seen by an estimated 1.74 million household viewers and gained a 0.8/3 ratings share among adults aged 18–49.
Jake (Andy Samberg) decides to work with her on their last case before she is a sergeant and chooses an investigation of a series of arsons connected with Amy's love for crosswords.
At the meeting, Holt is intimidated by Captain Olivia Crawford (Allison Tolman) who is in the running for the position and is opposed to precincts.
In its original American broadcast, "The Puzzle Master" was seen by an estimated 1.74 million household viewers and gained a 0.8/3 ratings share among adults aged 18–49, according to Nielsen Media Research.
With these ratings, Brooklyn Nine-Nine was the third highest rated show on FOX for the night, beating The Last Man on Earth, and Bob's Burgers but behind Family Guy and The Simpsons, fifth on its timeslot and ninth for the night, behind a rerun of Family Guy, The Simpsons, a rerun of America's Funniest Home Videos, Little Big Shots, Instinct, NCIS: Los Angeles, American Idol, and 60 Minutes.
Club gave the episode a "B+" grade and wrote, "When a series reaches a certain age, it gets a sense of narrative moving in both directions.
But whatever happens from here, with Amy on the cusp of becoming a sergeant and Captain Holt hoping to be the next Commissioner, 'The Puzzle Master' feels like it's very deliberately looking ahead.