In the episode, Jake and Rosa compete with a pair of Swedish detectives in a jewelry theft case, causing them to re-examine their relationship as partners.
The episode was seen by an estimated 3.88 million household viewers and gained a 1.7/5 ratings share among adults aged 18–49, according to Nielsen Media Research.
After realizing the difference in Europeans' writing dates vs Americans, discover another container with the jewels inside and manage to catch the thieves.
In its original American broadcast, "The Swedes" was seen by an estimated 3.95 million household viewers and gained a 1.7/5 ratings share among adults aged 18–49, according to Nielsen Media Research.
Club gave the episode an "A−" grade and wrote, "'The Swedes' makes sure to bring constant jokes and waste no time, right from the moment the cold open rewards us all with a new vending machine in the Nine-Nine break room.
"[4] Alan Sepinwall of HitFix wrote, "After a couple of episodes in a row that seemed to be 'Brooklyn' leaning too hard into areas where the series tends to struggle, 'The Swedes' was the show back in excellent form – and, interestingly, while operating in places that have also been problems in the past.
Even as Amy and Terry try to help Gina muster up the gumption to crack an astronomy textbook, the show is pushing ahead on previously introduced story threads while staying true to character.