In the episode, Captain Holt assigns Jake to a graffiti case after he arrives late to work, which he considers to be below his level.
Meanwhile, Charles Boyle (Joe Lo Truglio) gets taunted by a psychic (Artemis Pebdani), who states that his love for Rosa Diaz (Stephanie Beatriz) will remain unrequited.
The episode was seen by an estimated 4.03 million household viewers and gained a 1.8/5 ratings share among adults aged 18–49, according to Nielsen Media Research.
As punishment, Holt joins Peralta on his assignment of a graffiti case where a person draws penises on police cruisers, acting as his "babysitter."
In its original American broadcast, "The Tagger" was seen by an estimated 4.03 million household viewers and gained a 1.8/5 ratings share among adults aged 18–49, according to Nielsen Media Research.
With these ratings, Brooklyn Nine-Nine was the second most watched show on FOX for the night, beating Dads and The Mindy Project but behind New Girl, fourth on its timeslot and tenth for the night in the 18-49 demographics, behind New Girl, Trophy Wife, Person of Interest, Chicago Fire, NCIS: Los Angeles, The Goldbergs, NCIS, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and The Voice.
Club gave the episode a "B" grade and wrote, "The importance of 'The Tagger' is that it gives the Nine-Nine its first real villain in the form of Deputy Commissioner Podolski.
"[4] Aaron Channon of Paste gave the episode a 7.5 out of 10 and wrote, "What 'The Tagger' lacked in legitimate laugh-out-loud humor — there were certainly laughs, just not enough — it made up for in rounding the pilot's caricatures into genuine and more interesting people.