Brooklyn Nine-Nine is a groundbreaking comedy series that has defied the rules of typical sitcoms following its debut in 2013. It has been described as the most “woke” show in recent history, dealing with a variety of social issues, like feminism, racism, and queerness honorably and respectfully. Most importantly, the humor of the show — and it is very funny — is never aimed at marginalized communities, which unfortunately tends to be the case in sitcoms historically.

Propelled by its talented ensemble cast, led by Saturday Night Live alum Andy Samberg as the talented yet immature Detective Jake Peralta and the late and great Andre Braugher as the deadpan Captain Raymond Holt, Brooklyn Nine-Nine brings us relatable, rich characters that make it impossible not to invest in the quirky cop comedy. Brooklyn Nine-Nine is brought to fans by Dan Goor and Michael Schur, the same minds that introduced the world to another beloved workplace comedy, Parks and Recreation.

When the show was pitched to networks, it was so well-received that there was an all-out bidding war to house it, between high-profile networks, ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox, it ultimately found a home at Fox – until it didn’t. After five seasons with Fox, Brooklyn Nine-Nine was canceled. NBC, however, swooped in almost immediately to save the day and aired the final three seasons of the popular sitcom. The show has been a critical and commercial success since the pilot episode aired in 2013. Here is what makes Brooklyn Nine-Nine a groundbreaking comedy series.

Update January 16, 2024: This article has been updated following the tragic passing of Andre Braugher, who was a major part of what made Brooklyn Nine-Nine a groundbreaking and beloved series.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine Does Not Subscribe to Stereotypes

The cast of Brooklyn Nine-Nine
NBC

Brooklyn Nine-Nine is groundbreaking because it celebrates each character's differences rather than reducing them to stereotypes. For instance, Captain Holt and Detective Rosa are members of the LGBTQ+ community; however, they do not disrespectfully portray them, and they are not defined exclusively by their sexuality.

Related: Five Reasons You Should Watch Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Rather, just like all the straight characters on the show, their sexual preference is one small piece of the puzzle. Further, Brooklyn Nine-Nine does not adhere to typical gender norms. Throughout its diverse cast, we see characters such as Charles Boyle (Joe Lo Truglio) with traditionally "feminine" hobbies, and Terry Jeffords (Terry Crews) who, at a glance, appears to be a “tough guy” but is, in reality, a sensitive and dedicated family man.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine Recognizes Its Social Responsibility

Jack, Terry, and Boyle at a crime scene
NBC

Brooklyn Nine-Nine is groundbreaking for the way it deals with complex social issues like racism, corruption, sexism, and homophobia, which most TV comedies glaze over, or simply ignore. Some other episodes where they touch on difficult subject matter include "Moo Moo," which is based on Terry Crews' real-life experience with racial profiling; "Game Night;" and "He Said, She Said," in which they address racial profiling, coming out, and sexual harassment, respectively. They delicately balance the comedy aspect with these hard-hitting issues rather than making light of things. The show touched on the #MeToo movement and in the final season, Black Lives Matter.

In the wake of George Floyd’s unconscionable murder, Brooklyn Nine-Nine recognized its social responsibility, and as such, the show's writers throughout all of the scripts that had been working on during the pandemic as they needed to grapple with making a comedy series about cops when the idea of police irresponsibility was no longer funny. The creators decided to use the show as a platform to address the world climate at that time and call attention to these important issues. The series final season sees Rosa Diaz quit the police force to become a private detective as she no longer feels comfortable being a cop and wants to try to find a more productive way to help out others, while Raymond Holt explains his decision to stay on the police force despite being a Black man as he hopes to change the system for the better. These are heavy topics for a comedy series, but Brooklyn Nine-Nine perfectly walks the line between needing to be serious when it has to be and also knowing when to defuse the tension.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine Delivers Both Humor and Heart

Andy Samberg and Mellisa Fumero in B99
Fox
NBC

Fans of the feel-good sitcom are addicted to its effortless blend of humor and heart, and witnessing the cast have so much fun together only helped add to its undeniable appeal and charm. The show's jokes were never mean-spirited and each of Brooklyn Nine-Nine's core characters were able to shine in their own unique way, whether it was showcasing a then-shockingly ripped Hitchcock and Scully from their glory days in the '80s to Gina becoming a mother and subsequently an internet sensation.

The wonderful thing about the beloved comedy is that it never shied away from having tender and heartfelt moments and storylines throughout its eight seasons. From Amy and Jake's long journey to becoming parents, Rosa coming out as bisexual to her conservative parents, and Terry contemplating reporting a racist cop, Brooklyn Nine-Nine managed to combine laughter and compassion in every episode expertly. Most sitcoms have to lean heavily into jokes to make some sort of impact, while many dramatic shows instead are often to concerned a joke could take away from their seriousness, but Nine-Nine was never afraid to bring heart with the hijinks.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine Values Character Development & Relationships

Jake and Amy holding up cards that say 'toit' and 'nups'
Fox
NBC

Brooklyn Nine-Nine values character development more than most TV comedies and creates fully fleshed-out, relatable characters. Brooklyn Nine-Nine respect its characters and the relationships they form. A great example of character development in the show is in Jake Peralta’s (Andy Samberg) character. In the pilot, Jake was immature, irresponsible, and a bit selfish, however, his growing relationship with Captain Holt helps Jake take his job more seriously and be more of a team player in his desire to make Holt proud, as he views him as a father figure. Similarly, in season one, Jake and Charles’ friendship was mostly one-sided, with Charles idolizing the seemingly undeserving Jake. As the show progresses, Jake realizes how he has not given Charles his best and, in turn, becomes a better friend to him.

Related: Brooklyn Nine-Nine: Jake Peralta's Best Quotes, Ranked

The romance in Brooklyn Nine-Nine is not there as a will-they-or-won't-they hook that falls apart as quickly as it comes together, like in most comedies, but rather, we see fully fleshed-out complicated relationships in the writers, actors, and fans alike are invested in. Audiences see Jake and Amy form a real bond, and while their relationship has its ups and downs, they also don't go through a forced breakup but instead go through their relationship like two real adults would and talk it out. This also extends to other romantic relationships in the series, such as between Captain Holt and his husband Kevin.

Yet it is also in the non-romantic relationships the series shines. While it originally seems they are trying to set up a romance between Boyle and Rosa, the series quickly realizes they work better as friends. The office of the Nine-Nine feels both like real coworkers but also a surrogate family, so when the final episode airs it does feel like the end of an era as they got their separate ways.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine Promotes and Normalizes Diversity and Inclusivity

Brooklyn Nine-Nine Halloween episode
NBC

Brooklyn Nine-Nine sets itself apart from other TV comedies by promoting and thus normalizing diversity and inclusivity. The show features BIPOC, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and women in major roles. In addition to being key players in the show, they also hold power positions. This is something that is severely lacking in TV comedies, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine sets an example more comedies should follow.

For instance, the leading characters include two Latina women (Stephanie Beatriz and Melissa Fumero) and two Black men (Terry Crews and Andre Braugher), which is a rarity in mainstream comedy even today. Most importantly, the show respectfully portrays its diverse characters, never using them as a punchline. Beatriz spoke to Bustle about her character Rosa Diaz coming out as bisexual on the show shortly after she came out in real life.

“Art is the way to move humanity forward. When you create art, there’s a possibility for creating empathy in other people. That’s really what it’s all about. You can’t start to see someone as your equal, or as a fellow human being that deserves all the same rights as you do, if you don’t see them in the first place. If you don’t see them anywhere around you, how will you know that they’re just the same as you? ... We really want all the same things in life: to feel happy, to be seen, to feel safe, to feel love. And we all deserve them.”

Brooklyn Nine-Nine's Cast Still Shares an Unbreakable Bond

Andre Braugher as Raymond Holt in his police uniform drinking a glass of champagne and smiling in Brooklyn Nine-Nine
NBC Universal

Spending nearly a decade together is bound to create everlasting connections, and the exceptional cast of the fan-favorite comedy seemed to become a family throughout the show's eight-season run truly. Even after the cameras stopped rolling in 2021, the cast and crew of Brooklyn Nine-Nine shared an endearing and unbreakable bond and spoke out on numerous occasions about how they hoped to reunite once more. Stephanie Beatriz told Screen Rant in 2022 that her former cast members are "friends for life" and added:

"It's so sweet to think about reuniting with all those people. I love that cast and crew so much, we had such an amazing time shooting the series finale...I don't think it'll ever feel like it's over over for me because the experience was, from start to finish, absolutely incredible. I made friends for life on that series and I grew and learned so much about myself."

Fans of Brooklyn Nine-Nine were left completely devastated when cherished cast member Andre Braugher suddenly passed away on December 11, 2023, at just 61 years old, and his Nine-Nine family were quick to release heartfelt tributes to their beloved Captain Holt. Cast members like Melissa Fumero and Terry Crews were just some of the people who penned emotional messages honoring Braugher, further proving just how much love and respect they share for one another.

Braugher's death sent a shockwave through the industry and was heartbreaking to many fans. Captain Holt was one of the greatest television characters ever made, and the idea that one of the members of the Nine-Nine was gone was a difficult reality to accept. Fans can always return to the comfort of the series to see him, knowing his spirit will live on and that there will always be plenty of laughs to be had.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine is available for streaming on Peacock.

Brooklyn nine-nine
Brooklyn nine-nine
Comedy
Release Date
September 17, 2013
Seasons
6