10 Most Powerful Episodes Of Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Brooklyn Nine-Nine is remembered for its funny dialogue and over-the-top gags, but as with all Michael Schur shows, there was a lot of heart as well. Over Brooklyn Nine-Nine‘s eight seasons, the squad became a found family, so it was deeply emotional when members of the team faced heightened or dangerous situations. As the show gained popularity by the middle of its run, the sitcom took time to address real-world issues like racial profiling and workplace sexual harassment.

Weaving in heavy topics while remaining true to its comedic core is a testament to the writers and cast of Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Jake Peralta (Andy Samberg) led the cast of Brooklyn Nine-Nine and his arc mimics the maturity of the show, especially in the later seasons when the show explored the detectives’ personal lives. Later seasons also reflected a shift in cultural perspectives toward police work, leaning more into longer arcs about systematic corruption.

Jake Realizes His Heroโ€™s Biases

Season 1, Episode 8, โ€œOld Schoolโ€

In season 1, Jake is a passionate, if immature, detective. He is friendly with everyone in the squad, even if he thinks Captain Holt (Andre Braugher) is a bit of a pencil-pushing buzzkill. Jake is eager to impress his favorite crime writer, Jimmy Brogan (Stacy Keach), when Brogan visits the squad. However, when he realizes Brogan wants to write a hit piece on Holt using quotes he got out of Jake when Jake was drunk, Jake asks him to pull the story, wanting to defend his captain – even before Brogan uses a homophobic slur against Holt.

This is an important episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine because it shows Jake’s depth. He loves being a cop and playing the hero, but by punching Brogan, he shows that he cares more about protecting people than having his 15 minutes of fame. Jake needed to have his eyes opened to the bigotry that pervaded the previous generation of cops that he worshiped, who would have accepted Jake but not his colleagues. Jake’s friendliness is not performative; he will do the right thing even at his own expense.

Terry Is The Victim Of Racial Profiling

Season 4, Episode 16, โ€œMoo Mooโ€

Terry Jeffords stopped by cop in Brooklyn Nine-Nine Moo Moo

Within four seasons, Brooklyn Nine-Nine‘s iconic cold openings were famous, and the show had built enough goodwill to venture outside its pure sitcom origins to address real-world policing issues. Sergeant Terry Jeffords (Terry Crews) is a victim of racial profiling in his own neighborhood, which rattles the entire squad. Terry is a dedicated cop, father, and yogurt connoisseur, but when he is stopped, he is reduced to nothing more than a black man, highlighting the dehumanizing experience of profiling. Holt’s squad would never racially profile, but the whole of the NYPD is not as progressive.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine was in a unique position by having two black men in positions of authority to discuss how to tackle the incident. Holt advises caution while Terry wants action, which makes sense given the environment in the 80s when Holt was rising through the ranks. The episode ends on an ambiguous note, with Terry filing a complaint but getting passed over for a liaison position, which feels appropriate for an episode tackling such a complex and ongoing topic. No one should have to choose between dignity and their career.

Rosa Comes Out As Bisexual

Season 5, Episode 10, โ€œGame Nightโ€

Rosa Diaz coming out in Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Brooklyn Nine-Nine handled the delicate issue of Rosa Diaz (Stephanie Beatriz) coming out as bisexual in a way that felt authentic and deeply emotional. Seeing such a strong character as Rosa use the term bisexual explicitly is wonderful for representation, but the episode did not shy away from the reality of rejection. It was heartwarming to see the squad immediately support Rosa, but it would be too straightforward if Rosaโ€™s family embraced her sexuality as well.

Both of Rosaโ€™s traditional, Hispanic parents immediately dismiss the concept of bisexuality, and because Rosa is such a deeply private character, seeing her not end the episode in a place she wants is even more devastating. Brooklyn Nine-Nine skillfully portrayed the complexities of coming out, and the joy and sorrow that can follow. This episode highlights the importance of found family, with Holt telling Rosa that every time someone becomes their most authentic self, “the world becomes a better, more interesting place.โ€

Jake & Holt Have An All-Night Interrogation

Season 5, Episode 14, โ€œThe Boxโ€

Holt Peralta Interrogation The Box Brooklyn Nine Nine Andy Samberg Andre Braugher Sterling K. Brown

โ€œThe Boxโ€ breaks with Brooklyn Nine-Nine‘s ensemble format to deliver a tense bottle episode. The entire episode takes place in one night as Jake and Holt try to break a smug suspect, Dr. Philip Davidson (Sterling K. Brown), with a myriad of interrogation tricks. In one of Holtโ€™s best episodes of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Braugher gets to flex his dramatic muscles, reminiscent of his days on Homicide: Life on the Streets, which had a similar bottle episode, โ€œThree Men and Adena.โ€

The performances of Braugher, Samberg, and Brown truly get to shine. Holtโ€™s dry humor plays perfectly complements Jakeโ€™s goofiness. Their interplay becomes meta, with Jake unsure if he is playing โ€œdumb cop” or if Holt actually thinks of him that way. It is Jakeโ€™s desperation for Holtโ€™s approval that leads him to secure the confession from Davidson in the end. The break from Brooklyn Nine-Nineโ€™s usual format underscore the intensity and drama of “The Box”.

Rosa Is Involved In An Active Shooter Situation

Season 5, Episode 20, โ€œShow Me Goingโ€

Jake Peralta looking worried in Brooklyn Nine-Nine Show Me Going

Many of the best Brooklyn Nine-Nine episodes leaned into its unique position as a police procedural, but “Show Me Going” delved into the more dramatic moments that come with working in law enforcement. Rosa is involved in an active shooter situation in โ€œShow Me Going,โ€ but interestingly, the episode is not told from Rosaโ€™s perspective, but from the squad remotely monitoring the situation from the safety of the precinct. It is a unique perspective to follow the events of a shooting from the police who are not involved.

Jake wants to play the hero and barge onto the scene, but Holt points out that there are less bold ways to make a difference. โ€œShow Me Goingโ€ is about living in fear and uncertainty. Jake feels helpless until he decides to support the squad that is there instead of the one person he canโ€™t help. In this case, a pizza was a better tool than a gun, as the squad needed to connect with each other to deal with their anxiety about Rosa.

Amy & Jake Investigate A Case Of Workplace Sexual Harassment

Season 6, Episode 8, โ€œHe Said, She Saidโ€

Jake Peralta comforting Amy Santiago in Brooklyn Nine-Nine He Said She Said

When Jake works a case of workplace sexual assault with his wife, Amy Santiago (Melissa Fumero), it shows how even as an ally, Jake has much to learn about the female experience. Brooklyn Nine-Nine addresses the complexities of these types of cases, with Amy and Rosa having differing opinions on what the best thing is for the victim. Amy is idealistic about inspiring women to come forward, while Rosa has a pragmatic approach and wants the victim to protect herself by taking the hush money.

NOTE: This episode was directed by Stephanie Beatriz, the actress who plays Rosa Diaz.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine carefully navigates the nuances of such a systemic issue. Amy and Rosa both prove to be right in their own ways when the victim wins her case but is forced to leave her job, while her courage inspires a coworker to come forward with a new allegation. Santiago takes the cases especially personally because she has experienced workplace harassment herself, giving the story even more emotional weight. The bittersweet ending is appropriate for an ongoing problem.

Jake & Amy Debate Having Children

Season 6, Episode 12, โ€œCasecationโ€

Jake Peralta and Amy Santiago holding hands Brooklyn Nine-Nine Casecation

There are many great Brooklyn Nine-Nine episodes about Jake and Amyโ€™s relationship, but โ€œCasecationโ€ is an interesting misstep for the couple. Amy feels so strongly about having children that she implies she would have to โ€œstart overโ€ if Jake does not change his mind . It seems uncharacteristic for such a type-A personality like Amy to not have discussed this earlier, but her insistence on a Lincoln-Douglas-style debate is not the right approach to a nuanced emotional talk.

Jake allows himself to be vulnerable, admitting he is scared about making a mistake he cannot take back, referencing his well-known daddy issues. Jake and Amy are usually so in sync as a couple that even for the space of one episode, thinking they have hit a hurdle they could not overcome together is troubling. Jake ultimately conquers his fear of parenting when he diffuses a literal bomb situation, but he must also know that he can do anything with Amy by his side.

The Squad Races To Solve A Case With A Literal Ticking Clock

Season 6, Episode 14, โ€œTicking Clocksโ€

Brooklyn Nine-Nine squad in Ticking Clocks

Brooklyn Nine-Nine creates a literal race against the clock when the squad has exactly 19 minutes to stop a hacker from getting confidential information. The events unfold in real-time, so every moment is crucial, feeling just like the action movies Jake loves so much. With the lives of undercover agents at stake, the episode has unusually far-reaching ramifications beyond the squad.

This episode demonstrates how skilled the detectives truly are, as they uncover that the IT man โ€œhelpingโ€ them was actually the hacker. Holt is held at gunpoint for a breathless moment, but Brooklyn Nine-Nine is brilliant at infusing humor into the intense moments, so when a burnt lasagna sets off the fire alarm, the distraction allows the squad to step in and take down the gunman. This genre-bending episode fully capitalizes on the showโ€™s precinct setting and delivers both suspense and comedy.

Jake & Amy Struggle With Fertility

Season 7, Episode 6, โ€œTryingโ€

Amy Santiago looking stressed in Brooklyn Nine-Nine Trying

Brooklyn Nine-Nineโ€™s later seasons explored modern relationship issues, and โ€œTryingโ€ is an honest portrayal of a rarely discussed relationship and health challenge: fertility struggles. Watching Amy and Jake go through stress, frustration, and hopelessness over the course of months is something many couples can relate to. Amyโ€™s type-A structured approach proves no more effective than Jakeโ€™s relaxed style, leading Amy to question whether they are not meant to be parents.

Seeing such a determined character in despair is humanizing and powerful. Jake ends the episode on a hopeful note, saying they can explore other options, like adoption or taking a break, but as long as he is with Amy, he has his family. While Jake and Amy do ultimately get pregnant in subsequent episodes, shining a light on their months of efforts is still deeply meaningful.

Holt & Amy Deal With An Anti-Cop Incident

Season 8, Episode 3, โ€œBlue Fluโ€

Captain Holt looking serious in Brooklyn Nine-Nine Blue Flu

Brooklyn Nine-Nineโ€™s season 8 shifted tonally to address the realities of policing in a post-2020 world, grappling with the death of George Floyd and resulting calls for police reform. โ€œBlue Fluโ€ pits the detectives against the plainclothes officers when they start calling in sick in protest of anti-cop sentiment. This episode shows the tension between the outside call for reform and the resistance within the force.

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While the main squad in Brooklyn Nine-Nine are all ideals for what police officers should be, this episode and season address that not all cops are. โ€œBlue Fluโ€ is a critique of a system that seems resistant to accountability. Brooklyn Nine-Nine had to infuse more political consciousness into the DNA of the show in its final season, leading to some very powerful episodes.