How often do you watch a murder case on a cop show while laughing? Brooklyn Nine-Nine, which aired Sept. 17 on FOX, is a new cop-comedy that has much potential and is bound to keep you amused, giggling and snickering. Brooklyn Nine-Nine is about the struggles in a precinct of brilliant but easygoing detectives when they get a new rule following captain with a need to succeed.
Brooklyn Nine–Nine is like a breath of fresh air for the genre of cop shows. Unlike the Law and Order series, it is funny, and downplays the seriousness of crime. Brooklyn Nine-Nine is distinct in that almost every serious scene was countered with a hilarious phrase or action, contrasting shows like NCIS that have some funny moments but is overwhelmingly dramatic and serious.
The beginning of the show starts with Detective Jake Peralta (Andy Samberg, Saturday Night Live) goofing off in a robbed electronic store while Det. Santiago takes the statement of the owner. Det. Peralta then solves the case using a cute teddy bear. Later, the new Captain, Captain Ray Holt (Andre Braugher, Men of a Certain Age), walks into the precinct while Det. Peralta makes a bad robot impression of what he thinks the Captain will be like.
Capt. Holt soon puts an end to Det. Peralta’s nonsense and tells him to wear a tie – which he later proceeds to do, on his stomach. The rest of the show is full of Det. Peralta’s antics and his genius at solving a murder by tracing a expensive stolen ham, while wearing a colorful speedo.
There is a wonderful dynamic between Det. Peralta, the best detective in the precinct who has apparently solved every mystery “except how to grow up,” and Capt. Holt a seemingly inflexible commander who wants to run a tight ship. Their relationship will be the driving plot throughout the rest of the season.
The show is set in a Brooklyn Precinct, with amazing supporting characters: Detective Amy Santiago (Melissa Fumero), who is Peralta’s competitive love interest, and Sergeant Terry Jeffords (Terry Crews, The Expendables) who was a tough cop but has been avoiding danger since the moment his twin daughters were born. Also, Det. Charles Boyle (Joe Lo Truglio, Wanderlust) is a physically incompetent, but hardworking cop, Det. Rosa Diaz (Stephanie Beatriz) is a scary hard-core detective, and Gina Linetti (Chelsea Peretti) is a funny “civilian administrator,” or secretary, who knows everyone’s gossip.
There are sub-plots around these characters that have also been introduced, like Boyle’s attempt to take Diaz on a date and Santiago’s attempts to prove herself. At one point this resulted in Det. Santiago pouring a bottle of hot sauce on her sandwich to show that she could eat it. These characters encompass so many different personalities that they brim with potential.
At the end, even Captain Holt warms up to Det. Peralta’s quirks, so it looks like, although they have very different personalities, Capt. Holt and Det. Peralta will become loyal friends. Brooklyn Nine-Nine had a great pilot, and hopefully will continue to keep its watchers laughing throughout the rest of the season.
The show also has many counter-stereotypes. The two highest-ranking officers are black, there are two Latino women and one white woman, and Andy Samberg, not a woman, exposed the most skin unnecessarily in the entire show. Both of these dynamics, the counter-stereotypes and comedy, should keep viewers coming back every Tuesday night for the rest of this season.