Brooklyn Nine-Nine (B99) is an American sitcom which revolves around the lives of police officers from the New York Police Department from the ninety-ninth precinct. What makes B99 different from other television series is the diversity that it portrays within its characters and how it helps break stereotypes which are very often portrayed by the media. The main characters include Captain Holt who is a gay-black captain of the NYPD, Terry Jeffords an African-American sergeant, Rosa Diaz a Mexican-American detective who’s a badass in every manner and is later revealed as bisexual, Amy Santiago a Cuban-origin nerdy character who plays by the book, Gina Linetti is an Italian-American assistant to Captain Holt. Charles Boyle, Hitchcock and Scully are white Americans and finally, Jake Peralta is a Jewish-American detective that leads the line for the cast.
Most importantly, it doesn’t feel like the show is forcing diversity into the show but rather feels very natural. Starting with Captain Raymond Holt, who was a gay-black Police Captain. The show diverts from the usual representation that is feminine and extremely emotional. It focuses on the struggles he has to face coming to a position of power as a gay person of colour. Next is Terry Jeffords, a black Sergeant in the police who is a big, muscled man. However, rather than showing him as an angry, scary or tough guy, they have rather shown him as a soft and kind-hearted person who cares deeply about his family and friends. The show also has the representation of Latin American women in Amy and Rosa. Rosa is the tough person in the group. She’s the person everyone is scared of, she always carries knives and weapons with her and is also known for having sadistic tendencies. Lastly, Amy is a detective who later gets promoted to Sergeant. However, how they actually break stereotypes is how they show the relationship between Amy and Jake. They were two detectives who end up falling in love with each other and get married. They both are extremely supportive of each other, and do not let the competition in their careers impact their relationship, especially when Amy gets promoted to Sergeant. Also, as the show is ending, they show that Jake leaves his job to take care of their child while Amy continues her job.
Moreover, this show takes initiative to display how other shows should portray the diversity and break stereotypes within the media.
Hello Shayaan!
Loved this post on one of the best comedy shows out there :) I love the fact that you've mentioned that the diversity does not feel forced at all. It is true and I think it is one of the only media products that manages to pull this off so naturally in an age where we see a lot of forced inclusion everywhere. I think that's what makes this show so real that it humanizes something like a police office and tries to show the lives of real people working there. I am a huge fan of this mockumentary genre for that reason because it feels genuine, real and incredibly grounded.
Currently watching this sitcom nowadays. Its becoming one of my fav seasons I have ever seen.
I also wanted to add that after some due research I came to know that Brooklyn Nine-Nine has received praise for its forthright portrayal of LGBTQ people and the serious issues that affect them while retaining its sense of humor. Portraying Captain Raymond Holt, a lead character, as an openly gay, no-nonsense black man in a same-sex interracial marriage is unprecedented in cinema and television. The coming out as bisexual by detective Rosa Diaz in episode 99, the 99th episode of the series, has been described as an important representation of sexual orientation.
A very wholesome read! B99 is one of my favorite shows. One I would happily want to revisit.
At a time when it became routine to see "one" character that represents the ethnicity quota on a television show, B99 provided respite from that toxic trope. The shows success lay in its ability to delicately balance the discussion of pressing real-world issues and its purpose to provide a comedic sketch to the audiences.
Additionally, the construction of the characters personalities is much different from what we usually see. The assistant is usually a very diplomatic, borderline passive-aggressive kind of a person. However, Gina Linetti in B99 is someone who is unapologetically blunt, headstrong and with a good head for business. Furthermore,…
This show remains one of my favorite sitcoms to this day! Thank you for drawing our attention towards the way the show has subverted stereotypes about minorities in the States. One thing I wanted to highlight was how the show commits to a lot of pertinent commentary. For example, in season 2, we are exhibited how the George Floyd incident toppled the trust and conviction that the black community had for the police. Rosa's withdrawal from NYPD cements this. I believe that there need to be produced more Tv shows which highlight events unraveling in the 'real world'.
Hey, Shayan!
A good blog!
My friend recommended this show to me a few times back but I had kept it on the back burner. Now thinking to watch it after going through your blog. Like how this sitcom bond people of different races, ethnicities, and sexual orientations. And how this show keep aside stereotypical assumptions of one's race! And I really liked the point where they don't let the competition in career comes in between their relationship. As, competition in relationships in creeping in our society like it pits you against each other.