After seven seasons of relentless investigations, Halloween robberies and schoolboy jokes, the series Brooklyn Nine-Nine ends: if this eighth season is already broadcast in the United States on NBC and on Canal + in France, it will arrive on Netflix on August 13th. The opportunity to say goodbye to cult characters, and to (re) discover this series which is good for morale.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine follows the adventures of Squad 99 of the New York Police Department (NYPD), between investigations for murders and arrests of drug lords. But beyond the investigations (which are sometimes very secondary), we follow the lives of the different characters of the brigade, from chief Raymond Holt to secretary Gina, through the various police officers and inspectors of the service. A beautiful band of broken arms that we are pleased to find for this last season, which promises to be strong in emotions.
Because with 7 seasons, there is time to see it coming
Seven seasons, around fifteen 30-minute episodes per season: if you get into Brooklyn Nine-Nine this month, you’ll have time to (re) watch all the seasons before it arrives on Netflix. A perfect format for a comedy series, in line with Superstore, Community Where Friendswhich is devoured during a lunch break or which continues until late in the evening.
Additionally, the 30-minute-per-episode format allows for a fast pace, an avalanche of punchlines, and the development of two story arcs, which intertwine to arrive at a quick resolution. Without falling behind closed doors (even if most of the scenes take place inside the 99 police station), the series manages to transport us to several places in New York City, and to play with its cliches.
Because it’s a very funny series, where humor is mastered
Brooklyn Nine-Nine is a humorous series, but which does not fall into the trap of playing on clichés and stereotypes. In short, it’s a series where we laugh with the characters, not them. No one makes fun of Raymond Holt’s homosexuality, but rather of his mania for control and diction; we laugh at Jake Peralta’s immaturity or Amy Santiago’s obsession with organization; Gina, through her many faults, becomes iconic in her megalomania. Not to mention Cheddar, Captain Holt’s corgi, who quickly became the fans’ mascot.
All the characters are complex, and show themselves in many facets over the seven seasons: Rosa Diaz, the badass of the team, leaves herself at times of vulnerability when she is more used to breaking objects; Charles Boyle is sometimes mocked for his sensitivity, but is shown as the loyal and perfect best friend; while the mountain of muscle that is Lieutenant Terry Jeffords hides a daddy hen with a big heart. The different seasons have allowed the characters to flourish, change, grow, and no longer represent archetypes.
Because it’s inclusive and full of positive representations
Section 99 is like New York City: full of diversity. The series has several non-white people, from different backgrounds (including two Latin American characters, Amy Santiago and Rosa Diaz, and two African American characters, Terry Jeffords and Raymond Holt), both in its main characters and in its characters. secondary. The series avoids racist clichés, and repeatedly addresses important issues, such as the racism present in the police, or police violence against black people.
The female characters are also quite decisive, presented as strong and independent, with more or less sensitivity. But above all, the show has several visible LGBTQ + characters, including the couple Raymond Holt and his partner Kevin: Raymond Holt is also presented from the first episode as the first black and gay captain of the city of New York. Rosa Diaz’s bisexual coming out in the show’s 100th episode marked a big step in bisexual representation in the United States, especially on prime time.
Because there are gimmicks that we will never get tired of
Brooklyn Nine-Nine is one of those series that has become cult over time, and in part for the references and punchlines carried by the main characters. Among them, Jake Peralta’s “Cool cool cool”, to be pronounced when an awkward situation arises; or the “Title of your sextape” when a sentence has a sexual undertone. Another gimmick that will always make us laugh so much: the culinary obsession of old inspectors Hitchcock and Scully, put away for a long time, and who spend more time tasting New York gastronomy than solving investigations.
But every season Brooklyn Nine-Nine features the “Halloween Heist” where the Squad compete to win the title of top investigator/genius during a life-size heist mission. As the seasons go by, the heist becomes an increasingly addictive event, and gives rise to some surprises and beautiful moments between the characters, but also a lot of laughs.
‘Cause it’s a family we grew up with
Brooklyn Nine-Nine is one of those series with characters so diverse and endearing that they are almost part of the family. We rejoice in their adventures, their marriages, we cry with them, in short, we identify. Over the seasons, you will realize that you are more of an Amy than a Rosa, you will cherish the friendship of Jake and Charles or the Raymond/Kevin couple. Brooklyn Nine-Nine deals with many sometimes difficult questions that can arise in life, from coming out to the question of paternity, from discrimination to the death of a loved one.
In seven seasons, we laugh and we cry with the 99, we sometimes question ourselves, and above all it is good for morale. While waiting for the eighth and final season to arrive on Netflix on August 13, and crying the end of the series, take the time to (re) see the adventures of the most absurd police station in New York. And as Terry Jeffords would say: Go 99!