Seeing as it will be back on our screens on the 9th of January, I’m just going to put it out there and say that Brooklyn Nine Nine is the best comedy series on television. This is the show filled with original and hilarious humour that is free of the cheap offensive "jokes" that too many comedy shows fall victim to. Following in the footsteps of awesome shows like Parks and Rec and The Office, Brooklyn Nine Nine is a show about a chosen family of lovable New York City cops made up of a diverse group that is free of lazy stereotypes. Terry Crew’s character Sargent Terry Jeffords is a prime example of this; he is a tall and insanely jacked black man who couldn’t be further away from the toxically masculine angry black man that we’ve come to expect in mainstream media. In fact there is little to no toxic masculinity, no sexism, no racism, and no homophobia in Brooklyn Nine Nine; unless shown to make a statement about the problems of society. No one’s identity is used for cheap laughs. Instead we have a brilliant, socially aware show filled with amazing multi-layered characters.
Rosa Diaz portrayed by Stephanie Beatriz is one such character. The ultimate badass with a heart of gold who would do anything for her friends, Rosa also happens to be bisexual and this storyline came to fruition last year in what was almost Brooklyn Nine Nine’s last season. Stephanie herself identifies as bisexual and thus played a huge part in assuring that Rosa's storyline was as authentic and true to life as possible. In doing this, Brooklyn Nine Nine created one of the most relatable coming out arcs in TV history that dealt with shame, rejection and, ultimately, love and acceptance; the show will be continuing Rosa's journey in the coming season.
Captain Raymond Holt is by far one of the most interesting gay characters I’ve ever witnessed. He is the captain of the Ninety Ninth precinct, and he also happens to be a black, gay man. Married to chair of Columbia University’s classics department, Kevin, the couple have been together for over 20 years and we see aspects of their relationship lovingly portrayed on screen. This sometimes includes moments throughout the seasons where Holt addresses the issues that he has faced since joining the force due to his race and sexuality, which is why Kevin is shown to have negative feelings towards the NYPD. Brooklyn Nine Nine often deals with societal issues, including race and sexuality, and does it well. In Holt’s case we are taught how he overcame adversity to be an incredible captain, whilst his sardonic, dead pan dry humour has made him a fan favourite character. Also, his inability to be anyone other than himself makes for a great, proud gay black character that people can look up too.
Queer fans of Brooklyn Nine Nine have resonated with the shows character so much that not only do they identify with Rosa and Holt, they have also head-cannoned Jake and Gina as bisexual; which is also something that the actors are happy to support. Some fans even seem to ship Rosa and Gina together and instead of dismissing these ideas as other shows have done in the past, the actresses involved actively support the fans to the point of even sharing artwork from them. The cast of the show is filled to the brim with incredible actors who are actively engaged in the LGBT community, either as allies or queer individuals themselves, and the writers’ room consists of talented comedic writers who understand something a lot of comedies and comedians seem to forget - you don’t have to be offensive to be funny. Brooklyn Nine Nine is a wonderfully diverse, hysterical diamond of a show and I’m so glad that it was saved by NBC. Bring on season six!
NINE NINE!
- Sara
Brooklyn Nine Nine season 6 starts January 9th on NBC. Seasons 1- 5 are availble on Netflix.
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