The ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’ characters and why we love them

Hooray! After a short period of uncertainty following a brutal axing from the roster of Fox TV shows, Brooklyn Nine-Nine returned for its 6th season earlier this year. The show is of genuine humour, wit, and also a startling amount of diversity effortlessly blended together to create one of the best shows on TV in recent years. We absolutely live for the show’s characters, and here’s why.

Amy Santiago ( Melissa Fumero )

Neat and tidy to a fault, she invokes fury from her colleagues through her goody two shoes image and competitive nature. Santiago is great at what she does, always looking to bring out the best in people (even if it seems annoying at the time). Her love interest with leading man Jake Peralta has creating a hilariously romantic dynamic within the show.

Jake Peralta ( Andy Samberg )

Imagine a 10-year-old in a grown man’s body. Now imagine that grown man was a detective and that detective is the lead of a TV show and you’ve got Jake Peralta. Despite his immature nature, he is still a very competent detective and knows when to put the jokes aside (sometimes).

His commitment to comedy is almost as great as his dedication to the precinct. When paired with Amy Santiago their differences shine through, but at his core Jake is a good man who you would want to hang out with.

Ray Holt ( Andre Braugher )

The Captain of the precinct is gay, black, and not afraid to address the issues his character has faced in regards to these two factors. His completely deadpan nature and anti-comedy jokes land incredibly well against the animated Jake. It comes across all the better as Jake secretly looks for Holt’s approval to make up for the lack of a father figure in his own life.

Charles Boyle ( Joe Lo Truglio )

The sappy sidekick whose comedy is often in the form of his effeminate actions and tastes that never insult women but rather celebrate them. His bromance with Jake is a staple of the series and one of the key points upon which the show spins.

Rosa Diaz ( Stephanie Beatriz )

We crush on Rosa Diaz, but we’re also simultaneously terrified of her. It’s very confusing. Rosa is amazing on so many levels – her attraction to violence, her insatiable lust, and her cold distance from everyone else at the precinct. So when she comes out with a strong sense of loyalty and the occasional moment of genuine warmth, it hits you right in the feels.

Terry Jeffords ( Terry Crews )

Let’s get one thing straight – Terry Jeffords is a legend. His hulking mass of rippling muscles waiting to burst out of every shirt he’s ever worn gives the impression he would be an aggressive hardass. How else could he motivate himself at the gym?

But with a passion for yoghurt and his two young daughters, Jeffords is a surprisingly calm and rational being, rarely using his physical strength to solve problems and instead going by the book.

Scully and Hitchcock ( Joel McKinnon Miller and Dirk Blocker )

Fat, disgusting, and utterly lovable, the coasting duo will go to any length to eat or be lazy. It is a breath of fresh air to see two straight white men being the butt of jokes as people of color around them take the lead – a role reversal which doesn’t degrade either character but allows them to embrace their slovenly behaviors for comedic (and occasionally useful) effect.

Gina Linetti ( Chelsea Peretti )

Gina is life! That is all. Ok, there’s so much more to the office receptionist (?) than just her social media obsession and giant ego. Her comedy angle is the self-obsessed megalomania. She goes around in her own world, dishing out insults without a sliver of remorse. She’s queen and we love her for it.