Character development in Brooklyn 99
Jake Peralta, Amy Santiago, Gina Linetti, Holt, Charles
Brooklyn 99 is one of my favourite comedy TV shows about a police detective squad in spoiler alert, Brooklyn. It spans eight seasons and one of my favourite things about the show is watching how the characters developed over time.
Jake Peralta:
Favourite moments:
When he went to jail and revealed a ramen hack which I use to this day now
The episode where he proposed to Amy (super sweet and unexpected)
The episode where he and Amy are reunited after months
I have to admit I wasn’t a fan of Jake Peralta in the first seasons and found him a bit annoying. He seemed to be only an amusing character with no personality. After he starts dating Amy however, he starts to become more responsible, keeping his humour but starting to actually gain a personality.He and Amy have the absolute cutest relationship and bring out the best in each other, and the actors act the relationship out really well. He seems to be really confident but the episodes when he was worrying about how he might not be a good father and how he is becoming so ‘ serious’ were really heartwarming and I liked the different side we saw to him.
Amy Santiago:
Favourite moments:
The episode when she became a mother
Any episode with her and Jake
As I said before, Jake and Amy brought out the best in each other and this helped Amy become slightly less competitive and controlling, making her a bit more fun. Her character did undergo less changes throughout the seasons but I like how she finally got to a position of power towards the end of the series and how she blossomed in the role, taking control even when she was about to give birth. She is a really strong female character and I like how there are many other strong female characters in the show.
Captain Holt:
Favourite moments:
When he and Jake had to go undercover for a few months and were stuck with each other
His amusing enmity with Wuntch( some notable insults he called her being: ‘ old leather chair’ and ‘ fork tongues lizard’)
His legendary Halloween heists
Holt was a new addition to the crew in the first episode and he was portrayed as being very strict and almost being robotic in his emotions( including the way he expressed them) and how he carried himself. However as the series went on, we see a more human side of Holt, a humorous and extremely competitive side. This is showcased through his hatred of Wuntch and also during the Halloween heists, which are very thrilling with many plot twists. We see how his relationships blossom with the crew, especially with Rosa and Terry. Rosa and Holt both struggle to express emotions so they are well suited for each other and when Rosa dates Holt’s nephew, they start to talk more and become friends( although they would never admit to it).
Charles:
Favourite moments:
Him and Nikolaj bonding
Gina and his sibling like relationship
Boyle also starts off as a slightly annoying character but becomes more likeable as the series goes on. He is Jake’s closest friend and partner on cases, so we see a lot of him throughout the seasons. He also shipped Jake and Amy together since the beginning, which was quite funny when they weren’t dating. Later in the series, he really badly wants to become a father and it’s really sweet when he at last adopts Nikolaj and we watch their relationship grow.
Gina Linetti:
Favourite moments:
The episode where she gave ‘Gina moments’ to the rest of the crew
When she and Jake investigated together
Gina is the only non - detective character I’m writing about, she was an assistant/secretary to the detectives but still played a vital role in the series. She was also a really amusing character so it’s not surprising that she is friends with Jake. Their friendship is really heartwarming. Gina eventually ended up leaving the 99 and it was her character development that was the most surprising. She had a child, created her own business and was extremely successful. What was most different about her character however was that she was not very involved with the crew after leaving and this was one of the character developments that saddened me the most.
It would have been great to involve her in more episodes especially while Gina was pregnant as we didn’t see her for almost an entire season and see more of her even when she wasn’t in the 99.
In conclusion, there are other characters in the crew but these characters developed the most. My favourite characters are Amy and Gina. Who are yours?