Police procedurals and workplace comedies both remain staples of network television, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine expertly merged the two with its comedic take on the fictional precinct of the NYPD. The series followed the precinct’s diverse group of detectives as they pursued the city’s criminals, particularly the straight-laced Captain Holt and more relaxed Jake Peralta (Andy Samberg). The show premiered in 2013 and first aired on Fox before moving to NBC, where it eventually ended in 2021 after eight seasons and just over 150 episodes.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine was consistently great throughout its run, but at its best, it wasn’t just a funny sitcom—it was a clever cop show. Some of its strongest episodes balanced both sides and handled serious topics with care. No matter the tone, though, its most memorable episodes featured the characters at their best and most entertaining, whether they were struggling to crack a suspect or up to their usual antics.
10
“The Party”
Season 1, Episode 16 (2014)
At Captain Holt’s birthday party in “The Party,” the squad aimed to make a good impression on his husband, Kevin (Marc Evan Jackson), head of the classics department at Columbia University. As most of them struggled, Charles (Joe Lo Truglio) hit it off with Vivian Ludley (Marilu Henner), an older woman and co-worker of Kevin’s. And while it seemed Holt didn’t want them to attend, it was really Kevin, who was wary of police due to homophobia he’d experienced in the past.
Of all the couples on Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Holt and Kevin were perhaps the best to watch. They were perfectly suited for each other, and their deadpan delivery was always hilarious. And while the plot of the squad struggling to make a good impression on the sophisticated Kevin was somewhat clichéd—it was very familiar sitcom territory—it was wonderfully executed. The episode was also an entertaining glimpse at Holt’s life outside of work.
9
“The Last Day”
Season 8, Episodes 9 and 10 (2021)
In two-part series finale “The Last Day,” the squad looked back on their eight years together and looked ahead to their future as both Holt and Amy (Melissa Fumero) prepared to leave for their roles after they were promoted to run their reform program as Deputy Commissioner and Chief, respectively. The squad also enjoyed one final heist—the winner would be crowned The Grand Champion of the Nine-Nine, and Jake announced he’d be leaving the precinct.
“The Last Day” was a bittersweet and satisfying end to Brooklyn Nine-Nine, the way a sitcom finale should be. Each character had a great sendoff, including some of the series’ most memorable recurring characters. The episode also featured plenty of fan service, but in the best possible way, including some great callbacks and the most elaborate heist of the series. Everything came full circle, while leaving things just open enough for the story to continue.
8
“Jake and Amy”
Season 5, Episode 22 (2018)
Despite Amy’s perfect planning, Jake and Amy’s wedding day was derailed by a bomb threat in Season 5 finale “Jake and Amy,” and the head of the bomb squad was Amy’s ex-boyfriend. As the rest of the Nine-Nine split up to take care of last-minute wedding tasks, Holt received an e-mail informing him of whether or not he had gotten the commissioner position, and Rosa (Stephanie Beatriz) hit it off with a ride-share driver.
No sitcom wedding can go off without a hitch, and Jake and Amy’s went awry in true Brooklyn Nine-Nine fashion—everything that could go wrong did go wrong, as expected. But in the end, it was a sweet season finale which gave the couple the beautiful wedding they deserved. It also ended on a cliffhanger, leaving the status of Holt’s promotion to commissioner unclear. All this combined made it a fitting season finale.
7
“Coral Palms”
Season 4, Episode 1-3 (2016)
With Jimmy “The Butcher” Figgis (Eric Roberts) threatening to kill them, Jake and Captain Holt started new lives in witness protection in Season 4 premiere “Coral Palms.” To get back to their lives and loved ones in New York, they attempted to lure Figgis to them and take him down on their own, but things didn’t go according to plan, and the Nine-Nine rushed to their rescue. The story played out over the course of three episodes.
The entire “Coral Palms” story arc was so fun to watch; it’s hard to choose a single episode as a standout. Holt and Jake’s lives in Florida were a drastic change of pace for them, and it was great to see them forced into professions other than police work. The episodes were full of great moments, including a memorable Brooklyn Nine-Nine guest appearance from Maya Rudolph as Jake and Holt’s handler.
6
“9 Days”
Season 3, Episode 12 (2016)
After Jake and Holt contracted the Mumps while working on a cold case, they quarantined together in Holt’s home while they recovered and were determined to solve the case in “9 Days.” As they developed painful goiters and took too much cold medicine, they had a breakthrough in the case. Meanwhile, Terry (Terry Crews) took charge of the precinct in Holt’s place and attempted to tackle a list of necessary repairs, while Boyle mourned the death of his dog.
“9 Days” was full of great moments—Jake and Holt stuck with each other for days on end was a goldmine of comedy and characterization, especially as their illness and self-medicating affected their behavior. The episode stood out as not only one of the best of the series but as a particularly memorable episode for Holt, whose deadpan demeanor was responsible for some of the episode’s funniest moments. But the chaos at the precinct was just as entertaining.
5
“The Safe House”
Season 5, Episode 12 (2018)
After Kevin’s life was threatened by Seamus Murphy (Paul Adelstein), Holt sent Kevin to a safe house with Jake until a case could be built against Murphy. Holt’s concerns for Kevin’s safety resulted in over-the-top rules, such as no internet and only crawling through the house to prevent being seen. Meanwhile, Charles and Rosa ran an undercover sting at a hair salon to get information on Murphy from his girlfriend.
Some of the best episodes of Brooklyn Nine-Nine have involved characters being stuck with each other, like “9 Days,” but “The Safe House” took the setup and made it even funnier, with one hilarious moment after another. Kevin and Holt were always great to watch together, and their dynamic was even more entertaining with Holt’s demands. But what was even more entertaining was Kevin and Jake’s dynamic with each other.
4
“HalloVeen”
Season 5, Episode 4 (2017)
The precinct’s annual Halloween heist had the entire precinct plotting and double-crossing each other in an attempt to win a championship belt—or “cumberbund,” as Holt insisted on calling it—with the title of “Amazing Human/Genius” by midnight in “HalloVeen.” The episode culminated in a final twist, as Jake revealed the entire heist was a setup to propose to Amy, but perhaps no one was excited by the proposal as Charles.
The annual Halloween heist was always a season highlight—it’s difficult to narrow down which of them was truly the best. Like other Halloween episodes, “HalloVeen” featured plenty of elaborate schemes and betrayals, all with a great payoff, but it stood out thanks to its use of the heist as an elaborate way for Jake to propose to Amy. It was not only hilarious but sweet, marking a huge milestone for them.
3
“The Suicide Squad”
Season 6, Episode 18 (2019)
To put a stop to Commissioner John Kelly’s (Alan Brooks) Stingray operation, in which he was illegally spying on citizens, Jake assembled a unique team of cops, including some former enemies—Wuntch (Kyra Sedgwick), the Vulture (Dean Winters) and C.J. Stentley (Ken Marino) in the“Suicide Squad,” the second of the two-part Season 6 finale. They planned to stage a kidnapping, but things went off the rails almost immediately due to everything from incompetence to mistrust.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s version of a Suicide Squad was hilarious, as it brought together some of the NYPD’s most colorful characters—and the results were predictably chaotic and delightful. Each member of the squad was entertaining on their own, but they were even better together, as they all brought out the worst in each other. Despite this and the fact that everything that could go wrong did go wrong, they managed to get the job done in the end.
2
“The Cruise”
Season 3, Episode 13 (2016)
In Season 3 episode “The Cruise,” Jake and Amy took their first vacation together on a cruise ship, only to discover that the ship’s musical entertainment was none other than Doug Judy (Craig Robinson), Jake’s nemesis he’d been hunting for years. Judy revealed he was being targeted by an assassin and had orchestrated getting Jake and Amy on the cruise to help him. Back at the precinct, Holt entertained a visit from his sister, Debbie (Niecy Nash).
Every episode featuring Doug Judy was a gem—his antics and undeniable chemistry with Jake never got old. But “The Cruise” was a standout episode not only among Judy’s storylines but Season 3 overall, thanks to its humor and premise. It was always fun to see how the show’s writers would bring Judy back, and having him crash Jake and Amy’s vacation was a hilarious choice. The episode wasted no time introducing Judy.
1
“The Box”
Season 5, Episode 14 (2018)
In “The Box,” Jake and Holt—who had tickets for an opera—spent their evening interrogating Phillip Davidson (Sterling K. Brown), a dentist suspected of killing his partner, who had seemingly accounted for everything and disposed of all evidence. As they struggled to get him to slip up and reveal something or even admit to the murder, tension increased between them as they disagreed over the best approach and Phillip toyed with them.
While “The Box” had its fair share of humor, what really made it stand out was its plot and strength as a police procedural. Phillip was one of the most memorable and certainly one of the most unsettling criminals in the show—he was cold, calculating and played to perfection by Brown. But Jake and Holt more than held their own, and the two had a great dynamic with each other.
