POLITICS OF A SITCOM

Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Brooklyn Nine-Nine is a

fascinating case for political

messaging within the show.

Originally on the conservatively

run FOX, the show has many of

the qualities of what would be a

conservative show. The protagonists are police officers, a white male lead, and a network

sitcom like itself won’t be taking too many chances in alienating an audience. The fact is that

Brooklyn Nine-Nine is a very liberal show but can go only so far with it by the nature of the

show.

While boasting Andy Samberg’s Jake Peralta as the lead, he is one of two white men in

the main cast. That main cast which also features two Hispanic women and two black men. The

show had a commitment to diversity from the beginning and the characters’ different

backgrounds were always displayed proudly. They were also used to tell important stories

exclusive to a culture. The season 4 episode “Moo Moo” focuses on Terry being a victim of

racial profiling. Captain Holt is a character who is used to present the experiences and struggles

of a gay black man in America and Rosa Diaz was able to tell the story of someone struggling

with coming out of the closet.

It has always been a mission of the show to tell progressive stories that uplift

marginalized groups. We follow ethical characters who uphold these values and are allies. Jake

Peralta even strikes a homophobic man who speaks out against Captain Holt. From storylines

about asylum seekers to police brutality, the show never shied away from major issues that

directly involved the police department. This was made easier by their move to NBC after a
cancellation at FOX. The show focused on such storylines and a rise in speaking on major

issues was clearly prompted by actions and influence of the Trump administration. The show

fought back with their responsible portrayals of dire issues and came to the televised defense of

those being victims of the administration. One of their major moments came in the season 6

episode “He Said, She Said” which discussed the Me Too movement. Especially in the final

season, coming off the legs of the most intense police brutality debates in recent history, the

show spoke up on the flaws within the American policing system. By the nature of the show,

they can not and will not have an “ACAB” attitude. However, they are closer to that than a “Blue

Lives Matter” mantra. By the nature of being a liberal show starring police officers, the show

remained fairly level-headed and centrist while never losing the funny.

Ultimately I believe the political dealings of the show were always a welcomed addition

but could be hit or miss. On the political storylines, Eryn Murphy said, “Does it work? The

answer falls in between ‘somewhat’ and ‘for the most part, yes’” (Murphy E.).They were always

well-intentioned but could often come off as pandering and unfocused. It was made especially

difficult when an episode tackled a serious issue but still tried to be too funny. One storyline

would be taken very seriously while the other half of the show was incredibly silly, which caused

such jarring transitions and almost demeaned their attempt to address the issue. Any effort is

better than a mediocre effort though and I believe the handling of political content was done

very well in Brooklyn Nine-Nine.

References:

Murphy, E. (2021, August 19). Review: 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine' takes some risks in season

8 - does it pay off? Showbiz Cheat Sheet. Retrieved March 22, 2023, from

https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/review-brooklyn-nine-nine-takes-some-risks-

season-8-does-it-pay-off.html/