Lessons I learnt from Brooklyn 99

- October 04, 2021

It comes as no surprise that Brooklyn 99 is one of the most iconic shows (Sorry, no ifs and buts here), and for a lot of correct reasons.

It makes for a great show not because it is a sitcom with a flawless storyline and unbeatable humor, but also because the viewer gets to take a lot back from each episode. The series of events in each episode leads to the characters learning something and developing over time. I decided to take some of that to our advantage, and see how the extremely unique personality of each character leads to an extremely balanced team, gives us some life lessons, and creates a Schbang!

1. Be confident in yourself. Two words, Gina Linetti. Gina oozes confidence in work, in life, in dance, in everything. She works hard and she is proud of what she does, even if it’s less than amazing. Take a page from her book and don’t let anyone break your confidence down.

2. ALWAYS support your friends. It’s hard to pinpoint just one example of the Nine-Nine squad being there for one another. Jake helps make sure Terry’s newest baby is delivered safely. Amy supports Charles as he works to open his own food truck. Charles basically worships the ground that Jake walks on. Rosa helps Charles heal from a lost love. The Captain helps everyone to learn important lessons in life. The list goes on and on.

3. Don’t let others’ hate deter you from working hard to achieve your goals. Captain Ray Holt worked his a** off in a homophobic and racist police force, facing all kinds of hate for many many years. After all his hard work, he proved everyone wrong and became the best Captain, basically ever.

4. Don’t assume you’re better than anyone else. Hitchcock and Scully always get ragged on for being lazy and/or bad detectives. But when it comes down to it, they’re good at their jobs. Lazy may be accurate, but they can hang with the rest of the squad when they want to. You never know what potential is hiding in people, they just may not want to show you yet.

5. Don’t turn away help. 9 times out of 10, Jake is the one to teach us this lesson. Most notably when he has to move out of his condo because he can no longer afford it. When Gina offers to buy the condo and rent it to him, he turns her down out of pride. While it all works out in the end and Jake learns that it’s ok to accept help from friends.

6. Family is your greatest and most important asset. Above all else, the 99 is a family. An unconventional and dysfunctional family at times, sure, but a family nonetheless. They help each other, look out for each other, and work together as a team, making that team the greatest and most important asset each of them will ever have.

Coming to the individual characters, each one offers a different trait yet they balance out each other.

Jake Peralta– The greatest detective to some, and a kid in need of discipline to some. Arguably the character around whom the story revolves, Jake Peralta is the epitome of workplace motivation. He teaches us that if work is treated as a fun challenge and not a 30-day wait to receive your paycheque, life doesn’t have to be so mundane. Jake is that element that will pump every member up by being excited himself. The clearest example is the bet with Amy to see who solves more cases- Ummm, motivation 101?! Apart from his zeal and sharp thinking being the most significant contributions, Jake is also the toddler of the group, cracking everyone up with his silly pranks, impulsive experiments, teaching us all that there can be more than one boring perspective of looking at things and life, and most importantly- work!

Who is jake from your team?

Amy Santiago– If you don’t visualize a binder as soon as that name hits your ears, you’re not a B99 loyal. If we had to describe Santiago in one sentence- she’s the kid on the first bench in the class. The ultimate teacher’s pet, Santiago is the cool confident nerd who is always kind, almost a pushover, but when it comes to the field, she’s not having it! One of the sharpest of the team, Amy is that disciplined element that will bring the perfect balance to another wise dysfunctional team. A highly ambitious character, she proves that you don’t need to be unorganized to have fun!

Charles Boyle– The underdog of the team. He may be the Robin to Batman Peralta, but he sure does bring to the table his own energy. Boyle is loyal, patient, and sensitive. In an environment where work sometimes sadly overshadows relationships, Boyle teaches us the importance of kindness.

Boyle is that teammate who will be your cheerleader and do everything he can to see others succeed. He will let his work speak for himself, and will always stand strong to his ethics. The presence of Boyle in a team acts as a reminder for people who prioritize work over everything else and treat it like a competition.

My only concern with Charles? His morbid food choices.

Rosa Diaz- Rosa Diaz is that teammate you do not mess with. Rosa is to the point and has no time for nonsense. She is efficient, focused and that’s the environment she creates around her too. Her composed persona makes her the ideal person to work under pressure and ace it.

Gina Linetti- If affirmation and manifestation were a person, they’d be Gina Linetti. Gina is without a doubt the whole package. The word underconfidence does not exist in her dictionary- something a lot of us need to learn. GIna is the walking and talking version of the phrase- ‘believe in yourself. Apart from her quirky vocabulary, what made us her die-hard(pun intended) fans is her lesson to everyone, that you do not need to be book smart to achieve anything. If you have the confidence and the passion, you can go places.

Terry Jeffords- Terry loves yogurt, Terry loves peace, but most importantly, Terry loves his TEAM! The perfect example of how to lead your team with empathy, Terry is that leader who will go the extra mile to know each of his team members well enough to know what the individual needs. When you lead a team as passionate as Terry’s, he brings balance and reminds everyone of the importance of having a life outside of work, and teaches bosses out there to be okay with committing, and more importantly- accepting mistakes. Bringing a refreshing narrative to teaching, Terry Jeffords is the silent engine powering the team.

Raymond Holt- To see the qualities of Captain Holt unravel through the seasons has taught us the importance of creating a balance between discipline and empathy. He is so much more than a leader to the squad. Knowing when to protect them and when to let them fight their own battles makes him an impeccable leader. His past full of hardships has conditioned Holt to act tough, but over the years we got a chance to see his other side too. Don’t we all need a leader like Holt?

Hitchcock & Scully-You thought I was going to leave them out? How could I? Who’s going to be that teammate who knows every single restaurant in town, with the food recommendations?!