“Brooklyn Nine-Nine” Has Aired Its Series Finale: Did The Show Pull “An Amy,” Or Did They End On A “Noice” Note?

Warning: This article features spoilers from the entire run of “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” (especially the final season).

The Andy Samberg-led police sitcom “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” has come to an end, finishing off with a heartfelt yet rowdy hour-long episode on September 16th, 2021. Featuring returning former cast members and fan-favorite guest stars, the finale saw the squad congregate one last time to celebrate those leaving the precinct and their own getting promoted, all against the backdrop of a final elaborate Heist.

More than 2.17 million viewers tuned in to watch the finale, which mainly gained positive reviews from critics, who believed the finale was a proper sendoff. Nick Harley from Den Of Geek expressed, “The final episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine is sweet, funny, and full of surprises. It’s also littered with character moments that don’t feel too heavy-handed and ring true for all involved.”

“Brooklyn Nine-Nine” followed the hijinks of the immature Detective Jake Peralta (played by Samberg) as he solves crimes with his zany fellow detectives and officers. All while, Peralta comes to terms with his feelings for Detective Amy Santiago (played by Melissa Fumero) and dealing with the seemingly all-too-serious Captain Raymond Holt (played by Andre Braugher).

The show notably gained a cult following, saving it from permanent cancelation after its fifth season. After Fox canceled the show, a massive outpouring of fan support resulted in it being picked up by NBC. “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” was critically acclaimed for much of its run and won multiple awards, including two Critics’ Choice Television Awards and two Golden Globe Awards. 

In addition, many lauded the actors, writers, and showrunners for making representation a priority. Notably, four of the main cast members were BIPOC. Two of the main characters portrayed members of the LGBT community, all of which was done without writing the characters to be stereotypical.

Despite the praise, the show was quickly criticized for promoting copaganda following the murder of George Floyd by a police officer, and the worldwide Black Lives Matter protests that soon followed. This resulted in the show’s eighth and final season essentially tackling issues revolving around police brutality and the overall effectiveness of the institution of policing in America. In the storyline, Rosa Diaz (played by Stephanie Beatriz) quit her job in the force to become a private investigator because she lost faith in the system. Both Holt and Santiago worked to implement a police reform program against the wishes of the NYPD’s higher-ups.

The finale was emotional for fans, who noted that many of the show’s themes came full circle. Throughout the show’s run, Peralta matured, married Santiago, and had a child with her. He also gained the respect of Holt when he finally learned to put his ego aside and take the job seriously.

The show may be over, but it is still available to be streamed on both Hulu and Peacock.