Brooklyn Nine-Nine debuted in September 2013 and has gone on to become a huge hit with critics and audiences. The police procedural sitcom focuses on a varied cast of memorable characters, anchored by leading man Andy Samberg, who portrays hotshot detective Jake Peralta.
While Jake is undoubtedly a highly skilled officer, his impulsive (and occasionally immature) behavior has landed him in hot water more than once. Thankfully, many of these decisions have led to fan-favorite moments that still get rewatched today. As the show nears its 8th and final season, fans can expect a few more of these hijinks from the “Ultimate Detective/Genius.”
10 Jake’s Relationship With Holt Got Off To A Rocky Start
In the Pilot episode, Jake meets Captain Holt for the first time and the reception is fairly chilly. Holt instantly makes an example out of him which embarrasses Jake in front of his coworkers, as well as giving various orders that he sees as irrelevant. This results in Jake feeling determined to prove that he can solve a case without sticking to his new captain’s rules.
After coming across a potential lead in an ongoing case, Jake convinces his colleague and friend Charles Boyle to help him chase it up. Boyle suggests running it by Holt first, as procedure dictates, but Jake dismisses the idea. They ultimately lose a suspect and Holt assigns Jake to work in the records room as punishment.
9 He Smashes His Way Into Amy’s Interrogation
In a quick cutaway gag, Amy Santiago is seen conducting an interrogation with a suspect. Amy is arguably as talented a detective as Jake, if not better (a rivalry that sparked a bet between them early on) so Jake should always keep out of her way and let Amy do her job. Obviously, it doesn’t always work like that.
During the interrogation, Jake stands on the other side of the one-way mirror and hits his hands against it while shouting advice to Amy. She continues to play it cool despite his antics, but as he keeps hitting against the glass, the mirror shatters completely.
8 He Arrested A Suspect Without Evidence
In the 7th episode of the first season, “48 Hours,” Jake reveals to Holt that he has arrested a suspect in a jewelry store robbery without enough evidence. As a result, he has to find something to charge him with within 48 hours, otherwise, the suspect walks free.
Eventually Jake realizes the truth behind the robbery, discovering that the suspect taught his MO to a friend so that he would have an alibi and then split the loot 50/50. This breakthrough prevents the precinct from being sued by the District Attorney for Jake’s mishandling of the arrest.
7 The Vulture Steals The Team’s Thunder
The Nine-Nine run into Detective Keith Pembroke, aka the Vulture, during a murder investigation and he claims the case for himself as part of the Major Crimes Unit. The nickname comes from his habit of swooping in and stealing nearly-solved cases so he can take the glory for himself.
Season 1’s 5th episode finds the team infuriated with Pembroke’s actions and so Jake suggests that they continue to investigate regardless. They have a breakthrough and discover the murder weapon but end up in hot water for interfering, until Jake lets Pembroke take the credit to get him off their backs.
6 Jake’s Nostalgia Gets In His Way
In Season 1’s 9th episode, “Sal’s Pizza,” Jake’s favorite pizza place in NYC is burned to the ground. Naturally, he wants to find out what happened but he and Boyle run into Fire Marshall Boone, who refuses to let them into the site. Boone rubs salt into the wound by suggesting that the owner, Sal, probably burned the business down himself.
Jake, enraged, takes it upon himself to discover the truth with Boyle’s help. They sneak onto the scene to find clues but are foiled by Boone and detained. When questioned by Holt about his behavior, Jake tells him that his absentee father would often bring him to Sal’s Pizza. This revelation even convinces Boone to let Jake take the case and prove Sal’s innocence.
5 The First Season Finale Saw Jake Being Suspended
The finale of Season 1, titled “Charges and Specs,” sees Jake being ordered to drop his investigation into a civic leader named Lucas Wint. He believes Wint is laundering money to drug dealers, but his superior, Commissioner Podolski, doesn’t want to hear it as Jake has a lack of evidence.
True to his nature, Jake doesn’t do as he’s told and continues his investigation, even convincing Amy to help him spy on Wint. Of course, he gets caught in the act and suspended for six months due to his actions. Jake discovers that he’s on the right track, however, and ends up working undercover with the FBI to take down Wint.
4 Jake, Holt, & Gina Work Secretly To Catch A Killer
The 4th episode of Season 3, “The Oolong Slayer,” features the Vulture giving all major crimes to another unit and leaving the Nine-Nine with boring cases. Despite that handicap, Jake soon discovers patterns in various cases that may point to the Oolong Slayer, a killer who’s been operating for 10 years.
Despite their circumstances, Jake recruits Holt and Gina Linetti to help catch the Slayer, at the risk of losing their jobs. They make a mistake and wind up being suspended, but Jake continues his search and discovers the killer. He and Holt manage to take him down and soon all three characters are returned to their positions in the Nine-Nine.
3 Jealousy Blinds Jake To The Truth
The Season 5 episode, “The Puzzle Master,” sees Jake and Amy (now a couple) work together to solve an arson case related to her favorite author, Melvin Stermley. Jake invites the author in to meet Amy and is surprised to find that Stermley is much more handsome than he expected.
As Amy and Stermley become friendly, Jake lets his emotions get the better of him and doesn’t support their theory as to who is behind the fires. When asked to guard a potential target, he decides to monitor Stermley instead. This allows the real arsonist to attack where Jake was meant to be protecting. He learns the error of his ways and solves the case soon after.
2 He Wants It That Way
Season 5’s “DFW” has a particularly memorable cold open that has over 42 million views on two official B99 YouTube channels. During a routine lineup, Jake asks a witness to identify the suspect. She struggles but does remember a key detail about his actions, he was singing “I Want It That Way” by The Backstreet Boys.
Jake instructs the suspects to take turns reciting the lyrics to the famous song, and he gets a little too into the spontaneous opportunity. The lineup winds up harmonizing surprisingly well as Jake helps them out through the intercom, which probably isn’t standard police procedure. The weird plan actually works, with the witness identifying her brother’s murderer thanks to his singing talent. It was fun while it lasted, at least.
1 Pretty Much Every Time Doug Judy Shows Up
Originally seeing Doug Judy as his nemesis, Jake would quickly form a bond with the “Pontiac Bandit” and the two would frequently walk the line between friend and foe. Many of Jake’s colleagues disapprove of the friendship and don’t trust Judy, and there are times that Jake’s good nature has been taken advantage of.
On occasion, Jake withholds information from Captain Holt and the others when he believes Judy isn’t lying to him, and in more recent instances, his good faith has been rewarded. That said, each time Jake doesn’t keep his team in the loop, he is making a bad decision that could easily see him fired or in even worse trouble.
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