Summary

• The best Brooklyn 99 episodes showcased the amazing chemistry and talent of the cast, resulting in hilarious and compelling television.
• The series excelled when blending comedy with serious subject matter, setting it apart from other shows.
• The Halloween heist episodes and themed episodes like "Game Night" and "The Box" stand out as some of the show's most memorable and entertaining moments.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine was remarkably consistent during its run and the best Brooklyn 99 episodes matched up with any other comedy on television. Brooklyn Nine-Nine premiered in 2013 on Fox, and while it gained a lot of fans and critical praise for its off-the-wall humor, Fox canceled it after five seasons. Luckily for fans, NBC saved the show and aired it for three more seasons, and presented some more of the best Brooklyn 99 episodes, without ever missing a beat. By the end, the series ended with eight seasons and 153 episodes, while also picking up a Golden Globe along the way.

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The best Brooklyn 99 episodes focused on the amazing actors that made up the cops at the fictional 99th Precinct of the NYPD in Brooklyn. No matter how the immensely talented cast was paired up in any given episode, it typically made for hilarious and compelling television. Every season of the series was critically acclaimed, with four seasons sitting at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, and that makes finding the best Brooklyn 99 episodes hard to narrow down. It was often at its best when it blended comedy with serious subject matter in a way few shows could.

20 "Pilot"

Season 1, Episode 1

It's impossible to look at the best Brooklyn 99 episodes without considering where it started. The episode, titled "Pilot," set up the show for what fans could come to expect over the years.

While it took a while to find its footing, the pilot episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine still showed the humor that defined the comedy series. The first episode introduced the characters that would carry the show, with Jake and Amy as the first two to hit the screen. However, it did things a little differently, with the theme music coming at the end. "Pilot" was surpassed many times over, but it's incredibly important for the series overall.

19 "99"

Season 5, Episode 9

In season 5, one of the best Brooklyn 99 episodes kept irony intact, as it was the 99th episode and was titled "99." What was funny about this episode was that it was set up like a Brooklyn Nine-Nine series finale, even though the show still had more to go.

This was also a rare episode where the cast didn't split up to deal with different cases, and they were mostly together for the entire installment. It was also different in that it didn't take place at the police department and instead showed them in a more natural environment. The show proved why it was so funny, by putting these characters into ridiculous situations, such as trying to sleep during a "cow orgy."

18 "DFW"

Season 5, Episode 17

"DFW" was the fifth episode of season 5 and remains one of the best Brooklyn 99 episodes in its run, largely due to its memorable cold open, and what that leads to. This all started with one of the best gags in the show's history as Jake was trying to help a woman pick out the man who killed her brother from a lineup.

The woman only remembers that the killer sang a Backstreet Boys song at a bar that day, so Jake starts to sing "I Want It That Way," with everyone in the lineup singing along with him. It was Brooklyn Nine-Nine's best cold open and the rest of the show followed with the introduction of Jake's sister Kate (Nasim Pedrad).

17 "Operation: Broken Feather"

Season 1, Episode 15

The season 1 episode "Operation: Broken Feather" had one of the show's many guest star appearances and one of its biggest. This was the episode where Brooklyn 99 gained most of its fans since it aired after the Super Bowl in 2014. Adding someone like Adam Sandler to the Brooklyn Nine-Nine guest cast got people paying attention.

The writers turned in one of the best Brooklyn 99 episodes, which helped the show keep many of those fans. The jokes were sharp, the characters were all completely settled into their personas, and this episode proved why people needed to pay attention to what was the smartest comedy on television.

16 "Halloween"

Season 1, Episode 6

The first "Halloween" episode in Brooklyn Nine-Nine history helped set the table for one of the fan-favorite traditions on the show. One of the best Brooklyn 99 episodes, this introduced the annual "Halloween Heist," and while some in later seasons trumped this one, this was still one of the more creative episodes of television when it came out.

The heists got really creative as the seasons wore on, but seeing the first season's heists was still fun and creative. This was also the first episode to have the "title of your sex tape" joke, making it even more iconic.

15 “The Jimmy Jab Games”

Season 2, Episode 3

Towards the beginning of season 2, audiences saw the ultimate team-building exercise from the Nine-Nine with the "Jimmy Jab Games." It was a competitive yet comical set of games that tested each member of the squad's skillsets.

Not only was the episode filled with hilariously disastrous moments, but it was also the episode where Jake realized and admitted to Rosa that he still had feelings for Amy. This was also the episode where Madeline Wuntch proved to be a strong member of the cast, and her insults were harsh and hilarious, setting up her antagonistic role in the future.

14 “Pimemento”

Season 7, Episode 3

Adrian Pimento is considered to be the funniest side character on Brooklyn Nine-Nine. In this episode, Pimento comes to Jake and Charles claiming someone is trying to kill him. The only problem is he can't remember who, and he now seems to have short-term memory loss, much like Leonard in the classic film Memento did.

Jake repeatedly tries to reference the movie to Adrian and Charles and neither of them has seen it. Instead, they think it's just like the movie Finding Dory. The references to memorable movies and the chemistry between the cast made this a special episode.

13 “HalloVeen”

Season 5, Episode 4

The Halloween Heist episodes of Brooklyn Nine-Nine are always fan favorites. Part of the reason why is because they seem to up the ante every single year. Viewers were always on the edge of their seats because of this, waiting to see who was going to be crowned the "Ultimate Detective/Genius," but this heist episode was different.

No one technically won, but Jake did finally propose to Amy in the most beautiful and quintessentially "Jake and Amy" way possible. Aside from the proposal being heart-warming, the heist events unfolding before that were a sight to behold, too.

12 “Cop-Con”

Season 4, Episode 18

In this season 4 episode, the squad goes to Rochester for Cop-Con but the Nine-Nine uses it as an excuse to party. When their original plans are thwarted, they decide to throw a party of their own in their rooms while trying to evade Holt's judgment and scolding.

They end up getting so inebriated they can't remember what happened the night before and must try to crack the case before Holt's presentation is ruined. This was a giant ensemble piece, and as one of the best Brooklyn 99 episodes, it showed how great these characters are when they're all together.

11 “Moo Moo”

Season 4, Episode 16

Brooklyn Nine-Nine has a great way of touching on important issues without being controversial or demeaning. A perfect example of this is "Moo Moo," an episode that focuses on Terry being stopped by another cop in his own neighborhood because he's a black man.

It wasn't until the cop realized Terry was, in fact, a cop himself, that the issue was dropped. But for Terry, it still was a major problem that needed to be reported. The way the writers tackled this very real issue that happens all the time was respectful and rather poignant.

10 "Johnny And Dora"

Season 2, Episode 23

Following several hurdles that included an undercover operation and ill-timed relationships, Jake Peralta and Amy Santiago were finally single at the same time. Santiago, however, declared no more relationships with cops just as Jake was about to make his move.

They awkwardly went undercover as a newly engaged couple, "Johnny and Dora," resulting in a couple of fake make-out sessions before Jake and Amy's first official kiss. This episode featured an emotional moment from Detective Raymond Holt, who was forced to leave the Nine-Nine by his recurring nemesis Madeline Wuntch to save his squad from being split up.

9 "Yippie Kayak"

Season 3, Episode 10

One of the more endearing qualities of Peralta is his obsessive love for Die Hard, which has shaped his personal and professional life and has resulted in many hilarious episode gags. The series even had a guest appearance from Reginald VelJohnson.

Season 3 even saw Peralta, Charles Boyle, and Gina Linetti trapped in a department store hostage situation on Christmas, poised to re-enact Jake's favorite film. Things don't quite go as Jake would hope when the German terrorists turn out to be French Canadian robbers and Peralta is forced to sit on the sidelines while Boyle butchers John McClane's iconic line, saving the day with a dramatic rescue from the air vents.

8 "The Pontiac Bandit"

Season 1, Episode 12

It's difficult to pick the best guest star on the series, but Craig Robinson is certainly a fan favorite. Craig Robinson's annual Doug Judy appearances are beloved by fans, as watching his and Jake Peralta's friendship develop was just as rewarding as Jake and Amy's relationship.

Robinson's first appearance came as the titular Pontiac Bandit, a car thief Peralta had been investigating for years. Judy's first interaction with Peralta is a lie, as he is caught on identity thief charges but instead offers up Peralta's nemesis, the Pontiac Bandit. This kicked off a series of bait-and-switch games played by Judy with each season's appearance that would bring the two closer while also dragging Judy closer to the right side of the law.

7 "Jake And Amy"

Season 5, Episode 22

Season 5 of Brooklyn was building toward two huge moments for the Nine-Nine: Jake and Amy's wedding and Holt's campaign to achieve his lifelong goal of becoming the Commissioner of the NYPD. In "Jake and Amy," Holt is set to learn the results of the election while the wedding is ruined by a bomb set by a criminal from Amy's past.

While the season-long planning of the wedding was ruined, Boyle set up a perfect replacement wedding at the precinct officiated by Holt. The episode ended on the biggest cliffhanger yet with the postponement of Holt's commissioner reveal, considering the series was canceled by Fox shortly after the episode.

6 "Game Night"

Season 5, Episode 10

Inspired by Stephanie Beatriz coming out as bisexual, "Game Night" featured her character Rosa Diaz doing the same during a morning briefing to the squad. Determined, but scared to tell her parents, Diaz asks Peralta for help through an awkward dinner and even worse family game night, which leaves the Diaz family at odds with each other.

The episode featured a touching scene between Beatriz and Trejo as the father accepts his daughter, and also showcased Jake and Diaz's friendship and Peralta's continuing growth into a mature and responsible adult. Not only is this one of the best Brooklyn Nine-Nine episodes, but it also helped demonstrate why Brooklyn Nine-Nine won the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Comedy Series in 2018.

5 "The Bet"

Season 1, Episode 13

One of the best Brooklyn 99 episodes serves as the culmination of a season-long bet over who is the better detective, Peralta or Santiago. The wagers? Jake's prized 1965 Ford Mustang versus Amy having to go on the worst date ever in Jake's Mustang.

When Santiago loses at the last minute, she is forced out on the meticulously planned "worst date", which turns into a stakeout on a rooftop where the two end up actually having a good time. The episode served as one of the first moments that teased the eventual romance between Jake and Amy, though it would still be a few seasons until those feelings were fully realized.

4 "The Last Ride"

Season 4, Episode 15

Upon news that the Nine-Nine is about to be shut down, Peralta and Boyle decide to go out in a blaze of glory against mean drug dealers, while Santiago and Holt rush through a planned nine-year mentorship in ten hours, and Sergeant Jeffords with Diaz battles against Hitchcock and Scully for the precinct arrest record.

In true Nine-Nine fashion, the precinct is saved by Gina's live streams that captured numerous moments of hilarious cement drinking pranks and an impassioned speech by Holt when Peralta and Boyle decided to go for the bigger bust. The episode features great moments from the entire squad and perfectly exemplifies the depths the show can reach.

3 "Show Me Going"

Season 5, Episode 20

An episode that proves the show isn't all about comedy is the fifth season's "Show Me Going," which features the squad dealing with the news that Diaz is involved in an active shooter situation that already suffered police casualties. It's a tense environment in the precinct and Holt struggles to comfort his squad, hoping to rely on Peralta for the Nine-Nine's emotional support.

Jake goes against his own instincts to defy orders to help Diaz, and instead does the right thing and chooses to be there for the Nine-Nine until Diaz' safe return. It was an emotional episode that highlighted the deep relationships this team developed with one of the least emotional members of the team.

2 "Halloween II"

Season 2, Episode 4

Brooklyn Nine-Nine is known for every season's recurring themed episodes, such as the annual heist-based Halloween episodes. While it's hard to pick the best Brooklyn 99 episodes at Halloween, "Halloween II" comes out as the best due to the creation of the ongoing challenge between detectives and their captain.

While Peralta prompted the events of the first and second Halloween heists, the episode reveals that Holt had engineered the events of the second heist through detailed manipulations and planning begun one year prior. Holt's pitch-perfect delivery of his plans like a classic Bond villain clinches this Halloween as the best.

1 "The Box"

Season 5, Episode 14

"The Box" features Holt and Peralta locked in an intense interrogation against one of the best guest stars to hit the Nine-Nine, Sterling K. Brown. While viewers have seen police interrogations before, none compare to the mind games witnessed in this episode.

Brown's cool and collected Dr. Philip Davidson used his arrogant intelligence and turned Holt and Peralta's interrogation techniques back on them. This calls into question Holt's trust in Peralta's competence. At the end of the day, Peralta is able to attack Davidson's pride and get a nail-biting confession. One of the best Brooklyn 99 episodes, it showcased why Peralta is the star of the squad.

• 

  Brooklyn Nine-Nine

  Release Date:

  2013-09-17

  Cast:

  Stephanie Beatriz, Melissa Fumero, Andy Samberg, Andre Braugher, Joel McKinnon Miller, Dirk Blocker, Terry Crews, Chelsea Peretti, Joe Lo Truglio

  Genres:

  Comedy, Crime

  Seasons:

  8

  Rating:

  TV-14

  Story By:

  Michael Schur

  Writers:

  Michael Schur, Dan Goor

  Network:

  FOX, NBC

  Streaming Service(s):

  Netflix, Peacock

  Showrunner:

  Michael Schur, Dan Goor