The cop-based sitcom Brooklyn Nine-Nine is packed with references to the 1988 film Die Hard–here's every Easter egg and reference to the iconic action movie explained. For eight seasons, from 2013 to 2021, Brooklyn Nine-Nine focused on the fictional 99th Precinct of the New York Police Department in Brooklyn, New York. Much like Parks and Recreation and The Office, the previous comedies Brooklyn Nine-Nine co-creators Dan Goor and Michael Schur worked on, Brooklyn Nine-Nine has plenty of pop culture references. However, the references and homages to Die Hard are especially prevalent in Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
One of the primary characters of Brooklyn Nine-Nine is Jake Peralta (Andy Samberg), a goofy guy who's also a very skilled detective and a big fan of the movie Die Hard. Jake has mentioned that Die Hard is what inspired him to become a cop and has made it clear throughout the series that it's his favorite movie. An action classic starring Bruce Willis as detective John McClane and Alan Rickman as the terrorist Hans Gruber, Die Hard was an easy movie for Jake Peralta to obsess over.
During an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon to promote Brooklyn Nine-Nine season 7 (via YouTube), Andy Samberg mentioned that he would love to see Die Hard's Bruce Willis guest star on the show. While Samberg's hopes didn't come to fruition, there are still plenty of great Die Hard references and Easter eggs for audiences to find throughout Brooklyn Nine-Nine, from throwaway one-liners to entire episode homages. Here's every shoutout to Die Hard in Brooklyn Nine-Nine explained, including the episodes where they occur.
Jake Peralta's Badge
The first Die Hard reference occurs in Brooklyn Nine-Nine season 1, episode 1, "Pilot." Like Die Hard protagonist John McLane, Jake wears his police badge on a chain.
Jake Calls Die Hard A Great Cop Movie
In Brooklyn Nine-Nine season 1, episode 3, "The Slump," Jake brings up his love of Die Hard for the first time in the Brooklyn Nine-Nine episode's cold open, the squad is discussing what the greatest cop movie of all time is. Jake makes his case for Die Hard, arguing, "Die Hard is the best cop movie of all time. One cop heroically saving the day while everyone else stands around and watches. It’s the story of my life."
"Welcome To The Party, Pal."
At the end of Brooklyn Nine-Nine season 1, episode 8, "Old School," Jake and his colleagues decide to detonate a novel written by Jake's childhood hero, former journalist and 70s police novel writer Jimmy Brogan (Stacy Keach), after Brogan makes homophobic remarks about Captain Holt (Andre Braugher). After blowing up the book, Jake quotes an iconic Die Hard one-liner that John McClane utters after throwing a dead bad guy on top of a cop car: "Welcome to the party, pal."
"Can't you see what's happening? Can't you read between the lines?"
In Brooklyn Nine-Nine season 1, episode 12, "Pontiac Bandit," Jake and Rosa (Stephanie Beatriz) team up to pursue the elusive titular criminal. He quotes Die Hard character Sergeant Al Powell's line, "Can't you read between the lines, man?" to Rosa, and her deadpan reply is, "Don't quote Die Hard."
Die Hard: One Of The Classics
In Brooklyn Nine-Nine season 1, episode 16, "The Party," Holt's husband, Kevin (Marc Evan Jackson) tells Jake he's the head of the classics department at Columbia University, and Jake replies, "Ah, interesting, classics. Zeppelin, Hendrix, Die Hard. Total classics head over here."
Jake Meets A Fellow Die Hard Superfan
In Brooklyn Nine-Nine season 1, episode 17, "Full Boyle," Boyle sets up Jake on a double date with Bernice (Amanda Lund), a woman who is as obsessed with Die Hard as Jake is. Bernice even mentions that she sleeps in a Nakatomi Plaza security T-shirt.
Hans Gruber
Brooklyn Nine-Nine season 2, episode, 7, "Jake and Sophia," introduces Sophia (Eva Longoria), a love interest for Jake. Jake mentions that he and Sophia watched Die Hard through Die Hard with a Vengeance. Later on, after finding out Sophia is a defense attorney, Jake remarks, “It’s like if John McClane slept with Hans Gruber. Or even worse, Jeremy Irons from the third one.” At another point in the episode, Sophia also says, "I can’t believe I slept with a cop. It’s like I had sex with Hans Gruber." Jake defensively replies that Sophia is "the Gruber," not him.
The Die Hard Franchise & Live Free Or Die Hard
In Brooklyn Nine-Nine season 2, episode 9, "Stakeout," Charles (Joe LoTruglio) implores Jake not to talk about Die Hard, "or Die Hard 2, or Die Hard 3." Jake asks Charles if he only wants him to talk about the fourth movie in the Die Hard series, to which Charles incredulously replies, "There's a fourth one?" and tells Jake not to judge him for "not knowing the Die Hards."
Nakatomi Plaza
In Brooklyn Nine-Nine season 2, episode 13, "Payback," Jake, who is keeping Terry's (Terry Crews) wife's pregnancy a secret, gives Terry a list of baby names. "Nakatomi. Like the tower from Die Hard. Works for a boy or a girl."
Die Hard With A Vengeance
In Brooklyn Nine-Nine season 2, episode 15, "Windbreaker City," Jake roleplays as "Francis Gruber" during a counter-terrorism drill and references Simon Gruber, Hans Gruber's older brother played by Jeremy Irons in Die Hard with a Vengeance. “Does this sound like a game? I am a terrorist leader. My name is Francis Gruber. My brother, Hans, died at Nakatomi Plaza at the hands of John McClane. Also, I’m related to Jeremy Irons from the third one.” Later on in the episode, Jake is fake-shot by Homeland Security agent Kendrick (Nick Kroll), who is inspired by Jake's Die Hard references, to which Jake remakes that he "got John McClane-d."
John McClane
In Brooklyn Nine-Nine season 2, episode 22, "The Chopper," Holt insists on accompanying Jake on an operation supported by Holt's rival, Madeline Wuntch (Kyra Sedgewick), "so that you don’t waste time and resources turning this investigation into another Ron McClane movie.” Jake corrects Holt, "Oh, you know it’s John McClane."
The Entirety Of "Yippie Kayak"
Brooklyn Nine-Nine season 3, episode 10, "Yippie Kayak," is a massive love letter to Die Hard. The episode puts Jake, Charles, and Gina (Chelsea Peretti) in a real Die Hard situation when they are held hostage in a store by robbers while Christmas shopping. Terry ends up leaving his Christmas dinner to head the operation to catch the robbers.
Charles has a heroic moment when he knocks out the criminals' leader, though he hilariously misquotes John McClaine's iconic "Yippie-ki-yay motherf******" line as "Yippie-ki-yay, other buckets!"
Terry's Kittens
In Brooklyn Nine-Nine season 3, episode 19, "Terry Kitties," Jake babysits some kittens for Terry, giving them the Die Hard-inspired names of Hans, John, and Nakatomi.
The Die Hard VHS
Terry (who eventually becomes captain of the precinct in Brooklyn Nine-Nine season 8) mentions in Brooklyn Nine-Nine season 4, episode 8, "Skyfire Circle" that Jake once took a train to Toronto just to get a copy of the Canadian VHS of Die Hard. Jake argues that there was a rumor that the Canadian VHS had better sound quality.
A Good Day To Die Hard
Brooklyn Nine-Nine season 4, episode 10, "Captain Latvia" pokes fun at the critically panned fifth Die Hard movie. Charles is stressed because a Latvian action figure he ordered as a Christmas for his adopted son, Nikolaj, hasn't arrived yet. Jake assures Charles that everything will be fine, though Charles counters with, "Really? 'Cause you said that about Die Hard 5, Jake."
An Iconic John McClane/Hans Gruber Moment
Doug Judy (Craig Robinson) makes a Die Hard reference in Brooklyn Nine-Nine season 4, episode 12, "The Fugitive, Part 2." He and George (Charles Baker), his foster brother and an escaped convict, corner Jake and Captain Holt; Doug reveals that he gave George an unloaded gun, just like John McClane did to Hans Gruber.
Charles References Jake's Die Hard Obsession
Charles brings up Jake's love of Die Hard in Brooklyn Nine-Nine season 4, episode 15, "The Last Ride," when the 99th precinct is in danger of being shut down. The two of them discuss potential new partners and Charles says, “You’re going get a new partner. His name’s going to be Heath or Ryan. He’s going to know everything about Die Hard and he’s going to be super cool. Jean jacket cool.”
John McClane's Roof Jump
In Brooklyn Nine-Nine season 4, episode 18, "Chasing Amy," Jake and Amy are stuck on the roof before Amy's sergeant exam. Jake decides to jump off the roof, emulating John McClane's jump from the roof of Nakatomi Plaza in Die Hard. Amy tells Jake that he is not "Die Hard-ing off this roof" but Jake insists, as he's always wanted to do it. However, his jump is ruined when he finds out the windows of the building have bars.
A Hans Gruber Quote
In Brooklyn Nine-Nine season 4, episode 20, "The Slaughterhouse," Jake quotes Hans Gruber while interrogating a perpetrator by saying, "I'm gonna count to three, there will not be a fourth." Lieutenant Melanie Hawkins (Gina Gershon) recognizes the reference and she and Jake briefly discuss their mutual love for Die Hard.
Jake's Marriage Proposal
When Jake proposes to Amy during the Halloween heist in Brooklyn Nine-Nine season 5, episode 4, "HalloVeen," he lists the many things he loves about her, including how she pretends to love the movie Die Hard. Amy responds that she likes Die Hard 2, to which Jake responds, "You don't have to."
Jake And Amy's Wedding Cake
In Brooklyn Nine-Nine season 5, episode 6, "The Venue," Amy reveals to Jake that she had a pastry chef create a cake shaped and designed like Nakatomi Plaza for their wedding. Amy even parodies a Die Hard quote by saying, "Welcome to the wedding, pal."
Jake Visits Nakatomi Plaza
In Brooklyn Nine-Nine season 5, episode 9, "99," Jake and the squad are in Los Angeles for the funeral of Captain McGinley (Mike Hagerty), the previous leader of the precinct before Holt became captain. On the drive back home, Jake asks the car to stop at the Fox Plaza, a real building that was used as Die Hard's fictional Nakatomi Plaza. Jake tells Holt, who is driving, to "pull over, Argyle," referencing the driver that picks up John McClane from the airport in Die Hard's opening.
The squad tours the building, which Jake considers an important American monument. Jake gets excited, asking to get his picture taken in various locations: "The floor that John McClane ran on with his bare feet," "The window where John McClane said, 'Welcome to the party, pal,'" "The vent where John McClane said, 'Come out to the coast. We'll get together, have a few laughs'," and "The space where, even though it's not really evident in the dialogue, you can tell that John McClane realizes he should've been a better husband.'"
A Die Hard Actor Cameo
Though Bruce Willis never made an appearance, another major Die Hard actor cameos in Brooklyn Nine-Nine season 5, episode 19, "Bachelor/ette Party." Charles arranges an elaborate scavenger hunt for Jake's bachelor party, though Jake, Terry, and Holt decide to take shortcuts instead. After Charles realizes Jake's deception, he gets upset and leaves; Jake decides to seek out help from Reginald VelJohnson, who played Al Powell in Die Hard and Die Hard 2 and was a part of the scavenger hunt. Jake and Charles reconcile, but VelJohnson is upset with Jake for not showing up and vows to tell Bruce Willis, Jake's idol, that he sucks.
Jake & Amy's Wedding
In the Brooklyn Nine-Nine season 5 finale, "Jake & Amy," the titular couple goes through with their wedding. The big day has its mishaps, though the Nakatomi Plaza cake is delivered to the precinct on time. However, it gets eaten by Cheddar, Captain Holt's beloved pet corgi. Holt and Gina (who left Brooklyn Nine-Nine in season 6) look for Cheddar because he's supposed to be the replacement ring bearer, only to find him passed out after eating the cake.
Amy's Roleplay In "Honeymoon"
The Brooklyn Nine-Nine season 6 premiere, "Honeymoon," features Amy and Jake's honeymoon at a Mexican beach resort after their Brooklyn Nine-Nine season 5 wedding. Amy decides to dress up and roleplay as Holly Gennero McClane (Bonnie Bedelia), John McClane's wife in the first two Die Hard movies, for "sexy reasons," though her amorous gesture is foiled when she walks into their room and discovers Holt, who is staying at the same hotel and taking some time off work after losing out on the Commissioner's job.
Jake appreciates the detail of Amy's costume, asking if she contacted Paul Abascal, a hairstylist who worked on the sets of Die Hard and Die Hard 2 (a movie Bruce Willis disliked), though Amy reveals that the 80s hair is just a wig. Later in the episode, Amy briefly continues her Holly Gennero roleplay, with Jake also roleplaying as Melville Dewey, the inventor of the Dewey Decimal System.
Jake And Amy's Son
In "Lights Out," the finale of Brooklyn Nine-Nine season 7, Amy gives birth to a son in the precinct's break room before being transferred to a hospital. Jake and Amy decide to name their child McClane (Mac for short), a heartwarming tribute to Jake's favorite movie.