Captain Raymond Holt is the Ninety-Ninth precinct's captain and now commissioner, and probably the most iconic, hilarious character on Brooklyn Nine-Nine. With his signature robotic demeanour, Holt has coined some of the best lines and moments of the entire series.
Being a black, gay man as well as the captain/commissioner of a precinct, Captain Holt is a revolutionary character who breaks stereotypes and provides amazing representation for minorities. Raymond is a great friend to his peers, a supportive surrogate father to Jake, a wonderful husband to Kevin, and an awesome mentor to Amy. Raymond Holt is a unique and captivating character—one TV desperately needed—and a major reason why Brooklyn Nine-Nine is so successful. So let's review some of this iconic Captain's funniest moments.
His First Encounter With Peralta
Brooklyn Nine-Nine aired its pilot episode on FOX in September of 2013. It was in this series premiere that the Ninety-Ninth precinct was introduced to their new Captain, Raymond Holt. The episode mostly revolved around this notion, humorously establishing Holt's iconic robotic demeanor.
Most notably, B99's pilot episode presents the hilarious dynamic between Holt and Jake. The relationship between these two is one of the most important on the show, as they have grown from mere acquaintances who had completely different personalities to now basically being father and son, and the beginning of their relationship is undoubtedly one of the most important moments on the show.
Whenever He Breaks His Robot Persona
One of the funniest things about Holt is the stuff he says while maintaining an emotionless expression and a monotone voice. But what can be even more hilarious, is when Holt momentarily breaks his typical persona with a sudden emotional outburst.
Due to how unexpected that always is, these moments never fail to be great. Though throughout Brooklyn Nine-Nine's six seasons, Holt's out-of-the-blue breaks in his robot persona have become less rare, though they are always a classic running joke on the show. From his triumphant "hot damn!" to the time when he demonstrated forced laughing and smiling in an attempt to convince the precinct that it would improve their moods.
His Reaction to Eating a Marshmellow
In one of their best cold opens to date, Jake holds a contest in which the precinct members imitate what they think Holt's reaction to eating a marshmallow would be. Not only are the many guesses and interpretations of the gang's hilarious, but Holt's actual reaction is priceless. Charles guesses that Holt would react to eating a marshmallow with lots of ridiculous "oohs and awes", and everyone thinks this concept is absurd until Holt comes in and reacts in exactly the way Charles thought he would.
When He Was a Super Overprotective Husband to Kevin
In a particularly hilarious Brooklyn Nine-Nine episode, Kevin is forced to go off the grid because he is on a dangerous man's hit-list. Jake decides to stay with him. The two of them stay in a secluded cabin for several weeks. During this time, Jake and Holt are forced to follow Captain Holt's ridiculously strict orders and safety protocols. Holt is usually a pretty even-keeled guy who responds to situations diligently and with his typical robotic calmness. But when it's Kevin who's in danger, Holt's reaction is drastically changed, and he becomes super overprotective. Frankly, this is hilarious and adorable.
"Wunch Time is Over!"
Holt has the best comebacks. For a typically monotone guy who has an even temper, when something sets Holt off and causes him to lose his cool, it never fails to be surprising. It's in these moments that viewers are treated to some awesome signature Holt comebacks. Madeline Wunch is a recurring antagonist on Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and of Holt's biggest enemies. The rivals have had several falling-outs throughout the course of the show, and Wunch never fails to get under Holt's skin. That is what brought us one of Holt's funniest, most memorable lines: "Wunch time is over".
When He Befriended the Old Ladies in Florida
Season 4 presents a two-parter premiere titled "Coral Palms Part 1 & 2", in which Jake and Holt, now in the witness protection program, have been living in Florida for six months. The episodes delve into what the detectives' lives had been like during this time period. One of the most humorous aspects of the whole Florida storyline was when it was revealed that Holt had made some friends; a group of older ladies who he frequently speed-walked with while engaging in some idle chit-chat which only he could find entertaining.
The Way He Reacts to Jake's Podium Prank
Jake and Holt's relationship is undeniably iconic, and they have grown to have an extremely close bond. This means that they know each other very well, and more importantly, they know the proper way to prank each other. A season 6 episode highlights Brooklyn Nine-Nine's sweet humor in a scene where Jake decides to prank Holt by moving his podium a half-inch. Nobody in the precinct thinks this will work, but Holt enters the room and notices that his podium has been moved almost instantly. His reaction is completely hilarious.
Every Halloween Heist
Brooklyn Nine-Nine puts a lot into their Halloween episodes. There is one every season, and it follows the same theme; the precinct holds their annual Halloween heist in which they compete for the titled of Most Amazing Detective Slash Genius. For Holt, these heists never fail to bring out his competitive side, which makes watching him play Jake's game endlessly entertaining.
When He Calls Boyle "Porkchop"
Holt seeing Boyle as a piece of meat is a running joke throughout the episode "Halloween IV". In this heist, Boyle betrays Jake and asserts his loyalty to the Captain. Holt believes that this will guarantee him the championship as Jake's plan hinged on Boyle's loyalty to himself, not Holt. Early in the episode, Holt starts calling Boyle "porkchop," which is a completely hilarious and unforgettable nickname.
When He Gets Addicted To Kwazy Kupcakes
In an earlier episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Gina and several others discover a phone game called Kwazy Kupcakes. This is a game that proves to be extremely addictive, especially for Gina, who soon becomes a pro while playing at work.
Holt thinks of himself as being above this ridiculous little game, but ultimately, even he falls victim to Kwazy Kupcakes. Gina and the rest of the precinct begin to worry about his out-of-character addiction, but Holt is instantly cured of this when he discovers that Hitchcock is also a Kwazy Kupcakes player.