Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s famous “Nine-Nine!” chant was an iconic part of the show, though, surprisingly, it was never supposed to happen. Of the many recurring lines and jokes in Brooklyn Nine-Nine, one of the most recognizable was undoubtedly the main characters chanting, “Nine-Nine!” as their personal rallying call. It was short and simple enough to get the point across, and the energy with which it was invoked by the characters every time made it easy for it to leave a mark on people (and audiences), gradually becoming a trademark of the series.
The “Nine-Nine!” chant is an iconic part of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and what’s especially notable about that is how it was never supposed to be in the show. According to Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s Melissa Fumero, the chant originally started as something Terry Crews came up with to pump up the cast on early mornings and late nights. At some point, the writers decided to incorporate it into the show. It’s surprising that such a signature line like that wasn’t an intentional part of the series. At the same time, that both highlights why it’s so important and makes the chant itself even better.
Why The “Nine-Nine!” Chant Is So Important
The “Nine-Nine!” chant started out as just a way for the cast to get energized for filming, and that highlights why it’s such an important part of Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Beyond just being funny, the chant served as a call for solidarity among the characters, with each use reminding them and the audience that they all share an inseparable bond. That’s even why the chant was the very last line of the Brooklyn Nine-Nine series finale; when it seemed like everyone had gone their separate ways, they all reunited at the last minute, and the “Nine-Nine!” chant emphasized that they would always find a way to stay together. It was a vital part of showing how everyone was together on something, and the fact that it was created for that same purpose in real life makes that even more important.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s Chant Origin Makes It Better
In addition to the overall meaning behind the “Nine-Nine!” chant, the fact that it wasn’t something the writers tried to force into the show makes it even better. It’s not uncommon for jokes and catchphrases in a show to fall flat due to the show trying too hard to make something funny or catchy, but as it turns out, part of why the “Nine-Nine!” chant never fell into that trap was that it was just something the cast of NBC's Brooklyn Nine-Nine was doing on their own that the writers decided to put in the show. The chant always felt like a natural part of the show, as it objectively was a natural part of the show, so there was never a moment where it felt like it was being used to try and force a laugh out of people. No doubt, this is fundamentally why it caught on as well as it did.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s famous “Nine-Nine!” chant was never supposed to be part of the show, but that ultimately feeds into why it works as well as it does. The chant’s purpose as a rallying cry works even better because that was its point in real life, and the fact that it wasn’t something the writers tried to force into 2013's Brooklyn Nine-Nine adds a new level of quality to its overall charm. It’s common for a story to not have everything planned out, and in the case of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, that ended up working entirely in its favor.