With any show that has a gag rate as bountiful as Brooklyn Nine-Nine, there are going to be some plot holes and inconsistencies that pop up. If laughter is valued over continuity, then the end product is a show that is a lot of fun to watch, but also steps on a few rakes from time to time.
So many writers contribute to the show, and it can be hard to nail down every single plot point and character trait with perfect accuracy. Therefore, inconsistencies and blunders are practically unavoidable. What's most important is that Brooklyn Nine-Nine continues to bring the laughs, even if audiences are left scratching their heads from time to time.
Is “Dirtbag” A Compliment Or An Insult?
In a season 1 flashback, Holt calls the Freestyle Killer a “dirtbag,” but in a season 5 episode, he says, “A dirtbag is a very useful part of the vacuum cleaner – clearly, it’s a compliment.” The question is, which is it?
One theory is that the younger Holt, who called the Freestyle Killer a “dirtbag,” was less mature than the older Holt audiences see today. Kevin expresses the same views about the word “dirtbag,” so it could be that Holt has changed a lot since having Kevin in his life.
Did Jake Forget About The Pontiac Bandit?
One enticing concept about being a cop would be learning the identity and details of an arch nemesis, and dealing with them accordingly. This could include someone like “the Greek” from The Wire, or “the Wet Bandits” from Home Alone. That's how Jake Peralta sees things.
In one episode, Jake mentions his disappointment over never having an enemy with a cool bad guy name. However, in the very next episode, he is revealed to have been hunting someone called “the Pontiac Bandit” for eight years, which is a rather glaring mistake.
Boyle’s Divorce Settles Keeps Changing
Charles Boyle must have had the worst divorce lawyer in the world, due to the details of his settlement changing as the series goes on. In season 1, he admits that his ex-wife pays him alimony, but in season 3, he claims he has to pay his ex-wife 85% percent of his salary. This doesn't add up.
Either the divorce settlement changed over two years after it was set in stone, or the writers simply forgot that it was Charles who received alimony, and not the other way around. No matter what the situation, this is one mistake that was left wide open.
Does Holt Enjoy Food, Or Not?
When Boyle is teaching Holt how to cook, he says that he would only eat bland protein bars containing all the nutrients his body needs for the rest of his life, because he doesn’t enjoy the taste, texture, or the experience of food.
However, he is later shown reading Boyle’s food blog in order to find out how certain foods will feel in his mouth, demonstrating a clear interest. This one is still up in the air.
Amy’s Halloween Heist Plan Was A Little Too Convenient
In the third Halloween episode, part of Amy’s plan to beat Holt involved putting a witch in the break room. This hinged on the room being the next location Holt went to after sneaking through a window, to steal the crown from the locker.
How she knew why he'd go to that particular room in the first place feels awfully convenient. The Halloween heist episodes are usually very tightly written, but there was a glaring oversight on this plot thread.
Charles Needs To Brush Up On His Zoology
“Peacocking” is a technique employed by some men in an attempt to pick up women. They dress or act outlandishly in order to attract attention, but the technique doesn’t usually work. Nevertheless, it has cropped up in a few TV comedies, including Parks and Recreation.
In an episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Charles calls a woman “Mrs. Peacock,” before adding “...male peacocks are the colorful dressers.” However, he doesn’t need to specify “male peacocks,” because all peacocks are male - specifically peafowls. Female peafowls are called peahens, which means Charles was generalizing out of ignorance.
What Is Holt’s Tell?
In season 1, Jake reveals that Holt’s tell is the way the corners of his mouth move. However, in a later episode, he says he has no idea what Holt’s tell is. He spends the whole episode undercover in a casino, trying to figure out what it is, despite what was said earlier.
At the end of the episode, Holt explains that his tell is his use of contractions, such as “it’s,” and “that’s.” Either Jake forgot, or Holt changed his tell on the fly, with no warning.
Who Has The Highest Arrest Rate In The Precinct?
Early in the series, Jake brags about having the most arrests of any detective in the precinct. However, when the precinct is about to be shut down, Hitchcock makes the same bold claim. During the self-evaluation, Hitchcock and Scully mention that they have a combined total of fourteen arrests.
It’s possible that in some of these cases, the characters were talking about the year’s total, rather than the overall total. Still, there’s clearly a conundrum here that hasn't been wrapped up.
Holt Orders His Medals All Wrong
Those who pay close attention to the medals on Captain Holt’s breast pocket will notice a World Trade Center breast bar. These were handed to any officer who was on duty–or responded on–September 11, 2001, during the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
However, when he receives a Commendation breast bar, he wears it above the WTC bar. Etiquette dictates that the WTC bar be worn above all other medals, except for the American flag. It’s a little detail, but an important one, and something that a consultant should’ve picked up on during production.
Is It Thanksgiving Or Turkey Day, Boyle?
In season 2’s “Lockdown,” Boyle spends an entire episode correcting people who use the term “Thanksgiving,” telling them instead to call it “Turkey Day.” The joke here is that people who are enthusiastic about holidays call it the latter, which is quite annoying.
Foodies call it that because they focus on it as a great day to celebrate food. Charles is routinely mocked for his food-related eccentricities, which is one of the saddest things about his character. It may have something to do with inconsistencies like this, when he later called the holiday "Thanksgiving," after he was so aggressive about calling it "Turkey Day" before.
What Is Holt’s Stance On Lying?
When Hitchcock told Holt he’d missed Scully’s birthday, which was “a big one,” Holt lied and said he was in Ecuador. However, when he misses Gina’s dance, he decides not to lie, and tells her the truth about why he wasn’t there.
For someone who holds his principles so firmly, even if it makes for socially awkward situations, why would Holt not have a firmer policy on lying? After all, it's one of the greatest moral debates of the human condition. Perhaps he lies to people he doesn’t respect, like Hitchcock, and only tells the truth to people he does respect, like Gina.
No One In The Nine-Nine Can Spell “Sergeant”
The season 2 episode “USPIS” features guest star Ed Helms playing a postal worker named Jack Danger who, in Jake’s opinion, does not live up to his badass name. In fact, he’s the opposite of what Jake would expect from someone with such a name.
On the extensions list seen in the episode, the word “sergeant” is misspelled as “sargent.” This is a title held by Terry and Amy. Plus, with grammar nuts like Holt and Amy in the precinct, how has no one noticed this mistake, and corrected the spelling?
How Many Times Can Jake And Charles Drive Down The Same Street?
In the episode “The Night Shift,” the same footage is used on the green screen in three scenes in which Jake and Charles are in moving cars. It is especially obvious in a couple of Charles’ close-ups, in which the same cab can be seen.
How many times can Jake and Charles drive down the same street, and how often are all the same cars going to be around them? This one only sticks out when audiences start paying attention to the backdrops, but once noticed, it’s hard to ignore.
Jake Can Grow A Mustache After All
There are lots of hidden details about Jake, one of which is his supposed inability to grow a mustache. This is a common sitcom trope – Marshall Eriksen laments the fact that he can’t grow a mustache. However, in season 5, Jake went to jail and grew a full, thick mustache and beard.
This might have been a sign of his maturity, as he had also impressed Amy by getting into Philip Roth, while he was in the slammer. So, perhaps the joke is that once Jake stopped being so goofy and grew up, suddenly he was able to grow facial hair.
Does Holt Accept Christmas Presents?
Any sitcom that goes on for more than one season is going to have a couple of Christmas episodes. Naturally, the characters are going to celebrate Christmas at some point, and these episodes are notorious for introducing plot holes into the canon.
Raymond Holt’s Christmas traditions are left somewhat inconsistent in Brooklyn Nine-Nine. In one episode, it’s mentioned that Holt never accepts Christmas gifts. However, in a later episode, it’s mentioned that the whole precinct did a Secret Santa, and Holt received a gift.
Jake Doesn’t Know How To Put On A Bulletproof Vest
As wacky as the antics of the Nine-Nine’s officers are, there are, for the most part, capable officers of the law. Whenever a situation requires them to stop making fun of each other and start taking things seriously, they do it. However, Jake made one egregious mistake.
When he’s putting on his bulletproof vest during the pilot episode, he puts his head through the armhole. Jake may be a clown, but he’s also a good cop, and this would’ve been covered during the very first day of training.
Holt Lied About The TV In His Bedroom
In one episode, Holt says, “I know they say it’s not good to have a TV in the bedroom, which is why I don’t.” However, when the squad comes over to Holt’s house for a party in a different episode, Amy can be seen channel-hopping on a TV in his bedroom.
What else has Holt been lying about? Maybe he changed his mind about the TV, or Kevin wanted one and he had to relent, but he still tells people he doesn’t have a TV, because that’s how he would have it if he could.
What Is Jake’s Relationship With Blockbuster?
Does Jake know about the demise of Blockbuster Video, or not? In an early episode of the series, he mentions to Terry that Blockbuster is gone, thanks to the rise of streaming services like Netflix, and they’ll have to just let it go because it’s not coming back.
However, in a season 3 episode, he inherits a million Blockbuster shares from a deceased relative and is dismayed to discover that Blockbuster is over. This is a pretty large inconsistency, and a hard one to bury.
Jake And Amy Drive Terry’s Van In Park
The episode “Moo Moo” raises a lot of important questions about racial profiling and police brutality. Despite its diverse cast of characters and the liberal bent on most of its humor, Brooklyn Nine-Nine only gets serious in particular episodes, so it was significant when the show broke its format to discuss a very real national issue.
However, there is also one glaring error in the scene in which Jake and Amy are driving Terry’s kids around in his van. In all of the interior shots, the gear shift is seen in the park. As great as the episode itself is, this mistake is pretty annoying, not to mention inexcusable.
Did Kevin’s Parents Have A Sudden Change Of Heart?
Raymond Holt is undoubtedly one of the bravest characters in Brooklyn Nine-Nine, having made his way through the ranks of NYPD as a gay black man who was given no special treatment or opportunities and became the captain of his own precinct. However, one part of the homophobia he’s suffered is inconsistent.
Kevin’s parents are said to be massive homophobes who refuse to even speak to Holt because they disagree with their son’s orientation. However, in a later episode, they’re said to be coming to Kevin and Holt’s house for Thanksgiving. Perhaps they had a change of heart.
What Is Holt’s Policy On Sarcasm?
Holt chastises Bob Annderson for using sarcasm when he said “Betraying the FBI is one thing, but sarcasm, Bob? Wow.” However, in many episodes, Holt has used sarcasm himself. For example, when he’s in an alley with Jake, the latter says, “I think this is where Batman’s parents got killed,” and Holt sarcastically says, “I’ll take your word for it.”
There’s no way a strict police captain who often uses sarcasm would choose to reprimand someone for using it, overexploiting his federal law enforcement position. His conflation is rather melodramatic, and not exactly rooted in reality.
Jake, Rosa, And Holt Were Given An Air Force Medal
In a recent episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Jake, Rosa, and Holt are all awarded a medal for their service to the public. However, the medal they received is not a police award, but rather a U.S. Air Force Good Conduct Medal attached to a long blue ribbon.
This medal is only awarded to people who have exhibited good conduct during three consecutive years of service while enlisted in the Air Force. It is never awarded to police officers. This kind of error is all-too-common and shows disrespect across the board.
Does Coach Have A Doppelganger In The B99/New Girl Universe?
Damon Wayans, Jr. played both Coach in New Girl, and Jake’s old partner in Brooklyn Nine-Nine, which was fine until Fox decided to do a crossover episode and establish that both shows take place in the same universe. So, are there two people who look exactly the same in this universe?
He isn’t the only one with an uncanny doppelganger. Nasim Pedrad played Winston’s wife in New Girl and Jake’s half-sister in Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Oscar Nunez (best known as Oscar in The Office) has played roles in both Brooklyn Nine-Nine and New Girl, too.
How Long Was Jake Undercover For?
At the end of season 1, Jake Peralta is fired from the NYPD, but it turns out to be a ruse to get a mob family to trust him. Jake spends the time undercover between seasons 1 and 2 with this family and is brought back to his regular life when the cops take down the mob in the season 2 premiere.
It’s mentioned that Jake was undercover for six months, but after Adrian Pimento showed up, there was a running joke made out of Jake only having gone undercover for 63 days, which is about two months. Either someone got the timeline wrong, or Jake has some explaining to do.
Holt ‘Corrected’ Amy’s Already-Correct Grammar Incorrectly
Holt enjoys correcting people’s grammar, and it’s one of the few vices he allows himself. In one episode, when Amy tells Holt, “Believe me, no one is more disappointed in me, than me,” he replies “No one is more disappointed in me than I.”
However, this was incorrect, and Amy was right the first time. Holt becomes irate at even the slightest misuse of the English language, so it's odd that he'd get this one so wrong. However, Amy's arrogance is one of her worst traits, so perhaps she had it coming.