NBC's Brooklyn Nine-Nine is known for its hilarious characters, ensemble cast and hilarious writing. Created by Dan Goor and Michale Schur (credited to creating The Office and The Good Place), the show is cited as one of the best workplace comedies and is perhaps one of the most progressive shows on television, often taking up issues like racism and sexual harassment. An eighth season has already been ordered by NBC.
While the show is hilarious and often times very heartwarming and emotional, it does have some moments that make the viewers shed a tear. It's amazing to see sitcoms like Brooklyn Nine-Nine and How I Met Your Mother balance deep, thoughtful moments with humor. So, here are 10 times the show was surprisingly sad.
Jake Renouncing His Dad ("Captain Peralta")
In the episode, "Captain Peralta", Jake pays his father a visit after his dad lets him down yet again. He calls him out on his irresponsible behavior and confronts him about being an absent father. Although he never thought of him as a terrible person, he says he finally sees the truth about him.
Jake tells him not to call him until he's ready to be a good father. It was an extremely emotional scene, as Jake finally realizes that his father is a bad person, despite Charles telling him otherwise, throughout the entire episode. Jake's expression after Holt says he's proud of him is so heartbreaking, as Jake is always looking for approval from a father figure.
Captain Holt Leaves The Nine-Nine ("Johnny and Dora")
On Wuntch's orders, Holt is forced to leave the 99th Precinct. When he is saying goodbye, Jake shockingly asks where Robot Captain went. Holt sadly chuckles, and says, "Meep Morp. Robot Captain.". It's heartbreaking to see the usually stoic and somber Captain Holt almost cry. He says that these have been some of the best years of his life.
Besides him obviously looking at the squad as the first family who accepts him, Jake and Amy's reactions are sad in their own way. Jake shifts into denial at first, and Amy just keeps repeating "What the hell?".
Jake's Past ("AC/DC")
In the episode, "AC/DC", Jake gets injured during a chase but still comes to work, nearly killing himself later. When Terry asks him angrily why he didn't just stay at his room, Jake reveals why he never takes a break during an ongoing case - in his starting years as a detective, he went on vacation between an ongoing case, and his perp shot and injured two people.
The usually immature Jake having a rather dark past, and his workaholism having such a dark origin makes it quite sad to watch. Even Terry gets softer at this. Terry gets sympathetic, and he tells Jake he can't help others unless he gets better.
Rosa's Break Up With Marcus ("Into The Woods")
When Rosa decides to break up with Marcus, Captain Holt asks her to be gentle, as Marcus is his nephew. Rosa tells him she really cares for Marcus, but he wanted to get married down the line, a commitment Rosa was not ready for. She's afraid if she's not ready for a great guy like Marcus, she's never gonna be ready for anyone else.
Rosa and Holt both start to cry, and while it is played for laughs, viewers can't help feel a twinge of sadness for Rosa. Despite being closed off with almost everyone, she really did care for Marcus.
Terry Faces Racism ("Moo-Moo")
Perhaps the saddest of the series, this episode deals with racism. After Terry is stopped by a policeman because of his skin color, he decides to file an official complaint with the commissioner. However, Holt, usually very supportive of everyone, says he's not going to file the complaint, as it could hurt his career.
The episode is extremely heartbreaking and very enlightening about the kind of racism and discrimination that often goes unreported. Terry being treated as hostile by the policeman when Terry was nothing but polite was even more heartbreaking.
Prison Changes Jake ("Kicks")
After Jake gets released from prison, he arrests a perp on his next case but then lets him go. The perp claiming he "didn't do it" reminded him of Jake himself being falsely accused and going to prison. He says he's not ready to be back, and he's not going to be the same person, maybe ever.
Captain Holt says he's proud of Jake because he is now a better detective, he's not being impulsive and hasty in his judgment like before. The scene is still sad because viewers can actually see the effect prison had on Jake, how it made him more serious and deliberate in his police work.
Rosa's Parents Disapprove Of Her Sexuality ("Game Night")
Another heartbreaking episode, after Rosa decides to tell her parents she's bisexual, they refuse to accept her at first. While his dad tries to be supportive, his mom doesn't talk to her. This happens during family game night, one of Rosa's favorite times since she got closer to her family after prison.
It's extremely sad to see Rosa's parents, her mom, in particular, refusing to acknowledge her being bisexual as part of her identity. Taking it one step further is the fact that they got closer after Rosa came out of prison, and then stopped talking soon after.
Depressed Holt ("Honeymoon")
In the season 6 premiere, viewers learn that Holt has been passed over for the Commissioner job. Later, on Jake and Amy's honeymoon, they run into Captain Holt, who is deeply depressed by not getting his promotion. He also decides to quit his job as Captain.
Although depressed Holt is mostly played for laughs (including Holt's hilarious t-shirts with captions like 'One Tequila, Two Tequila, Three Tequila, FLOOR!' or a picture of a pineapple with SLUT written on it), Holt's behavior is undeniably sad and heartbreaking.
Amy's Past ("He Said, She Said")
In this episode, Amy and Jake are investigating a sexual harassment case, and viewers learn that Amy has been a victim of sexual harassment. In her previous precinct, her captain helped her advance her career and asked for sexual favors in exchange. Amy, scared, immediately transferred to the Nine-Nine.
Aside from being sad in itself, Melissa Fumero's heartbreaking expressions take it a step further. Jake sums everything up, by saying, "Every time I think I understand how bad it is, it just turns out to be so much worse.".
Amy and Jake Trying To Have A Child ("Trying")
In "Trying", Jake and Amy try to have a baby throughout the episode, but they aren't able to. Even more frustrating for them is that Hitchcock's girlfriend gets pregnant while Amy is failing to.
Although viewers learn that Amy gets pregnant in the last few seconds of the very next episode, it's still heartbreaking to see Jake and Amy go to such lengths to have a baby, especially after their conversation in "Casecation".