Tom Burns thinks that no matter where you work, you’ll relate to the wonderful (and sometimes terrible) colleagues on Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
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I don’t like to admit it, but I have two families.
There’s my family of loved ones and friends, my favorite people, the people I’ve chosen to spend my life with. Then there’s my work family, the people that I see Monday to Friday, all day every day, with the exceptions of weekends and holidays.
Do I have a favorite between the two families? Oh, definitely. But, even if they’re not made up of my favorite people in the world, I can’t deny the bond I share with the people I work with. I spend so much time with them and they play such a large supporting role in my life that, over the years, we’ve become this weird, co-dependent community. You can’t sit next to someone for eight hours a day, five days a week, and not, in some way, regard them as a comrade-in-arms.
They’re my work family and I think having a work family is a fairly universal experience.
Which is just one of the reasons why I love watching Brooklyn Nine-Nine on Hulu so much.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine NAILS the work family dynamic in a way that very, very few TV shows have ever done. (Not surprising, since the creators of B99 also created Parks & Recreation, one of the OTHER best workplace comedies of the past decade.)
When I sit down and watch Brooklyn Nine-Nine, it takes me to a very familiar place. It’s like the producers have been looking over my shoulder for the past 15 years to see exactly what’s been going on in my office.
Yes, the show is about a police precinct, which, I’d imagine, offers a fairly specific work experience. Maybe I’m just sheltered, but I’ve never chased down an arsonist or gone undercover before. But, when I watch Brooklyn Nine-Nine, I recognize all of the characters immediately. Anyone who works will feel an odd kinship with the staff of the Nine-Nine, because the writers have turned this weird, little quirky outpost of law and order into a hysterical accurate EVERY WORKPLACE. Even if you’re not a cop, you will find something personal, something you recognize, something you identify with in Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
Let’s look at the staff of the Nine-Nine:
Detective Jake Peralta (Andy Samberg), the irresponsible office hotshot, who, even though he always comes in late and has no idea how to do the paperwork, is frustratingly good at his job.
Captain Ray Holt (Andre Braugher), the stoic, deadpan authority figure, who might seem pedantic and rule-driven, but will have your back when it really counts.
Detective Amy Santiago (Melissa Fumero), the hard-working teacher’s pet-type, who, occasionally lets her guard down, and gives you the tiniest glimpse of how she lets her freak flag fly. (Normally, after a few drinks after-hours.)
Detective Charles Boyle (Joe Lo Truglio), the office puppy dog, the guy who just wants to be your water-cooler best-friend, who will talk your ear off about washing his girlfriend’s hair (ew) or the importance of good “mouth-feel” on pizza (ewww), because he isn’t afraid of letting his unfiltered id off the chain at work.
Detective Sergeant Terry Jeffords (Terry Crews), the good parent, the manager who bends over backwards to keep the department running, the guy who has to try to make his employees and his employer happy at the same time – even though all he wants to do is enjoy some yogurt and “Terry Time.”
Detective Rosa Diaz (Stephanie Beatriz), the person at work who scares you, the one who never smiles, who always looks like she’s two seconds away from Hulk-ing out and tearing everyone a new one… except she never does and you’re secretly glad that she’s on your side.
Gina Linetti (Chelsea Peretti), the administrative assistant, who never does what you ask, always looks at you with disdain, and you can never, ever tell if she’s laughing with you or at you.
And then there’s Scully (Joel McKinnon Miller) and Hitchcock (Dirk Blocker), who… yeah, they’re the warm bodies. Every office has a few. The ones who never seem to do anything, who actively hold you back from getting things done, but, yeah, they’ve been there longer than anyone.
Any of those sound familiar?
OF COURSE THEY DO. I don’t care if you work construction or if you work in a Wall Street bank, you will recognize the officers of Brooklyn Nine-Nine. You might have a Jake in payroll, or a Rosa driving a crane, or a Scully and Hitchcock handling your IRS audit. The beautiful thing about Brooklyn Nine-Nine is that it’s not really about police work. It’s about capital-w WORK. The work that we all do, all the time.
So, when I sit down at the end of a long day and I want to just watch Hulu and relax, I keep finding myself turning on Brooklyn Nine-Nine. And that might sound counter-intuitive – I just spent 8 hours at work today, why do I want to watch a workplace comedy?
Because, when I watch Brooklyn Nine-Nine, I feel an immediate connection with the show. It makes me smile. It makes me think “Oh yeah, they get it.” And I sit there and I watch Terry and Gina and Charles and I laugh. More often than not, I’ve experienced what they’re experiencing with my own little dysfunctional work family.
It feels warm and insightful and honest and so, so funny. And, when I want to find a comedy to help me wind down and laugh about the day I just had, there’s nowhere else I’d rather be than hanging out in the break room with my co-workers at the Nine-Nine.
I’m the Rosa of the office I suppose. Lol