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Here Are All the Major Characters on Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Seasons 1-8
Whether you're prepping to binge Brooklyn Nine-Nine on Peacock or just need a refresher on your favorites, here's a rundown of all the major characters.
For years, film and television painted the streets of New York City as a seedy hotbed of crime and iniquity that was no laughing matter. Dan Goor and Michael Schur decided to change all that with Brooklyn Nine-Nine, a light-hearted spin on the traditional cop procedural formula.
The show, which ran for eight seasons, centers around an eclectic squad of NYPD detectives at the fictional 99th Precinct in Brooklyn. Like any good sitcom capable of withstanding the test of time, Brooklyn Nine-Nine excels at crafting a lovable cast of memorable characters — from the wacky Jake Peralta to the stoic Captain Holt — who noticeably grow and evolve throughout the series' run.
RELATED: How Did Brooklyn Nine-Nine End? Twisty, Heist-Filled Series Finale Explained
Whether you've decided to finally dive into Brooklyn Nine-Nine (now streaming on Peacock) for the first time and see what you've been missing, or you just need a refresher on your sleuthing favorites, here's a rundown of all the major characters.
Jake Peralta (Andy Samberg)
Cocky, immature, and a big proponent of doing things his own way, Detective Jake Peralta is the maverick of Brooklyn's 99th Precinct. Chatting with Entertainment Weekly in 2013, Samberg described him as "comedy McNulty," referring to renegade cop Jimmy McNulty (played by Dominic West) from The Wire. In spite of his rough edges, Jake does have the wherewithal to own up to his mistakes and do the right thing. While Jake and Captain Holt initially butt heads on how the department should be run, the two characters gradually build a relationship of mutual respect as the show progresses. Early on in the series, Jake hopes to land a date with Amy, who doesn't seem interested...until the two get married in Season 5.
Amy Santiago (Melissa Fumero)
Detective Santiago is constantly working to prove her mettle as a New York City cop, owing to the fact that she has always lived in the shadow of seven brothers — one of whom we get to meet in Season 6. "She's smart, tough, very ambitious," Fuermo said of her character in a 2013 interview. "She's a little Type A. Amy always thinks she's 100 percent dialed in, and when it comes to detective work she's on it. When it comes to social situations and people, she's a little off. That's very fun to play." In Season 1, Amy and Jake have a running bet over who can make more arrests. If Amy wins, she gets Jake's Mustang. If Jake wins, Amy has to go on a date with him. Like we said above, it takes a few seasons for Santiago to warm up to Peralta, but eventually it all works out.
Raymond Holt (Andre Braugher)
A veteran officer of the NYPD and a particularly hard man to read, Captain Holt spent many years held back from professional advancement due to his sexual orientation. Once he's put in charge of his own squad, however, he seeks to run a very tight ship, unwilling to give the haters a reason to question his competency as leader. Despite a gruff outer exterior that initially causes some friction with Peralta, Captain Holt is both a wise and understanding superior. "What Holt is trying to pass on is the methodology of solving these crimes," Braugher, who sadly passed away late last year following a battle with cancer, told EW. "Being detail-oriented, following protocol. The ability to bring a case to court and have it well-prosecuted, so that we're not the weak link in this long chain of law and order. Those are lessons that he is trying to impart."
Rosa Diaz (Stephanie Beatriz)
The meanest detective in the entire 99th Precinct — and perhaps all of New York City — Rosa Diaz is one tough cookie who laughs in the face of danger, because, well...she is the danger (with all due respect to Walter White). Not afraid to speak her mind or get her hands a little dirty, Rosa is a terrifying paragon of law enforcement fortitude. "I think everybody has that side of them that’s closed off, or wants other people to see them a certain way for whatever reason," Beatriz told IndieWire in 2014. "That’s easy to tap into, but there’s also something really fun in Rosa — because it’s a comedy, because we’re creating as we go, there’s not explanation for her toughness. It just it was it is, and I love that. She just is this person, she doesn’t explain or answer any questions. It’s a fascinating character to throw in with all the others."
Charles Boyle (Joe Lo Truglio)
A tad bumbling and more than a tad naive, Detective Boyle is still a hard worker and loyal asset to the squad. “It begins with being just naturally a funny little weirdo," Truglio said in early 2020. "That’s the first advantage I have in creating Charles Boyle, is that he’s just a couple of steps left of center of me. Charles is a little bit more out there than I am — but I’m a bit of a weirdo myself." Charles initially starts out the show with a massive crush on Rosa, but ultimately gives up that romantic ambition for a relationship with Genevieve Mirren-Carter (Mary Lynn Rajskub), with whom he adopts a son. Charles is also Jake's best friend, and though he can be a bit goofy at times, always proves he's a capable and smart detective.
Gina Linetti (Chelsea Peretti)
While not technically a cop, the department's sardonic civilian administrator (and personal assistant to Captain Holt) knows how to work people like no one else. "She’s able to say things that no one else could really say because she doesn’t have – also that’s her personality – she doesn’t have a ton of fear of personal ramifications or losing her job," Peretti told Vulture in 2013. "I mean, when it comes down to it, she is scared of that, but she gets to kind of really say all her thoughts without much of a filter so that’s fun to play comedically." Gina enjoys a brief love affair with Charles in Season 2, which retroactively becomes a little weird when the two characters become step-siblings.
Terry Jeffords (Terry Crews)
Sergeant Jeffords may look like a tough SOB on the outside, but he's got more in common with a cuddly teddy bear. Case in point: he drives a minivan and pours hours into building a doll house for his daughters. After he and his wife welcome twins, Jeffords suffers a crisis of confidence and is pulled from active field duty (RIP that poor mannequin and piñata). Terry does get over his fear and, by the end of the series, finds himself in the role of Captain. "Every character has a place to end up," Crews said during an interview with Assignment X. "And it’s about the journey. That’s really what’s going to keep people coming back every week, is that you really care about these people. You want to see what happens to them."
Michael Hitchcock & Norm Scully (Dirk Blocker & Joel McKinnon Miller)
Hitchcock and Scully are two of the most useless detectives in the 99th Precinct, but they do know how to make good coffee, according to Sergeant Jeffords in the pilot episode. They also know where the best nap spots and pie places are. The duo do eventually get their time to shine, though, with the Season 6 episode "Hitchcock & Scully," which shows them being undercover badasses in 1986.
All eight seasons of Brooklyn Nine-Nine are now streaming on Peacock.
