Since it first began airing on FOX in 2013, to when it was unjustly cancelled and rescued up by NBC less than seventy-two hours later, Brooklyn Nine-Nine has been an iconic series. Soon concluding its sixth season, it has been renewed for a seventh on NBC.
This hilarious procedural sitcom has certainly made its mark on the world of TV, becoming very popular in recent years. It’s one of the most progressive shows on television, all the while being one of the funniest.
Though it is not as well-known as commonly quoted and referenced shows such as The Office and Friends, Brooklyn Nine-Nine has already created several pop culture references. Its lovable cast of characters, well-written storylines, and hilarious jokes have made it one of the most iconic shows currently on television.
Let’s look through 10 pop culture references that originated from Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
10. THE NAKED MOLE RAT
Gina Linetti is iconic. Before she sadly left the show in season 6, she was the source of some of the most hilarious moments. Her one-liners are unforgettable, and her storylines were undoubtedly among the funniest, especially due to her outgoing, eccentric personality.
In the season 2 premiere, following Gina’s short love affair with Charles, Gina loses some respect for herself. She typically considers herself a superior human being and even frequently wears a shirt that reads, “Gina Knows Best”. Her fling with Charles causes Gina to become so disgusted with herself, that she decides her “spirit animal” (previously a wolf, according to her) is now a bald rodent known as the naked mole rat.
The hilarious scene in which Gina enters the precinct wearing a shirt with a picture of the hideous animal, is one of the most unforgettable moments in the series.
9. TERRY LOVES…
Terry Jeffords is a big guy with an even bigger heart. Happily married and a father of three young girls, he is one of the most lovable character on Brooklyn Nine-Nine. And Terry loves love.
Referring to himself in the third person is something Terry does frequently, and it’s become a running joke on the show. Terry loves so many things, and he has no problem saying so. Over the years, this catchphrase of Terry’s has become so popular that other characters on the show now tend to quote him. “Terry loves [insert person/object/thing here]” has become one of the most well known lines to originate from Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
8. “NINE-NINE!”
This has been the beloved Nine-Nine gang’s cheer since the beginning. The very first episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine featured the detectives meeting Raymond Holt, their new captain, for the first time.
Of course, everyone - especially Jake - is very amused by Holt’s monotone, robot-like mannerisms. Holt is closed off at first and strict toward his detectives. This makes the fact that the precinct is basically a family now, all the more satisfying. Viewers got to see these characters grow to love each other over several seasons, so their signature cheer, “Nine-Nine!”, is a very treasured phrase for fans.
7. “YA BORING!”
Jake is probably the most outgoing, fun-loving, endearingly childish characters on the show. This is one of the reasons why his dynamic with Captain Holt is so fun to watch.
In a season 4 episode titled, “The Overmining”, Jake gets sick of Holt’s by-the-book attitude, saying, “you think you’re so great, just because you always do what’s good and right. Well, I’ve got news for you: YA BORING”. Jake comes up with some of the funniest one-liners in the series, and like many of them, “ya boring” very quickly became a famous moment as well as a humorous meme.
6. FULL BOYLE
Charles Boyle is a hilarious character. He is the source of Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s most cringeworthy, downright weird moments. From his bizarre taste in cuisine, to his extremely strange and overly affectionate family, and the utterly peculiar things he says, Charles is definitely the most unique, quirky member of the Nine-Nine.
Due to his eccentric personality, Charles has been known to have major issues when it comes to his romantic relationships. This is almost always due to his over-the-top affection. He has been known to do things like tell a woman he loves her on their first date. Because of this tendency, the rest of the precinct came up with the phrase “Full Boyle”, giving a hilarious name to Charles’ endearing quirk.
5. “JUDY!”
Doug Judy, or, the Pontiac Bandit, appears in at least one episode every season. Portrayed by Craig Robinson, the character has become one of the most iconic. Jake and Doug Judy strike up an unlikely friendship, and even though Doug Judy never fails to screw Jake over every time they encounter each other, the two still seem to think of each other as best buds.
Jake and Judy’s dynamic is the source of plenty hilarious moments, and what makes them even funnier is Jake’s exclamation, “JUDY!”, whenever Doug pulls one over on him. These two are a fan-favourite duo, and the fact that Jake never fails to be shocked by Judy’s antics, is always hilarious.
4. TOIT/NOICE
Jake has invented his own unique lingo which he uses all the time. His unusual wordplays and jokes have become famous part of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and many things Jake says are quoted frequently, even by his fellow coworkers.
Jake has been saying stuff like “toit” and “noice”, since the beginning of the series. He does this in probably every episode, so it’s become commonplace in B99. After Jake and Amy get engaged in season 5, they beginning referring to their future nuptials as “toit nups”, proving that they are just that perfect for each other.
3. “COOL COOL COOL COOL.”
As mentioned above, Jake coins some of the show’s funniest and most quotable moments. As well as creating his own lingo, one of Jake’s most well-known catchphrases is, “cool cool cool cool cool…no doubt”. Over the years Brooklyn Nine-Nine has been on the air, Jake’s iterated line has become a very recited and noteworthy quote.
One of the most memorable scenes that featured this mantra of Jake’s, was when he and Charles embarked on a stakeout in season 2. They are warned by Terry and Holt that long stakeouts tend to cause tension. While Jake and Charles vehemently insist that their bromance is unbreakable, after days of living in extremely close quarters while on the stakeout, the two begin to bicker. And Jake’s extremely frustrated utterance of his catchphrase when Charles was getting on his nerves, was completely hilarious.
2. MOST AMAZING DETECTIVE/GENIUS
The Halloween Heists are a tradition for the Nine-Nine. Every season, there is a halloween themed episode, in which the gang participate in an intense and hilarious game, vying each other to win the title of the “Most Amazing Detective/Genius”.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s halloween episodes never fail to be awesome. When the first halloween episode, simply titled “Halloween”, aired in season one and became such a hit, B99 writers decided to repeat history with every following season. This proved successful, as the series’ halloween episodes are so enjoyed by viewers that the phrase “Most Amazing Detective/Genius” has become a well-known reference from the show.
1. TITLE OF YOUR SEX TAPE
This is Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s oldest and most famous running joke. Another hilarious quote from Jake, “title of your sex tape”, has become very well-known.
This is, in a way, B99’s version of Michael Scott’s (The Office) famous “that’s what she said” quote. Michael said this after anyone said pretty much anything, and Jake’s use of his own catchphrase is almost identical. He first began saying this when he and Amy were simply friends and coworkers, and he made a sport out of teasing her. Over the seasons, and through Jake and Amy’s romance, this phrase grew into one of the most iconic on the show, and is still something Jake says very frequently.
