As I look around, I see tiredness in all our eyes. We’re getting to the end of the Fall semester and the weather is not helping with keeping the smiles on our faces. Therefore I chose my favourite comedy show to praise this week, to hopefully bring a little humour back into these dark busy days.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine is perhaps one of the best comedy shows to have ever graced the screen of a television (or laptop screen, in our cases). It follows the shenanigans of the detectives of the police department Brooklyn 99, who are all dysfunctional and lovable in their own way. The main character is Jake Peralta, portrayed by the amazing actor Andy Samberg, and he is your classic Die-Hard-loving, leather-jacket-wearing detective, who is secretly more adorable than tough. His colleagues seem to be just as stereotypical at first; a super strong tough guy, a stuck-up boring rule follower and a violence-loving bad ass, but the show is quick to add enough twists and background to all of them to make them pretty human.
What makes this show so amazing to me is the use of humour in a positive and truly uplifting manner. The cast and characters are wonderfully diverse and the jokes are never made at their expense, making it a rarity in sitcom-land; a show filled with actual jokes instead of cheap and offensive remarks (looking at you, Big Bang Theory). This makes it a joy to watch, as the humour is truly refreshing.
Almost all episodes have their own story, in true sitcom fashion, but there are some recurring minor characters and annual themed episodes that are some of the most amazing episodes, including a crossover episode with New Girl. But there is for example a minor crook called Doug Judy (portrayed by comedy veteran Craig Robinson), who keeps slipping out of the hands of the police department and simultaneously builds up a tentative friendship with the guy who is supposed to catch him.
This show is guaranteed to make you laugh at loud and is very binge-able. The first 3 seasons are completely on Netflix, with the fourth one being aired right now, so there is a lot to catch up on and enjoy!
Maaike Oosterling, Class of 2016, is a Cognitive Science and Psychology major from Zwijndrecht, the Netherlands.
