The 22 Funniest "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" Episodes, Ranked
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
If you haven't experienced the joy of a Brooklyn Nine-Nine marathon on Peacock, you don't know what you're missing.
From the creators of Parks and Recreation, Brooklyn Nine-Nine follows the often absurd but always funny misadventures of the fictional 99th Precinct of the New York City Police Department as they welcome a new, seemingly serious captain.
If you don't know where to start or need more convincing, fear not: I've assembled 22 of the absolute best Brooklyn Nine-Nine episodes that are guaranteed to get you hooked on the acclaimed sitcom.
22.“Serve & Protect” (Season 4, Episode 14)
A memorable entry into the Brooklyn Nine-Nine canon that is made all the greater by an exceptional guest spot by self-spoofing Nathan Fillion. "Serve & Protect" sends Jake and Rosa looking for a stolen laptop on the set of their favorite crime show, where they have to deal with actors, producers, and salacious behind-the-scenes drama. The episode is additionally aided by a pair of strong sub-plots, including Holt and Boyle's crisis of conscience while planning to commit blackmail while Gina and Amy pry into Terry's romantic past with the precinct's auditor (Vice Principals standout Kimberly Hebert Gregory).
21.“Cop-Con” (Season 4, Episode 17)
"Cop-Con" is a fairly divisive episode among the Brooklyn Nine-Nine faithful, but this chapter of the series' fourth season hits this list because it's simply a very funny episode in which we get to see the precinct's detectives cut loose at a convention in Rochester. Also featuring the always-fantastic Andy Daly (Review), "Cop-Con" features some stand-out moments from Boyle as well as a refreshingly heartwarming subplot revolving around Scully's pursuit of love.
20.“Adrian Pimento” (Season 3, Episode 17)
The debut of one of Brooklyn Nine-Nine's most polarizing recurring characters, "Adrian Pimento" showcases Jake Peralta's temporary partnership with the unpredictable title character (Jason Mantzoukas) while Charles Boyle runs afoul of the precinct's custodians and Gina finds herself tasked with making a video about the precinct. Fans of Mantzoukas's manic comedy will enjoy his interactions with Jake and Rosa, but this episode is ultimately elevated by the battle of wits between Boyle and the head of custodians, Mean Marge (a welcome Kate Flannery).
19.“Old School” (Season 1, Episode 8)
In this Season 1 standout, Jake Peralta discovers a journalist he'd formerly idolized reveals a deceptive and bigoted true nature while Terry and Boyle attempt to coach Diaz on the witness stand etiquette. An extraordinarily great episode for the always-funny series, "Old School" also offers emotional growth for the ensemble, especially Peralta, who shows off his principles in a formative moment for the character.
18.“Stakeout” (Season 2, Episode 11)
"Stakeout" is an episode that's all about testing the tension between the cast, with best friends Jake and Boyle driving one another up a wall during a weeklong stakeout of a safe house while Amy and Gina refute Terry's cartoonish depictions of them in his book and Rosa begins dating Holt's nephew. While the latter subplots offer genuine moments of hilarity, the neurotic clashing of heads between Boyle and Jake during their stakeout is the hilarious centerpiece of the episode and cements its "can't-miss" status.
17.“Boyle-Linetti Wedding” (Season 2, Episode 17)
Unlikely pairings can occasionally be the lifeblood of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and "Boyle-Linetti Wedding" offers the fantastic duo of Gina and Boyle as they navigate the rocky waters of their parent's wedding, which also offers a spotlight for a pair of excellent turns from guest stars Stephen Root and Sandra Bernhard. Beyond the wedding antics, this episode further solidifies the growing romantic tension between Jake and Amy, the former of whom loses the ring while helping the latter catch the perp.
16.“Skyfire Cycle” (Season 4, Episode 8)
It's always a welcome surprise when Terry Crews is given the chance to run with the ball on Brooklyn Nine-Nine, as the actor's "game for anything" mentality and physical comedy chops help to carry even well-written episodes like "Skyfire Cycle." Centered around Terry's enthusiastic pursuit of a case involving his favorite fantasy novel author, the episode triples down on its hilarity with two amazing sub-plots, including Boyle and Gina's battle to decide their next family vacation and Holt, Kevin, Amy, and Rosa finding themselves entangled in a divisive brain teaser.
15.“Ransom” (Season 7, Episode 12)
The standout of Brooklyn Nine-Nine's seventh season, "Ransom" sees Jake assisting Holt and his husband, Kevin, in the rescue of their dog, Cheddar, which happens to unlock a side of the Captain audiences had never really seen before. While that plot would be enough to get this episode on the list, super entertaining side gambits involving Rosa and Amy trying to win a stroller in a contest and Boyle and Terry attempting to start a business selling bone broth cement "Ransom" among the greats.
14.“The Bet” (Season 1, Episode 13)
Renowned among the early, tone-setting episodes of Brooklyn Nine-Nine's first season, "The Bet" works by hinging its story on the chemistry between Andy Samberg and Melissa Fumero, as we witness Jake Peralta and Amy Santiago go from rivals to reluctant date participants to unwitting partners in a stakeout. "The Bet" is also layered in thematic irony, with stories involving Terry's marriage and Boyle's unrequited feelings for Rosa filling out the remainder of the story.
13.“Suicide Squad” (Season 6, Episode 18)
In this outstanding sixth season finale, previous Brooklyn Nine-Nine foils (Kyra Sedgwick, Ken Marino, and Dean Winters) converge to help our favorite detectives defeat Commissioner Kelly's "HotClues" app. Twisty and hilarious in equal measure, "Suicide Squad" lets the cast work to their strengths while giving the characters you love to hate enough spotlight to shine once again.
12.“Your Honor” (Season 4, Episode 19)
It feels like a classic sitcom trick to devote an episode around the parent of a peculiar character, but this particular formula pays off in a wonderful way with "Your Honor," which teams Jake and Holt as they try to solve a case surrounding Holt's mother (a tremendous L. Scott Caldwell). "Your Honor" also offers great side stories that include Gina and Amy's tire-changing mishaps and a break room refurbishment that pits Hitchcock and Scully against Terry, Rosa, and Boyle, which is exactly as funny as it sounds.
11.“Hitchcock & Scully” (Season 6, Episode 2)
I will not apologize for being a mark for the wayward duo of Hitchcock and Scully, with the two often being the butt (and source) of many of Brooklyn Nine-Nine's funniest gags. So to put the pair front and center for the sixth season's second episode, the result is unsurprisingly stellar, with the plot revolving around Jake and Boyle deciding to investigate a reopened case that accuses Hitchcock and Scully of corruption during a mafia takedown from the '80s.
10.“Pontiac Bandit” (Season 1, Episode 12)
Every Brooklyn Nine-Nine fan has a favorite episode following "The Pontiac Bandit" Doug Judy (Craig Robinson), with some gravitating toward the strange energy of "The Cruise" while others prefer "The Takeback." But a classic is often a classic for a reason, and the first-ever pursuit of Doug Judy in Season 1's "Pontiac Bandit" is an undeniable home run, especially the dynamic between the trio of Doug, Rosa, and Jake bears near instantaneous hilarity.
9.“The Road Trip” (Season 2, Episode 9)
The "Will They or Won't They, Though They Probably Will" nature of Jake and Amy's relationship was never better than in "The Road Trip," in which Jake invites his and Amy's significant others on a work trip at a bed-and-breakfast, unaware that the latter was preparing to break up with her boyfriend. While the side plot is somewhat inconsequential, the main story's balance of drama and comedy is a testament to how well the show makes you invested in their characters in a relatively short amount of time, and remains a critical point in the development of Jake and Amy's personal relationship.
8.“The Party” (Season 1, Episode 16)
Another Season 1 entry on this list, "The Party" not only introduced the audience to completely different shades of Holt, Gina, and Charles while offering a barrage of side-splitting gags from start to finish. "The Party" is another guest star showcase as well, with both Marilu Henner and Marc Evan Jackson getting to thrive as the latest additions to the Brooklyn Nine-Nine universe.
7.“Cinco de Mayo” (Season 6, Episode 16)
Rewriting the formula of the series' beloved "Halloween Heist" episodes, "Cinco de Mayo" is a standout episode for Terry Crews and an expertly written slice of Brooklyn Nine-Nine that is seriously fun to watch unravel. In addition to the numerous, borderline meta "bait-and-switch" elements of the episode, "Cinco de Mayo" delivers surprises and big laughs in equal measure, and that's not to mention enough Cheddar to make any Brooklyn Nine-Nine die-hard want to cheer, which is a low bar, but c'mon, it's Cheddar!
6.“Yippie Kayak” (Season 3, Episode 10)
In the context of the Brooklyn Nine-Nine universe, "Yippie Kayak" is a clever and fun payoff to Jake's longstanding love of Die Hard, with plenty of references and parallels for fans to chew on while still laughing their butts off. But even beyond face value, "Yippie Kayak" presents interesting and funny new developments in the friendship between Jake and Boyle, the strange kinship between Jake and Gina, and Terry's stressful work-life balance.
5.“Halloween” (Season 1, Episode 6)
The one that started it all. Community had their "Paintball" episodes, The Simpsons have their "Treehouse of Horror" episodes, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine has their "Halloween Heist" episodes, all of which are legendary for being among the best the series has to offer. The first-ever "Halloween" episode set the benchmark for the series' first season with a consistently hilarious face-off between Jake and Holt, in which the two stage competing heists to prove whether or not Peralta is as skilled a criminal as he is a detective.
4.“Game Night” (Season 5, Episode 10)
"Game Night" is a leap ahead of most Brooklyn Nine-Nine episodes by its decision to handle a potentially difficult subject matter with a story that's somewhat of a classic sitcom trope, as Jake attempts to help Rosa come out as bisexual by pretending to be her beau while out with her parents, only for his engagement to Amy to surface and complicate Rosa's important reveal. Sporting great performances from Stephanie Beatriz, Andy Samberg, Danny Trejo, and Olga Merediz, the dramatic stakes of the episode go hand-in-hand with the comedy of the rest of the story, which also includes one of the finest hours for Chelsea Peretti's Gina.
3.“9 Days” (Season 3, Episode 12)
While some critics have gone after "9 Days"' fairly thin storylines, the show has rarely been as funny as this episode, in which Jake and Holt have to deal with a debilitating case of mumps after being exposed while investigating a cold case. Braugher and Samberg are absolutely hysterical in this episode, both of whom are aided by some very funny and unique special effects makeup, while the primary side-plot focuses on Terry having to run the precinct, including a mutinous Hitchcock and Scully.
2.“HalloVeen” (Season 5, Episode 4)
Easily the best of Brooklyn Nine-Nine's "Halloween Heist" episodes, "HalloVeen" is not only the most fun, energetic, and bizarre of its ilk but hosts an unforgettable moment with Jake's climactic proposal to Amy. From "Fake Cheddar" to absolutely hilarious turns from Joe Lo Truglio and Andre Braugher to the appearance of the nefarious NutriBoom, "HalloVeen" is almost the perfect episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine... almost.
1.“Bachelor/ette Party” (Season 5, Episode 19)
An episode about friendship and love that somehow also involves an appearance from Die Hard's own Reginald VelJohnson, "Bachelor/ette Party" is Brooklyn Nine-Nine firing on all cylinders. Melissa Fumero and Andre Braugher really get the opportunity to show off their comedic skills while there's at least one good belly laugh from almost every cast member in tow. With the episode culminating in Jake and Boyle mending fences and a romantic moment between Jake and Amy that feels organic to the story, "Bachelor/ette Party" is the gold standard for Brooklyn Nine-Nine and a perfect example of the magic the show could create when everything clicked.
