While Jake quitting the force was a perfect bittersweet ending for Brooklyn 99, the series failed to follow through on a deeper storyline about policing that was set up throughout the season.
Throughout its eight-season run, Brooklyn 99 was lauded by critics and fans for being a thoughtful, respectful, and yes, “woke” police comedy. After the events of the summer of 2020, the show’s creators promised to address social issues regarding policing head-on. While imperfect, the final season did deliver on that promise, offering a handful of complicated and nuanced perspectives on policing from the inside. Unfortunately, when it came to the series’ protagonist Jake Peralta (Andy Samberg), the show failed to see that plotline all the way through.
Certain characters’ endings reflect the new direction season 8 followed: Rosa Diaz (Stephanie Beatriz) is off the force and working to help victims of police brutality from the outside, while Amy Santiago (Melissa Fumero) and Captain Raymond Holt (Andre Braugher) are given a commission for police reform to make changes from the inside. This leaves Jake, our main character, the odd one out, as his ending is seemingly unaffected by this overarching story.
In “The Last Day,” Jake announces that he’ll be quitting the force to be a stay-at-home dad. On the surface, it’s a strong ending for the character, and one that was foreshadowed throughout the season – Jake’s “daddy issues” were a running joke in the series, and he wants to be a better father for his own son. But it was a missed opportunity to showcase his growth and evolved perspective on what it means to be a cop that had been brewing in these last several episodes.
Season 8 continually challenged Jake’s faith in the system, particularly as a white man realizing he might be “part of the problem.” Time and again, he was faced with corruption and bureaucratic red tape that highlighted real-life issues with policing. In one episode, “The Set Up,” he was even forced to confront his own overzealousness when he wrongfully arrested an innocent man, leading to a suspension. While it would be easy to see how all these stories might inform his decision to retire from the force, none of it was referenced in the finale.
Instead, when Jake explains his reasoning to his wife Amy, he focuses on their son, saying being a father is his “new dream job.” When Amy reminds him how much he loves being a detective, it would have been the perfect moment to nod to everything he learned over the course of the season. He could have said that, like Rosa, he wants to find new ways to help his community outside of the force. Or, he could have said that Amy’s mission to reform the NYPD is too important, and that giving her the support she needs is the best way for him to help enact meaningful change. Sadly, the moment passes without acknowledging any of Jake’s hard-won lessons from the season.
In fact, “The Last Day” doesn’t touch on any of those difficult conversations from season 8, except for passing mentions of Holt and Amy’s new commission. While it’s understandable that the creators probably wanted a more lighthearted sendoff for the comedy, it’s still a shame that the finale doesn’t bring those stories full circle. Of course, a network sitcom isn’t the best forum for serious critique of police in America, but the series did an admirable job in its attempt. They even went so far as to cast the head of the policeman’s union (John C. McGinley) as the season’s main villain. It’s a letdown that the finale didn’t do any justice to that bold storytelling from season 8.
“The Last Day” was, in many ways, a great series finale that provided all the heart and humor Brooklyn 99 fans have become accustomed to over the years. But by not incorporating season 8’s police critique into Jake’s ending, the episode did a disservice to the character and the show.