Brooklyn Nine-Nine - Seasons 1-4
“Diverse cast is handled with sensitivity and affection, each character fully realized with his or her own quirks.”
Title: Brooklyn Nine-Nine (or Brooklyn 99)
Episodes Reviewed: Seasons 1-4
Creators: Daniel J. Goor 👨🏼🇺🇸 and Michael Schur 👨🏼🇺🇸
Directors: Dean Holland 👨🏼 (7 eps), Michael McDonald 👨🏼 (7 eps), various
Reviewed by Li 👩🏻 🇺🇸
Technical: 4/5
Great writing, fast-paced and genuinely funny. There are some duller episodes, but that comes with the territory of a long-running comedy.
Gender: 4/5
Does it pass the Bechdel Test? YES
Amy Santiago, Gina Linetti, and Rosa Diaz are three very different but strong, admirable women who feature prominently in the cast.
In S04E08, the shares of gender speaking time was 18% Female vs 82% Male (3:42mins vs 16:54mins).
In S04E09, the shares of gender speaking time was 20% Female vs 80% Male (4:10mins vs 16:23mins). While these ratios are kind of pathetic, it’s (sadly) very good in comparison to its sitcom peers. Still, I have to ding it half a point for its vast discrepancy in female speaking time, consistent across all seasons.
Race: 5/5
Diverse cast, no offensive stereotyping.
LGBTQ: 5/5
One of the main characters, Captain Ray Holt, is a gay Black man and is depicted frequently with his husband. Their sexuality is handled the same way as all relationships and character quirks are on the show—with humor and affection.
Mediaversity Grade: A- 4.63/5
Diverse cast is handled with sensitivity and affection, and each character is fully realized with his or her own quirks. Furthermore, the acting, writing, and directing are all on point, making for a great, modern show.