Act Four: 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine' is the best show I never write about

Fox's cop comedy is genuinely enjoyable without sacrificing any intelligence.   Alyssa Rosenberg on culture and politics   Andre Braugher, Andy Samberg and Stephanie Beatriz in “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.” (John P. Fleenor/FOX) When I was writing my series on policing and pop culture last fall, I realized something: “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” is the television show that most consistently makes me extremely happy, and yet I almost never write about it. I certainly don’t have an excuse for that, but the best possible explanation I can offer is that the things that make the show work as a comedy, and the ways the series comments on policing, are baked into the DNA of “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” rather than expressed in big, flash moments that make convenient hooks for columns. But since “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” went on hiatus earlier this week, giving you a perfect opportunity to get all caught up (not that the show is terribly serialized), I thought I’d take the opportunity to write a brief letter of recommendation and encourage any of you who aren’t already watching to check it out. “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” is nice, but not soft; a moment in a recent episode when Detective Jake Peralta (Andy Samberg) realizes he wants his girlfriend, Detective Amy Santiago (Melissa Fumero), to win a bet they’re hotly contesting works because the tenderness follows a bunch of ribbing with genuine bite. It’s a series about enthusiasms minus the pushiness that “Parks and Recreation’s” Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) sometimes used to express hers. At a moment when a lot of half-hour shows have ceased to actually function as comedies, “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” makes me laugh until I tear up at least once an episode. If you want a show that’s going to give you joy for twenty-two minutes without making you feel like you’re turning off your brain “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” is a genuinely outstanding option. And writing all of this reminds me that I ought to write more pieces about things I simply like. As it’s 2017, it seems like we’ll need more of it. ADVERTISEMENT   ‘Bright Lights’ shows Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds at their worst — and best A new documentary is airing on HBO a little too soon after the mother's and daughter's deaths. But parts of it are worth watching anyway. By Alyssa Rosenberg  •  Read more »   Watching ‘Silence’ will make you feel terrible. It should. Martin Scorsese whiffs on the ending to his adaptation of Shusaku Endo's novel about the persecution of Japanese Catholics. By Alyssa Rosenberg  •  Read more »   Celebrities need to rethink their awful political ads They're all the same. And none of them are remotely effective. By Sonny Bunch  •  Read more »   Roxane Gay’s ‘Difficult Women’ forces us to confront things we’d rather not see The "Bad Feminist" author's new short story collection embraces women who behave in ways we'd rather avoid. By Alyssa Rosenberg  •  Read more »   A 2017 resolution for all Americans: Remember what we like about one another Americans are polarized and frustrated with one another. But our relationship with one another and our country is worth saving. By Alyssa Rosenberg  •  Read more »   ADVERTISEMENT   Recommended for you   Intersect The corner of the Internet and interesting, in your inbox weekly. Sign Up »         Share Act Four:       Twitter      Facebook Trouble reading? Click here to view in your browser. You received this email because you signed up for Act Four. For additional free newsletters or to manage your newsletters, click here. We respect your privacy. If you believe that this email has been sent to you in error or you no longer wish to receive email from The Washington Post, click here. Contact us for help. ©2017 The Washington Post, 1301 K St NW, Washington DC 20071