Top 10 Unscripted Brooklyn 99 Moments
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 unscripted “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” moments. For this list, we’ll be looking at the most notable improvised and otherwise unplanned moments or jokes from this sitcom, including some based on in-jokes that happened behind-the-scenes.
If there’s an off-the-cuff moment we forgot, share your “noice” and “smort” choices in the comments!
#10: Little Man
Top 5 Unscripted Brooklyn Nine Nine Moments
“The Vulture”
Keith Pembroke, better known as the Vulture, is just the worst. The guy swoops in at the last minute to take credit for cases the 99 has done most of the work on. His debut episode has a few improvised moments, and this one features the jerk himself. While heckling Jake Peralta and Charles Boyle as they go into Captain Holt’s office, the Vulture comments on Boyle’s attractiveness. This leaves Boyle stammering, and he nearly walks into the door. According to the official “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” YouTube channel, the interaction was improvised. Honestly, Boyle’s nervous energy and halting delivery already had us 98% sure it wasn’t scripted.
#9: Soup
“The Golden Child”
It’s always a good time when Lin-Manuel Miranda appears in anything. And when he shows up as Amy’s brother David on “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” it leads to some great comedy. As far as the siblings’ mother Camila is concerned, David can do no wrong — which leads to some great tension. NBC released a “Script to Screen” breakdown of his first scene where he has dinner with Camila, Jake, and Amy. It reveals that several moments, most notably David’s line about sharing a French Onion with his mom, are different from the script version. We’re not saying he’s as flawless as Camila believes, but this scene comes pretty close.
#8: Welcoming Mac
“Lights Out”
The arrival of Jake and Amy’s first child, Mac, is a major milestone in the show. And the scene after he’s born is rife with unscripted lines, as revealed in another “Script to Screen” video. Right from the beginning, Jake calls his wife “Ames” instead of Amy, as scripted. The duo also shares an unplanned “I love you.” Their natural chemistry together really shines through. It’s clear how well the actors know their characters and each other, since they’re able to deliver dialogue that feels more natural than what’s written. There are a few more improvised moments throughout, with Jake’s parting line about handwashing in particular always getting us.
#7: Button McGee
Various
Several of the cast members of “B99” get their improv on throughout the show. Joe Lo Truglio, who plays Boyle, has a reputation for it among the group. In a SAG interview with the ensemble, they revealed that they call him “Button McGee.” The reason for this is he simply can’t let a scene end without delivering one more line - putting a “button” on it. While we can’t give specific examples, many of them did reportedly make the final cut. So, if Boyle has the last word in a scene, it’s fairly likely that it wasn’t in the script.
#6: Still Friends
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“The Big House Pt. 2”
Jake doesn’t have the best time when he’s falsely accused of armed robbery and sent to prison. It says a lot when his best friend in the joint is a cannibal, Caleb. Although, in Jake’s defense, Caleb is actually surprisingly nice – apart from the whole eating people thing. During one scene where Caleb is advising Jake on finding a prison gang’s stash, the cannibal brings up the skin suit he made. Jake admits that he likes being friends with Caleb, but would appreciate if he didn’t remind him of his nightmarish past. Caleb then affirms that they’re friends. According to an interview with actor Tim Meadows, he did this to make Andy Samberg laugh and was glad the line made it into the episode.
#5: Titles of Your Sex Tape
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Various
One of the most famous “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” running gags features characters — usually Jake — coming up with fake, unflattering titles for others’ (often Amy’s) hypothetical adult tapes. These jokes have been a series staple from nearly the beginning, bringing endless laughs to audiences. Yet it turns out they originated not on-screen, but behind the camera as an in-joke on-set, taking off among the cast. And yes, some of the cream of the crop ended up in actual episodes! There’s no way to tell which of them came from where - title of your tape - but regardless, they’re all incredibly entertaining.
#4: Real Laugh
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“The Vulture”
The show’s cold opens often feature some of the funniest and off-the-wall material. One of the earliest sees the detectives comparing the ages of the oldest people they’ve arrested. Charles Boyle joins in late, and mistakes the conversation for the oldest person they’ve slept with. When the other detectives realize this, it leads to plenty of hilarity, particularly as Boyle tries to justify his choice in romantic partner. According to Melissa Fumero, who plays Amy Santiago, Andy Samberg’s laughter during the scene was genuine. However, he stayed in character and it made the final cut. We’d have a hard time keeping a straight face too!
#3 Yelling “Nine-Nine!”
Various
Given that it’s the name of their precinct, the detectives of the 99 often say their name out loud a lot. However, they’re also prone to exclaiming their number in moments of camaraderie or celebration. While this line wasn’t a spur of the moment thing, it was derived from one of the cast members. According to Melissa Fumero, Terry Crews actually began this tradition on-set, using it to get the cast pumped up during early mornings or late nights. The writers ended up including the exclamation into the show itself. Terry loves showing solidarity.
#2: Cool Cool Cool
Various
Jake Peralta may be a bit of a dork, but he’s still a cool guy. Or at least, he does say the word “cool” a bunch. Whenever he encounters something upsetting or uncomfortable, he tends to repeat the word. The more awkward or distressing the situation, the more he tends to say it. In another revelation from Melissa Fumero, apparently Andy Samberg would say this frequently while shooting. The writers incorporated this very cool mannerism into Jake’s character as well. From Samberg to the writers, to his character to his fellow characters, to us, everyone seems to feel cool cool cool about this catchphrase.
#1: “HOT DAMN!”
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“Jake and Sophia”
One of the funniest moments in the show’s entire run was pure improv! In this cold open, the squad takes turns guessing why Amy is running late for the first time. Even Captain Holt gets in on the fun, giving a relatively boring answer that she’s in line at the bank. When Amy does show up, she sheepishly admits to having an issue at the bank, prompting Holt to deliver the very uncharacteristic exclamation – “hot damn!” In an interview with the Screen Actors Guild, the cast revealed that this outburst was improvised by actor Andre Braugher. What a legend!
