Heartwarming / Brooklyn Nine-Nine

This page is Spoilers Off.

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Season 1

• Jake's unexpected characterisation — at first it seems he's going to be the typical Jerkass or Casanova Wannabe stereotype who's sexist and rude, and will go through a season of character development before becoming a better person. However, it's pretty obvious from the Pilot that he's already a kind and loving person, who respects his female coworkers just as much as his male ones and will do literally anything for his friends.
• Boyle helping Terry fix the princess castle, after Terry spent the whole episode struggling and reached the Despair Event Horizon. The look of gratitude on his face is priceless, especially after Boyle remodeled the castle a bit:
  Boyle: The princess bits got all broke, so I made it a princess police station instead.
  Terry: [Desperately trying not to cry]
  Boyle: You're a good dad. Don't beat yourself up so much.
• Jake spends the whole "Pilot" arguing with Holt about his necktie policy before working out at the end that it stems from Holt's exclusion from his coworkers for being gay. From that episode on he is very rarely seen without one. He wears it even when Holt isn't around.
• In "Halloween", Jake asks Holt what the most valuable thing in his office is. Holt says it's his Medal of Valor. Jake, genuinely impressed, comments, "God, you are such a hero."
• Peralta defending Holt against the dismissive comments from his idol Jimmy Brogan in "Old School" after convincing him to remove the drunken rants from his book. He goes so far as to angrily punch Brogan when Brogan refers to Holt using a homophobic slur.
• Amy mentions to Holt that Brogan had it coming, showing she's on Jake's side for this one.
• Holt's reaction to Brogan's piece, after he persuades Amy to tell him why Jake decked Brogan.
  Holt: You can ignore that garbage [...] Brogan wouldn't know a good cop if he punched him in the face.
• Amy spends the majority of "Sal's Pizza" poorly masking her jealousy of Rosa being asked to be the police captain of another precinct. Rosa confronts her about this, and when Amy confesses that she's always had to be competitive growing up as the only girl among seven brothers, Rosa responds with this:
  Rosa: Well, you're not the only girl at the table anymore. We work in a police force full of dudes. We gotta have each others' backs, okay?
  Amy: You saying you have my back?
  Rosa: Yeah, I got your back.
  • When Jake reluctantly admits that the real reason he cares so much about Sal's Pizza is due to its connection to one of his few good memories of his absent father. This is obviously a surprise to Holt, who is more understanding of Jake's attitude problems from this moment onward. Then it's compounded with one of the funniest/sweetest moments of the episode: Fire Marshal Boone bursts into tears because Jake's story reminded him of his own father. The peace between them doesn't last, but it's still sweet.
  Boone: Look, y-you're a cop and ... and I'm a firefighter, but ... underneath it all we're just — two boys whose dads abandoned them! And we're gonna solve this thing together, okay? But first, let's hug like men!
• Peralta's and Holt's conversation about families in "Thanksgiving".
• Boyle saving Thanksgiving for everyone by pulling on his culinary knowledge to put together a feast.
• Jake's final Thanksgiving toast. Doubles as a Funny Moment.
  Jake: So, earlier at Amy's, I didn't give a real toast because I didn't know what to say. But, since that time, a wise, unsmiling man named Gerald Jimes made me realize what I am thankful for. So, I'd just like to say that I am happy to be here with my family. My super-weird family with two black dads and two Latina daughters and two white sons and Gina and— (looks at Scully) I don't know what you are. Some strange giant baby?
  • To make it even better, when Peralta talks about a "wise, unsmiling man" (referring to Holt), the camera cuts to Holt smiling appreciatively.
• Peralta and Diaz have a pact that dates back to them being in the academy, and when Peralta doesn't respect it, he apologizes to Diaz in his own way and then actually does the thousand push-ups that the pact requires to show he means it.
• Holt appearing to genuinely have fun playing Wii Sports tennis with Peralta while stuck in a "Safehouse" apartment, handcuffed to him for safety. In all the other clips of the montage, he just seems weirded out by Peralta's actions. In this case, it's implied that he creates his own Mii, gets very into the game and even wins, calling it "intuitive".
• It's made very clear that, even though the injury is Played for Laughs by the others, Holt takes Charles' Taking the Bullet moment very seriously; he won't let anyone, not even Charles himself, forget that what Charles did was extremely brave. He also doesn't hesitate to scold the others at the precinct when they start to complain about Charles being unbearable to be around when Charles returns to work.
• After Charles, still a little loopy from his painkillers, tells Rosa that he didn't know who he was jumping in front of and that he would've taken the bullet for any of them, she becomes more willing to acknowledge the fact that he took the bullet for her in future episodes. She also doesn't shy away from telling people that she does owe him one for saving her life.
• Peralta and Santiago on the roof, with Peralta deciding to stay on the stakeout rather than go back to the well planned and expensive bad date.
• While it was mainly played for laughs, Jake becoming overprotective of Terry in The Ebony Falcon was because he feared Terry being killed in the field of duty and leaving his children fatherless. Terry eventually thanked Jake for his unneeded protectiveness by giving Jake a drawing that Cagney and Lacey made for him for protecting their father.
• Santiago and Diaz escorting Gina home after her apartment is robbed once they realize she's scared.
• In "The Party", the crew doesn't encounter Captain Holt's dog Cheddar until they head to the private bathroom in his room. This is after "Pontiac Bandit" where Holt learns Amy is deathly allergic to dogs — he must have put Cheddar there, as well as cleaned the house thoroughly, to avoid Amy needing to go to the hospital.
• The entire squad setting up a birthday dinner for Holt and Kevin in "The Party". They rent out an entire restaurant so the two of them can have a private dinner, enjoying a menu handpicked by Boyle and serenaded by Scully singing Opera.
  • Also earlier in the episode Holt admonishing Kevin in private over his snobby attitude towards them at the party. We find out Holt made his husband invite them because he likes them and he thinks they are good people.
  • And finding out that Kevin's opinion towards the cops wasn't because they were low class, but because he'd seen Holt continuously discriminated against by the police force due to his race and sexuality, and had came to hate them for it.
• Santiago and Peralta's heart-to-hearts over the course of "Operation Broken Feather"
  Peralta: The truth is, our job isn't always great. Sometimes it sucks. But it sucks a little less when I get to do it with you. So when you said you were gonna leave, I freaked out and that was dumb. I should have been more supportive. You're a great detective, and they'd be lucky to have you. In fact, if it helps I wrote you a letter of recommendation... which is riddled with spelling errors, I might add. Including the word 'recommendation', which is just... I don't have to tell you about that. There's no way there's four 'm's in that word, right?
• Peralta dressing up the interrogation room for a romantic setting with roses, candles and cages with doves inside and inviting Vivian so that Boyle can propose to her.
  • Not to mention Peralta deliberately screwing over a date with a beautiful, Nets-loving Die Hard fanatic in order to try and keep Boyle from ruining his own date with Vivian.
• Gina trying to help Jake out by offering to buy his apartment that he no longer longer afford and letting Jake rent from her. At first Jake rejects this plan out of pride, but later offers instead to let her buy his much nicer apartment and live there while he moves into her old crappy apartment and sublets from her, so that she'll make a profit.
  • Finding out Jake and Gina were friends from childhood and they used to spend time in his Nana's apartment (now Jake's) after school while their divorced mothers were at work. Jake was also the one who got Gina her job at the precinct.
  • The fact that Gina, self-absorbed, Comedic Sociopath Gina, speaks of Jake's Nana with genuine fondness, and credits her with making her the "intelligent, sensuous woman I am today." She also expresses sadness at the idea that Jake would have to move out of Nana's old apartment, since she has so many fond memories there.
• Boyle apologizing to Rosa for being an Abhorrent Admirer to her the past year and Rosa accepting say he's much cooler now that he's in love with someone else.
• Terry standing up for his squad and their self evaluations, calling out Holt. And then Holt tells him to sit down, and tells him that he agrees with Terry, and Terry's willingness to stand up for his team shows what kind of person he is, and explains why the squad respects him, and that he's right to be a proud mama hen.
• Gina, now incorporating emojis into her regular speech, describes her and Jake's friendship as "little boy holding little girl's hand". Aww.
• Holt making Terry sound even more badass than he really is to impress Terry's brother, then letting him crash on Holt's couch.
  • Holt even downloaded some whale sounds for Terry to fall asleep to because Terry told him earlier that he has trouble sleeping without them. Gotta love that attention to detail.
• Jake telling the detective squad before he goes undercover that he'll miss them, and giving them his open cases (Amy), desk (Charles) and locker (Rosa) while he's gone. Holt points out he has no authority to do so, but it's a nice thought nonetheless.
• Early on, Santiago had Jeffords do up an oil painting of Captain Holt. The picture can be seen in 'The Party', on a stand in Holt's husband's office.
• Jake teaching Amy how to dance during their time undercover at a dancing competition.
• From the first season finale, Jake absolutely trusting Holt and putting his entire career in Holt's hands without even knowing why. Holt just asks him to please get himself fired and he'll explain later.
  Jake: Thank you, Captain.
  Holt: Thank you. For trusting me.
• A very small moment that speaks volumes about Jake and Amy's relationship early on is in the Thanksgiving Episode when Jake sees the toast Amy's prepared to ask Holt to officially be her mentor. His reaction shows how well he knows her and he doesn't tease her at all even though it's a prime opportunity. She's also genuinely happy and relaxed when she smiles at him, even though right before and after she is stressed about Holt.
  Amy: *sullen* I have to practice my toast.
  Jake: God, how long is that?
  Amy: Eight pages.
  Jake: Single-spaced?
  Amy: [smiles] Double-sided.
  Jake: *smiles and points at her* Santiago style!
  Amy: [grins]

Season 2

• Overlaps with Funny Moments, but in the second season premiere, after Jake returns, the precinct holds drinks in his honor. Holt asks if anyone wants to make a speech. Jake, anticipating Holt's typically dry approach, eagerly demands that Holt make one:
  Holt: Very well. Uh, your six month absence was noted.
  Jake: Yes.
  Holt: Drinks are on me. There's a two-drink maximum per-person.
  Jake: Ah, here he goes.
  Holt: It is non-transferable.
  Jake: Uh-huh.
  Holt: Guests will pay their own tab.
  Jake: Oh, yeah.
  Holt: Valet parking is not included.
  Jake: Solid protocol.
  Holt: Tomorrow's briefing will be fifteen minutes earlier than usual.
  Jake: [Delighted] Wonderful. He's so bad at this.
  Holt: [Suddenly turning to look at Jake; sincerely] And... I'm very proud of you, Peralta. We missed you.
  Jake: [Obviously surprised and touched] Awww... you ruined it.
• In "Chocolate Milk," Rosa cancels a date so that Charles won't have to go to his ex-wife's engagement party alone and even dresses to match his garish costume. Then she tells him she'll help him find his own apartment so he won't have to live in his ex-wife's fiance's basement and therefore regain a little dignity.
• It's more of a Fridge Heartwarming moment, but in "Halloween II" there is something genuinely sweet about how Boyle was the only detective not to (willingly) betray Jake's plan to steal Holt's watch.
• From "The Mole", after Gina announced to the entire precinct that she and Charles slept together.:
  Charles: Do you have any regrets?
  Gina: No. It was pretty fun.
  • Also a Pet the Dog moment, since Gina had made a habit of verbally abusing Charles and pointing out how disgusting she found him and their relationship at every opportunity.
  • After Terry finds out that a girl who went to the elite preschool that he wants to enroll his twins in is dealing Giggle Pig, he worries that his twins might end up turning to a life of crime no matter how well he tries to raise them. Rosa then reassures him that she thinks his kids will turn out fine because she knows he's a great dad.
  Rosa: And, hey, you should never worry about your kids. You're the best dad I know. Cagney and Lacey are gonna grow up great.
  Terry: You really think so?
  Rosa: 100 percent.
• It was also hilarious, but Holt willing to act like a jerk so Terry could bond with his brother-in-law in "Lockdown". He even lets food get smeared around his mouth, which seems like a big step for someone who's so clean-cut and proper.
  • Holt and Jefford's relationship in general. They probably bond over being the Only Sane Man and Team Dad in the precinct and look out for each other, from Holt cajoling Jeffords to get some sleep in "48 Hours" to both of them scheming in "Operation Broken Feather".
• Holt giving Amy genuinely good advice about running for union rep. He even calls it a pow-wow!
• Terry and Gina taking care of a sick Rosa in their own ways.
• Peralta giving up the chance to stop Doug Judy fleeing once more to catch the leader of the Giggle Pig ring, and later telling Diaz that it wasn't a difficult choice at all. Even Diaz can't keep herself from smiling.
• Peralta invites Holt to join the detectives for a weekend getaway after hearing that Holt never got to participate in similar get-togethers because of his ethnicity and sexuality.
  • Holt and the team playing at the end of the episode counts.
    • Any incident where Holt joins the rest of the precinct in shenanigans like the cold open to "Jake and Sophia" where he joins in guessing why Santiago is late. "HOT DAMN" indeed.
• Jake and Charles making up after breaking their friendship in "Stakeout".
• There's something sweet about the plot of "The Beach House" starting because Jake wanted Holt to actually have the chance to be welcomed to a gathering with the rest of the squad.
• Peralta sells his beloved car to pay back the rest of his debt to Terry and Terry lets Peralta be the godfather of his unborn child in return.
  • In the same episode, Jake is iffy about Terry suddenly wanting all of the money he owes him back, but as soon as he realizes why Terry wants the money (his wife is pregnant with their third child), Peralta immediately empties his bank account to pay as much back to Terry as he can, with an added "first installment" utterance to make it clear that he intends to pay off the rest.
• The last three minutes of "Boyle-Linetti Wedding". Holt's speech ends up being lovely, and clearly directed to Kevin as much as the bride and groom. Then, after we'd previously seen that their original marriage ceremony was very brief, Holt and Kevin discuss having a 'proper' wedding.
  • In the middle of that, Holt admits that his speech was what he wishes the officiant had said to him and Kevin. Kevin reassures Holt that he wouldn't trade it for the world because he heard his husband's "officiant/efficient" joke.
  • Gina, despite disliking Lynn and the fact that this will make her related to Charles, is genuinely devoted to making sure her mom has the perfect wedding day. She blesses the marriage because she knows Lynn makes Darlene happy, and the biggest reason Gina was hesitant was that she was worried things were moving too fast, and her mother's been hurt by men before.
  • Gina's pep talk to Lynn also counts. She tells him he's not making a mistake, and her mother loves him because he takes risks.
  • Terry apparently officiated a wedding for a couple at his gym. He agrees to help Gina as an officiant. The reason why she replaces him? He tears up over reading his speech. Later, he's crying Tears of Joy when hearing Holt's speech.
  • Amy at first is teasing Jake about his obsession with Jenny Gildenhorn. In the middle of it, Jake stops to make sure Amy is fine with hearing him plan how to get that dance because of their weird chemistry. Amy not only reassures him that it's in the past but also apologizes for making him lose the wedding ring, and refuses to let him search through the dumpster bags for it.
  • It is a downer moment when Jake sees Jenny hooking up with someone else at the wedding, and he never gets that dance. Amy cheers him up by saying that one woman wants to dance with him...one of Gina's elderly aunts who called him handsome. Jake smiles and takes her arm, saying he would be happy to slow-dance with her. Amy can't help but note the chivalry. The moment gets ruined when she starts feeling him up, but it had a nice start.
• "Captain Peralta"
  • Boyle admits that he considers Jake as his brother, and part of his family, as a nice Call-Back to "Stakeout". He says that if Jake's dad hurt him, then Boyle is hurt as well. Jake reassures him that no one is getting hurt this time but he appreciates his friend's concern.
  • Jake and Holt's conversation in
  Holt: I'm proud of you.
• Jake loves playing a character, but as seen in "Thanksgiving" and "The Chopper" nothing makes him happier than getting Holt to play along.
• At the end of "Det. Dave Majors," the titular detective asks Amy out, but she turns him down. Dave Majors admits that he's never been turned down by a woman before... But rather than be upset by it, he finds it refreshing, and he's even excited to discover how he changes as a person as a result of this new development. Even Jake admits it's a pretty good outlook on rejection.
• Gina's subplot in "The Chopper" is mostly comedic, as she befriends some tween girls who are visiting from the local school and gets involved in their personal drama, but it turns out she actually does understand them pretty well, and is thus able to help smooth things over.
  • At one point, she says she can't help Amy because she's busy dealing with the girls' issues, and if she doesn't help out, "the spring dance will be a disaster." Funny, but still sweet that she cares and is trying to help them out.
  • In a single afternoon, she manages to end a feud between three girls that the principal implies has been going on for quite a while, and get them all to be friends instead — and, as anyone who's worked with kids that age will tell you, this is no easy feat.
  • The kicker? Gina somehow is voted as the spring dance queen by the students.
• Holt saying goodbye to the Nine-Nine. Doubles as a Tear Jerker.
  • Gina unhesitatingly following Holt in leaving the Nine-Nine. Scully tries but Holt says no thanks.

Season 3

• From "New Captain", Jake and Amy agreeing to ignore any fears that they had, and officially become a couple.
• From "The Funeral", Holt saving Jake from getting demoted and saving Jake and Amy's relationship.
  Holt: I was moved by your speech, Peralta.
  Jake: Thank you, sir. That's very nice of you to say.
  Holt: The syntax was very problematic.
  Jake: Less nice.
  Holt: And your vocabulary is a true indictment of the public school system.
  Jake: Seems like you're just slamming me now.
  Holt: But the fact that you're not willing to give up in the face of adversity is inspiring. I love the Nine-Nine and I'm not gonna turn my back on the squad.
  • Jake's speech at the funeral which makes it clear how much he cares about Amy. Overlaps with Crowning Moment of Funny, since he's doing so while ostensibly toasting the deceased captain, and so has to awkwardly shoehorn in several inappropriate references to him while doing so.
• Jake helping Charles prove that Charles's crush, who's in prison, is innocent. Even though Charles gives up on the case, Jake's not willing to let it slide.
  Charles: I can't believe you kept working the case even after I gave up. That was a nice thing to do.
  Jake: Charles, I didn't do it to be nice. I did it to be amazing. And I think you're a great detective and I trusted your gut. Now, go get your girlfriend out of prison!
  Charles: Thanks, man! (hugs Jake) Nice time you see me, I'm gonna be all out of orgasms!
  Jake: NO! YOU CAN'T SAY THAT WHILE HUGGING SOMEONE.
  • When Jake, Holt and Gina decide to pursue the Oolong Killer together, in defiance of orders, and with no official support. Jake and Holt specifically seem to bond over over the pursuit (Jake even learning to appreciate Holt's fine liquors).
  • Even after Holt abandons the case, Jake fulfills his childhood dream by catching a serial killer. Then he approaches the Chief of Police and offers to give him all the credit in return for Holt being returned to command of the Nine-Nine. The greatest moment of his career, and he remains completely unsung in order to help his friends.
  Holt: Good news. The Vulture's out. And I'm back.
• After Amy tricks and beats them both in the Halloween Heist, Jake and Holt don't show a moment's resentment, even expressing regret that neither of them chose her for their team. When she's crowned "Queen of the Nine-Nine," they enthusiastically announce that she's an amazing detective-slash-genius, and Holt even pays for the drinks.
• Terry and Sharon, after constantly rolling their eyes at his antics, acknowledge all that Jake did for them and let him, as the godfather, have the privilege of being the very first non-blood related family member to see Terry's third baby daughter Ava. For that matter, Jake really stepped up when they needed him.
  • A weird one from the same episode. A criminal Diaz and Terry are interrogating refuses to crack... until Terry tearfully tells him that if he doesn't, he'll miss the birth of his child. The criminal immediately starts crying, too, and gives them the information they need.
• "Yippee Kayak."
  • The whole episode happens because Jake wanted Gina's help in buying a gift for Boyle, and Boyle obliviously tagged along. When criminals take the mall hostage, the two get to work as a great buddy team.
  • Jake surrendering himself to the robbers so Charles can safely escape.
  • Terry described Boyle as physically inept, that even eating a muffin caused him physical pain. Here Boyle gets to be John McClane and rescues Jake and Gina from the last criminal making use of vents, a thick pipe, and the element of surprise. Let's Get Dangerous! indeed, Charles Boyle.
  • Boyle messes up the Die Hard catchphrase as "Yippe kayak, other buckets!" after knocking out the criminal. Jake mentions that he got it wrong, but tells him he did good considering he saved him, Gina, and the other hostages.
  • Holt has to suspend Terry for a week due to him tossing the Vulture into a garbage can to stop him from getting the hostages killed. He also says So Proud of You that Terry was willing to break the rules to do the right thing and save everyone.
  • As Jake is getting a blanket, Boyle brings the closest thing to the body spray pack that Jake was eyeing, apologizing that it wasn't the exact one for Amy. After Boyle saved his life and the hostages, Jake comes clean that he forgot his friend's Christmas present and was trying to buy it before Charles notices. He apologizes and says that he will make it up to Charles. Charles says, after a Beat, that Jake already did: by offering himself as a hostage to the bad guys to let his best friend get away. It shows that Jake is willing to die for him, and that's good enough.
• "Hostage Situation"
  • When a breakdancer refuses to apologize for spilling Holt's coffee, Holt "defuses the situation" by challenging him to a dance-off. He then starts doing moves off-camera, so that the crowd is cheering. By the end, the dancer is giving a winning grin as a Graceful Loser.
  • Domestic Abuse is treated seriously here, with everyone, including a lawyer, showing sympathy towards Charles. Yes he shouldn't have signed the fine print but they understand why he was intimidated into doing so.
  • Jake refuses to let Boyle perjure himself to get his sperm back.
• Gina and Amy actually bonding for once in "Into the Woods". Their honesty and friendliness towards each other at the end is a nice moment in a rather silly B-plot, mainly because they've been the two main characters with the most open animosity to one another, while at the same time they now having a significant personal connection in common (as Jake is both Gina's surrogate brother and Amy's boyfriend), so it's good that they seem to be putting aside their differences and really getting along.
  • Rosa and Holt, the two most emotionally stunted and closed-off people in the precinct, bonding by crying together after Rosa tearfully admits that she's terrified that she'll be unable to find love after breaking up with Marcus.
• In "The Swedes", Rosa spends the whole episode refusing to talk about what Jake's anniversary gift to Amy should be, insisting that the reason why she likes being friends with him is because they never talk about anything personal. Jake calls her out on this, especially after he finds out she never even told him that she broke up with Marcus, comparing how distant they are with how close the Swedish partners they have to work with are, and they both agree that maybe they never were friends in the first place. But when she sees how upset Jake is at the end of the episode when they're drinking at a bar together after solving the case, Rosa decides to break her policy of never discussing personal problems and helps Jake think of an anniversary present.
  Rosa: I can tell you're bummed, and that's not cool 'cause we are friends.
  Jake: Really?
  Rosa: Yes.
• In "Cruise", Amy tells Doug Judy that Jake has never told her he loves her, just saying "Noice" or "smort." At the end of the episode, as they dance together.
  Amy: I love you.
  Jake: Noice. Smort. (pause) I love you too.
  • Doug Judy being supportive of Jake's relationship with Amy. He even gives him advice by telling him to pay more attention to her interests in order to keep her. By the end of the episode, it seems Jake took the advice to heart.
  • After spending the episode frustrated with her "drama queen" attitude, once Holt learns that his sister Debbie's husband has been cheating on her he immediately switches into Big Brother Instinct and builds a cushion fort in his office so they can sit and bond.
  • Also, as soon as she hears Holt's invented 'drama' (a fight with Kevin over his sabbatical, the Commissioner putting pressure on him, general stress) she's ready and willing to leave so her brother can deal with things without the added stress of having her around.
• The end of "Karen Peralta", when Jake's mom tells Jake that, despite Amy's nerves-induced eccentricities throughout the evening, she really likes her. Crosses into Crowning Moment of Funny when Amy, who is lip-reading from the car, squees loudly and happily at this.
• The talk Jake, Amy, and Holt have after Holt tells them that he and Kevin have been problems in their marriage in "Cheddar"
  Jake: Sir, with all due respect, that's crazy. I mean, you and Kevin are the best couple I know. And...I'm sure whatever this is, you can get through it, because you are the strongest person I know.
  • Also from "Cheddar"... well, just Cheddar bumbling around the neighborhood like the little corgi he is. If that doesn't warm the heart, nothing will.
• In "Paranoia", Adrian saying that Charles isn't going to be one of his best men — because Rosa's already called dibs on him as one of her maids of honor.
  • Jake trying his best to get Terry's approval of Adrian's and Rosa's engagement throughout "Paranoia."
  • And then, later, Jake comforting Rosa when he tells her that Adrian had to go into hiding because Figgis is after him.
  Jake: Are you gonna be okay?
  Rosa: (wiping away her tears) Yeah, I will be.
  • The triple bachelorette party that Charles, Amy, and Gina throw for Rosa is both this and Funny Moment.
• Charles and Genevieve deciding to adopt a child after finding out Charles is infertile and the fertility treatments have failed. For many adoptees, it's a pleasant surprise to be 1. represented 2. not seen as a last option.
  • Earlier in the season, Jake telling Charles that he doesn't have to be a biological father to be a good dad, which leads to them looking at sperm donors before deciding to adopt.
  • And then in Season 4, we hear that they adopted a 4-year-old. Nice to hear considering how older children so rarely get adopted in real life (most people preferring babies).
• In "9 Days", Rosa getting Boyle's friends in the precinct to hold a funeral for his recently deceased pet dog after him telling her about how the dog helped him get through his divorce and her sympathizing with him after owning a dog for a day and a half.
  • Includes a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment from Gina, where she actually touches his shoulder as he walks by and has a genuinely mournful expression. Considering how she usually treats people in general and Charles specifically, it's a really big show of kindness.
• In "The Cruise," Doug Judy gets genuinely invested in Jake and Amy's relationship. When he (of course) escapes from Jake yet again, he leaves him a nice parting gift: a key to a romantic stateroom on the ship.
• The Cold Open of "House Mouses" has the 99 accidentally eating all the treats in a gift basket from Kevin to Holt, so they scramble to make a new one. It's filled with school and office supplies... and Holt loves it! It's cute that the 99 knows Holt well enough to know what he'd like to get in a gift basket, and the fact that Holt gives a rare smile is genuinely sweet.
• Boyle convincing everyone to help babysit Terry's children after noticing Terry's growing stress and comfort eating. Only asking that Terry starts taking care of himself again in return for their help.

Season 4

• Jake telling Holt to call the Nine-Nine for help in "Coral Palms, Pt. 2."
  Jake: There's nothing wrong with asking for help from people that care about you.
  • And, when Holt does call the Nine-Nine, the team is completely ready to fly to Florida to help them defeat Figgis.
• Jake and Amy finally being in sync and clicking in "Coral Palms Pt. 3"
• After much resentment, Jake finally accepts that things are changing and that Charles has Nikolaj and plays with him in "The Night Shift."
  • Amy comforting Rosa about Pimento still being missing and promising to be there for her.
  Amy: Look, when Jake was in witness protection, and I didn't know when he was ever coming back, you were always there when I needed to vent. So, I'll do your paperwork, and if you ever want company on that bench, I'm there.
  • Also, the fact that Rosa helped Amy when she was upset about Jake being in witness protection. Despite her aloofness, Rosa really does care about Amy, and it's really nice to see how strong their friendship really is.
• All of Amy and Rosa's interactions in "Halloween IV." Rosa completely goes along with all of Amy's plans for the heist, regardless of how dorky they get, and, despite her claiming that she's only going along with Amy's plans because she wants to win, she seems to genuinely enjoy her time with Amy, even throwing in her own references to The Baby-Sitters Club. And Amy is just really thrilled at Rosa's favorable reactions to her plans.
  Rosa: Beautiful plan.
  Amy: Beautiful execution.
  Rosa: It's almost like we're our own babysitter's club.
  Amy: [excited] Oh my God, I don't want tonight to ever end.
  [Rosa rolls her eyes and smiles with uncharacteristic fondness]
  • Rosa also shows genuine concern when she mildly admonishes Amy for her smoking habit... while still not breaking the theme of the evening:
    Amy: This is where I stash a few cigarettes on the rare occasion I need a puff.
    Rosa: Dope; the hiding place, not the smoking. Mary Anne is better than that.
    Amy: [Guilty] She's a work in progress.
  • At the very end, Gina sincerely admits to the squad that "I frickin' love you losers."
• Almost every scene Terry has with his daughters is adorable. His obvious adoration for them is easily one of his most endearing traits.
• Holt's somewhat out of character reaction to "THE FULL BULLPEN!"
• In "Skyfire Cycle", after Terry is let down by his favorite author and childhood hero DC Parlov and is upset because he lived his whole life by the inscription Parlov wrote in his book, Jake cheers him up by saying that Terry is his hero.
  Jake: The hero I was talking about is you. You're a great cop and dad and husband and boss. And also, you always smell just a little bit like vanilla.
  Terry: That's my soap. I got it at Lush.
  Jake: You're who I want to be when I grow up, Terry. And you should know that some dumb inscription in some stupid book isn't what made you who you are. And it bums me out that you can't see that.
• Jake giving Boyle a police officer figure to give to Nikolaj after the Captain Latvia was melted, and Nikolaj pretending the officer figure is Boyle.
  • Also, while it was admittedly out of character, the lengths Boyle went to get the Captain Latvia figure for Nikolaj really seem sweet as Boyle wants his son to have a proper Christmas.
• Jake stopping in the middle of giving the Miranda rights in order to let Amy win the bet in "The Fugitive".
  • Also, Jake has started reading Harry Potter, and he and Amy spend a minute gushing over it.
  • Jake decides to call the Doug Judy, the Pontiac Bandit in order to help him get the last fugitive (who is also Doug's foster brother). Jake is more comfortable working with Doug this time, and by the end of the episode, leave on good terms and a new respect for each other as a Worthy Opponent.
    • Despite admitting X-Men: Apocalypse wasn't great, Doug is open to seeing it again with Jake.
• In "The Audit", in a minor subplot Jake's clearly a bit worried that he and Amy don't really have a lot in common and that Amy just nods along and pretends to care about his interests. He bases this on a comment Amy makes about her previous boyfriend Teddy, about how she'd just mollify him by agreeing with the last statement he makes, and remembers her doing this with him in a conversation about Die Hard villains. Then, when confronting Teddy at the end, Amy out of nowhere refers back to this conversation in a way that makes it clear that she genuinely does share this interest (while also being a Funny Moment):
  Teddy: You guys have nothing in common.
  Amy: Oh yeah?! Tell that to William Atherton, the man we both consider to be the second-best Die Hard villain!
  Jake: [Overjoyed] She meant it!
  • Also, Amy's speech about how she loves the fact that she and Jake are a case of Opposites Attract and have significant personality differences.
  • Becomes even more heartwarming when it turns out that Amy doesn't really like Die Hard but genuinely made the effort to at least familiarize herself with the movies for Jake's sake.
  • When Boyle falls through the ceiling, Rosa's reaction is heartwarming contrasted with Terry's and Holt's.
    Terry: My copier!
    Holt: My precinct!
    Rosa: Charles!
• In "The Last Ride," Terry is frustrated over the fact that he was beat for the record of most arrests made in the precinct by Hitchcock, of all people, since Hitchcock started at the precinct 20 years before him. Terry spends the entire episode trying to find another case in order to get the record, but he is unsuccessful. Rosa then cheers him up by reminding him of how much he's helped everyone in the precinct:
  Rosa: Hey. Congratulations on getting the record.
  Terry: What are you talking about? I came up short. Hitchcock beat me. (Rosa puts down a stack of files in front of Terry) What are all these?
  Rosa: B&E I worked last year. You noticed a clue I missed. Arson I solved last summer. You gave me advice on how to break the guy in interrogation. Blackmail from '09. You said the nanny did it, and guess what, the nanny did it.
  Terry: I don't understand.
  Rosa: You didn't just work your own cases. You helped me and Jake and Charles and Amy. There are hundreds of cases that wouldn't have been solved without you. You add all that up, that's a record nobody's ever gonna touch. Congratulations, Mr. Nine-Nine.
  Terry: Thanks, Diaz.
  • Same episode gives us The Reveal that Holt has actually been mentoring Santiago from day one, and even has a big binder with nine years' worth of notes and lessons to teach her. He just didn't want to tell her until later on.
  • Jake and Charles waiting for backup knowing it was going to be their last case together.
    Charles: I know you wanted this to be the greatest case ever.
    Jake: It's okay. Every case I got to work with you was the greatest case ever.
  • The ending of that episode in general. Jake and Charles were willing to sacrifice their last chance to save the Nine-Nine by waiting to catch a bigger fish. Holt goes so far as to say he's proud of them. Luckily, at the time Gina was live streaming when they radioed in to inform the Squad. Having heard their dedication to the city and willingness to sacrifice their personal desires for the good of the city inspires her viewers to rise up and protest closing the precinct.
• "Moo-Moo" is one of the more serious episodes, but it also contains some good heartwarming moments.
  • When trying to explain what prejudice is to Cagney and Lacey, Amy accidentally makes the two little girls aware of sexism for the first time. The twins then protest that if life is going to be harder because they're female, they don't want to be female. Jake's immediate response to that is, "You don't have to be if that's who you are!"
  • From the same episode, Terry reveals the reason he became a cop was because he always wanted to be a superhero. So by becoming a police officer, he has realized his dream in a way.
    • This revelation is accompanied by a flashback of a young Terry trying to stand up to some bullies, only to get shoved to the ground... but then the bullies run away. Terry turns around and sees a police officer standing behind him, having scared the other kids off to help Terry out.
  • Every single person at the 99 within seconds realize what happened to Terry and are supportive, with even normally clueless Hitchcock telling Scully to "get woke" when he admits he is confused, explaining simply that Terry was racially profiled.
    • Heck, Scully doesn't even know what's going on and he expresses sympathy for Terry.
    • Rosa's protective side coming out when Terry recounts the story, along with her not-so-subtly trying to ask for the make and model of the policeman's car so she can slash his tires in retaliation. It gets a Call-Back later on, showing that Rosa really was serious about that offer. Considering how much of a badass Rosa is, it's truly heartwarming to know that she cares that much about the people in her precinct.
  • Crosses over with Funny, but after an annoyed Terry scolds Jake about letting the twins play with the windows, leading to the loss of Moo Moo, Jake still has this to say before they hang up:
  Jake: I'm so sorry about this, Sarge. Oh, and one more thing ... I love you.
  Terry: (slightly annoyed but means it) I love you, too, Jake.
  • Terry and Holt have a serious talk about the ramifications of filing a complaint or not. Holt says he's worried that Terry's career will be sabotaged. He recounts how, as a black gay man, he had to fight tooth and nail for the changes he was able to implement and doesn't want his sergeant to suffer. In response, Terry says he can't stand down and do nothing because one day a cop may stop his girls and potentially kill them. He wants to create a better world here and now. Holt concedes and submits the complaint. When Terry is passed over for a council position, he wonders if he ought to have listened to Holt. Holt responds by telling him he made sure one cop faced the consequences.
  • The end of the episode has Jake and Amy Squeeing together over how adorable Terry's daughters are.
• At the end of "Cop-Con", to make up for costing Holt the role on the convention board with their drunken hijinks and (in what turned out to be the thing that he was most upset about) having fun without him, Jake takes him and the squad to the Rochester Thermometre Museum to salvage his weekend so he can have some fun as well. And while Holt is obviously "floating on air", the other members of the squad also seem to find it surprisingly interesting and enjoyable as well (or at least are willing and able to convincingly feign enthusiasm for Holt's sake). The episode ends with the squad getting a happy group photo taken like the drunken one that had upset Holt earlier.
  • From the same episode, Amy and Gina deciding to help Scully get with a woman he meets and develops a crush on. They don't make fun of him even once; they just try to help him. The first couple attempts backfire, but in the end, he manages to get a kiss from her before they all head home!
• "Chasing Amy" had several Heartwarming moments:
  • Jake going to the trouble of setting up a simulated practice exam in an attempt to calm down Amy, who was stressing about taking the sergeant's exam. He even forsaw her arguments against a practice room, and went to the trouble of creating a noisy and distracting environment to make her really feel tested.
  • After Amy runs off, he demonstrates just how well he knows her when tracking her down (showing that he does in fact pay attention to her even on topics that likely don't interest him)
  • And finally the rooftop conversation, where Amy reveals that she wasn't afraid of failing the exam, she was afraid of ruining their relationship by either getting transferred or outranking him. Jake insists without hesitation that she's too talented to give up on her dreams, and also assures her that they will be fine either way.
  • Meanwhile, Gina finally comes out and admits that she is a member of the Boyle clan and cements her connection with them by making a sourdough starter and inviting every cousin to come visit her whenever they want to make a loaf.
• "Crime and Punishment" has a small one when Jake and Rosa are found guilty. Gina immediately puts her hand on Amy's shoulder, showing that through the merciless teasing, the former does care.

Season 5

• "Everything's fine. I'm talking to you."
• Caleb, who is a convicted child killer/cannibal, willingly takes a stabbing for Jake because he considers him his best friend.
• Before Jake gets released from prison, he requests to see Caleb to thank him.
• Holt accepted a favor from a crime boss — putting his entire career on the line — to get Jake and Rosa out of prison. And partly why he did it was to prevent Amy from making the same deal and compromising her career.
• "Kicks": When Jake accidentally lets a guilty suspect go because he thought he was innocent, Holt's mad, but then Jake says he's not ready to go back in the field, because he's afraid to put an innocent person through what he went through. While he's packing up his desk, Holt comes to see him.
  Holt: When you demanded to be put back in the field, I was worried that you were being flippant about your time in prison. I thought you would be reckless, but I was wrong. Prison has made you more cautious.
  Jake: Yeah, but what if I'm too cautious now? I mean, I used to see everything as black and white, and now, it's looking real gray to me.
  Holt: I wish every cop had a voice in their head asking, "What if he's innocent?" You see it as a weakness, but it means you're growing. It makes you a better detective. So, you passed your evaluation. You can go back in the field.
• HalloVeen
  • Jake used the Halloween heist this year as a way to propose to Amy. She said yes!
  • Which makes every moment where Jake said he needed to win this year Heartwarming in Hindsight. This was not about his ego, he needed to "win" to propose to the woman he loves.
  • He also proposed in the very room where he and Amy had their first kiss!
  • Jake mentioned at the beginning of the episode that the heist was the only thing keeping him going in prison, he didn't mean winning the heist. Planning a perfect proposal to the woman he loves was what kept him going.
  • The cherry on top of the proposal is Boyle being the first person to find out about their engagement.
  • Near the end, while the squad is celebrating, Jake is asked when he decided to propose. Terry assumes it was the lengthy yogurt metaphor he used, And Charles assumes it was when they met. Then we get a flashback on the moment — it was when she found a typo on a crossword all the way back in April.
  • Jake's phone call to Amy's dad, where he refuses to ask for his blessing to propose, as Amy is an adult with free will and an independent woman, not her dad's property. It really shows just how much love and respect he has for Amy. At the same time it shows that Jake wants to be part of her family and respects her dad, too.
• From "The Venue"
  • Jake and Rosa's donut hole game in the cold open and the random call-back halfway through the episode. This shows the depth of the two's friendship and how Rosa shows a level of ease around Jake that she doesn't with anyone else.
  • Jake and Amy are almost perfectly in sync throughout their wedding planning and know each other so well that one can throw in the occasional surprise that's gleefully accepted by the other such as when Jake asks the florist to wrap the bouquets in New York Times crossword puzzles from important dates and Amy has the baker prepare a recreation of Nakatomi Plaza for the groom's cake.
  • The characterization of Jean. She's so nice and cheerful, you're expecting her to be a Bitch in Sheep's Clothing who's just as bad as the Vulture deep down. But... no, she actually is a kindhearted, generous person who cares that much for other people. No wonder Jake and Amy can't bring themselves to let her stay with someone as awful as the Vulture. You feel sorry for her when she finds out what a slimeball her fiance really is, but she's definitely better off without him. And as sweet as Jean is, she'll almost certainly be able to find love with someone who's actually worthy of her time.
  • After Charles gets made out to be a moron who had to be saved from a fire by a police horse (in reality, the horse was the moron who wouldn't move away from the fire until Charles slapped it on the hindquarters), Rosa leaks the dashcam footage that shows what really happened, against the wishes of the brass. Then she gets a party Terry was throwing rebranded as a party to celebrate Charles' heroism.
• From "Two Turkeys":
  • As pointed out in the AV Club, rather than go for the classic sitcom trope of some combination of the parents not approving of a union, both the Peraltas and Santiagos wholeheartedly support Jake and Amy's engagement. The comedy and conflict of the storyline, instead, comes from the fact that neither set of parents like the other and get hypercompetitive in trying to show who's the most supportive.
  • Even more so when you remember how much Victor hated Jake last Thanksgiving. Clearly by now he's come around, and fully accepts Jake as his future son-in-law.
  • Rosa is forced to confess that she'd come to really miss her family in prison and that this led to her becoming extremely close to them. She even came up with a goofy t-shirt design for everyone to wear when they go see the Minions musical on Broadway. Of course, this being Rosa, she's extremely ashamed at revealing such a detail to her coworkers.
  • Holt and Kevin come to an understanding about their annual trip to Saratoga Springs that, while surprising to Holt, leads to them realizing that their love is strong and that Holt has loosened up considerably since taking command of the Nine-Nine.
• From "99"
  • The entire episode is about the squad going to ridiculous extremes to get Holt to his Commissioner interview, only to find out that Holt has been going to equally ridiculous extremes to prevent it. This leads to the reveal that Holt had compromised himself in order to get Jake and Rosa out of prison, and was giving up his lifelong dream in order to prevent that from impacting anyone else. In the end, the squad convinces him that they'll back him up and get him through whatever comes up, and pull off an amazing logistical feat to get him there in the knick of time.
    Jake: Sir, with all due respect, the first thing you taught me when you came to the Nine-Nine is that we're a team, so your responsibility is my responsibility, too.
  • Rosa coming out to Charles as bisexual, and Charles immediately rolling with it, asking no questions. Later on, she tells him that she's glad she told him first.
    • This also doubles as a meta-exampl
  • When the team is stranded and Amy goes into extreme Type-A mode, the rest of her coworkers look bewildered, except for Jake, who is beaming.
  • It’s easy to miss because it’s it’s in the background, but when the team is rushing to their posts, you can hear Jake say, “I love her!”
• From "Game Night":
  • Rosa asks Jake to be her emotional support when she comes out to her parents, which he does without hesitation. When her father asks her to stay away from the family home for a while to avoid causing trouble with her Mother, the Nine-Nine rallies to show Rosa that she's not alone by having game nights every week in place of the Diazes' weekly game nights.
    Rosa: (opening her apartment door) What's going on?
    Jake: Family game night.
  • Holt's support of Rosa when she comes out is clearly a big deal for her, particularly since they're not only the two queer characters on the show, but also the most emotionally guarded. When things go badly with her parents, he shares wisdom that clearly comes from experience.
    Holt: Diaz, you should be very proud of yourself. I know things aren't exactly where you want to be right now, but um, I promise you they will improve.
    Rosa: Thank you, Captain.
    Holt: Every time someone steps up and says who they are, the world becomes a better, more interesting place. So, thank you.
  • The final game night becomes even more poignant when you remember that Rosa is fiercely protective of her privacy. In Season 3, she mentions moving immediately any time anyone finds out where she lives. The final scene implies that she told at least some of the Nine Nine her address, and when they all show up unexpectedly, she opens her door without hesitation or comment aside from some confusion. Character Development indeed.
  • Mr. Diaz's speech to Rosa about making an effort to try and understand her bisexuality was also quite heartwarming, especially considering Rosa thought he'd be the less accepting of her parents.
    Rosa: What are you doing here?
    Mr. Diaz: I wanted to say I'm sorry. I reacted poorly last night. This is all new to me.
    Rosa: I know. But it's also not new, you know. I'm still the same person I always was.
    Mr. Diaz: Well, I don't feel I know that person.
    Rosa: Dad—
    Mr. Diaz: My fault, not yours. I want you to be able to tell me everything. I can't promise you I'll understand, but I'm trying. I want you to know that I accept you for who you are, and I love you very, very much.
    Rosa: (blinking back tears) I love you, too. (Mr. Diaz and Rosa hug)
  • Although it's Played for Laughs, the fact that Boyle was really concerned he'd accidentally out Rosa is quite sweet. Even if his attempts at avoiding it are so obvious and awkward, Rosa decided to just go ahead and come out because it was clear someone would figure it out eventually.
  • It could also be read that Boyle instantly accepting her gave Rosa the confidence and impetus to come out to the rest of the squad.
• In "The Favor", Terry comforting Gina on how hard it can be to work and have a baby at the same time.
• In "Safe House", the fact that Jake is so upset over the tension between Holt and Kevin that he resolves to take Kevin to the library under his protection against Holt's orders.
  • Kevin's eyes lighting up when Jake proposes to take him out of their safe house shows how much it meant to him.
• In "The Negotiation," after Jake calls Doug Judy and tells him that he might lose his badge because Doug betrayed Jake and ran off with the diamonds instead of turning himself in, Doug Judy sends him the diamonds at the karaoke room that they were at earlier in the episode and also karaokes with him via prerecorded message.
  Doug Judy: Look, even though I'm a scorpion, I would never drown your adorable little frog ass.
• The ending of "The Box", it's so cheesy but it works.
  Jake: Good morning, sir.
  Holt: Good morning, Peralta.
  Jake: God, I love this job.
  • Before that, when deducing that Davidson is a drug addict, and committed the murder to cover it up, Jake pauses The Summation to breathlessly add that addiction is a disease, and that he'd be completely sympathetic if Davidson hadn't killed a man. It's a small moment, but it does go to show what a good guy Jake is.
  • And before that, Holt and Davidson get into an argument about which degrees allow one to be called "doctor." It's the funniest scene in the episode until you remember Kevin is Head of Columbia's Classics Department. Holt wants his husband to be respected for his hard work.
• From "The Puzzle Master". Just to remind you how close Jake and Amy are by this point:
  • Jake, with no sign of embarrassment, watches Amy do her victory dance after she passed the Sergeant's Exam.
  • The effort Jake put in by having their last case as equal partners be a crossword puzzle related one.
  • Throughout the episode, Jake has been jealous over Vin Stermley and Amy working more together on the case, and expresses concern to her near the end that she might leave him one day as he is not as smart as Vin. Amy reassures him that he is smart due to being a great detective, and it's one of the reason she wants to marry him.
  • On Holt's story, he finds out that one of the candidates for commissioner, Capt. Olivia Crawford, is only there for publicity, and had no chance of winning due to being a female Captain. He used his speech to call out the selection committee for it, and the two end up as friendly rivals.
    • What makes it more sweet is that Holt has been through it before, being gay and black, and knew that he did not want Crawford to go through the same struggles like he did.
• In "DFW," when Jake is about to meet his half-sister Kate at the airport, he psyches himself up for meeting her by predicting that he and Kate are "gonna see each other from across the room, we'll lock eyes, I'll say 'noice,' she'll say 'toit,' and then six months later, we'll be on 'The Amazing Race' together." Though Kate's visit ends up being not at all as ideal as that and actually rather disastrous, after meeting Kate at the airport again when she's about to leave for Dallas, Jake and Kate end up reconciling and Jake gets (the first half of) his wish after all.
  Kate: Anyway, I should go. My plane's leaving.
  Jake: Come here.
  (Jake and Kate hug)
  Jake: Noice.
  Kate: Toit.
• In "Gray Star Mutual," Rosa is consistently aggressively supportive of Amy getting her wedding dress even though Amy is worried that, even though she really wants to find the perfect wedding dress, partaking in an activity so girly will make her officers lose respect for her.
  Rosa: Why are you being such a nutjob about looking for a wedding dress?
  Amy: Because being a female sergeant is difficult. I have to work twice as hard to gain my officers' respect, and looking at girly dresses isn't going to help. Plus, it's a new job, and I need to make it a priority.
  Rosa: Dude, I get that, but if you want a beautiful wedding dress, you deserve to find one. Look, there are no cops around. Nobody's gonna see you. Why don't we just take our break now, try one on? Okay?
  Amy: (softly) Okay.
  Rosa: Okay?
  Amy: (normal volume) Okay.
  Rosa: Okay?!
  Amy: (laughs) Okay!
  Rosa: Hell yeah!
  • Toward the end of the episode, Rosa asserts to Amy:
  Rosa: Amy, you are an amazing cop and a great leader, and you have proven that a billion times over. You can't let other people's opinions get in the way of what you want, especially because other people suck.
• In "Show Me Going" the entire squad is beside themselves with worry over Rosa's being in an active shooter situation. In the end, Amy and Gina glomp onto Rosa out of relief, to which the normally surly detective responds with an amused smile.
  • Two O.O.C Is Serious Business moments make it clear just how worried everyone is for Rosa. First, Charles is actually put off by a moment of affection between Jake and Amy. Later, Jake puts a pizza on Hitchcock's and Scully's desks, and they eat it normally, in somber silence. It really shows just how much losing her would affect the squad, and the latter moment shows that, incompetent they may be, Hitchcock and Scully are part of the team, too.
• The Sleuth Sisters. Rosa and Amy is one of the best pairings in the show.
• Four words: Jake and Amy's wedding.
  • More to that. The two might suffered a lot of mishaps on their own wedding day (a bomb threat that turned out to be real, dealing with Amy's ex Teddy, and losing their cake due to Cheddar eating it), but they were still willing to get married despite that, with Jake even suggesting that they wed at city hall.
    • This episode also once again shows how much Jake cares about Amy, making sure that he had back up plans to help her relieve her stress, and even was willing to marry in a place where people go to get restraining orders.
  Jake: Amy Santiago, I would marry you anytime, any place. I would marry you in the steaming filth of the Gowanus Canal.
  Amy: Sweet. But also gross.
  Jake: I would marry you on the G-Train. In the summertime when the air conditioning is broken.
  Amy: Damn, really?
  Jake: I would marry you on top of the Empire State Building.
  Amy: That sounds kind of nice.
  Jake: During a King Kong attack.
  Amy: Oh yeah, that's not good...Okay. City Hall it is.
  • Boyle does everything he can to redeem himself after he inadvertently caused some of the wedding problems in the first place. He manages to set up a wedding chapel outside the Nine-Nine in 28 minutes after asking for half an hour.
  • Captain Holt acts as the officiator for Amy and Jake's wedding. For the past five years, he has been a father and mentor figure to both of them. He proudly tells them how he has witnessed their relationship grow over the years, and he expects them to be Happily Married.
  • Captain Holt holds off on opening his email partly because he is afraid of what the news would be regarding whether or not he could be Commissioner, but he also doesn't want to steal the spotlight from Jake and Amy. When he does to decide to open it, he decides to open it after the wedding, and he does it in the presence of the entire Nine-Nine inner circle.
  • A special mention can go to Hitchcock and Scully finding Amy and Jake a musician. Even though Jake originally sent them on that errand to prevent them from getting in the way of the last-minute preparations, it goes to show they really went all out to find someone for the wedding further showcasing they both care about their co-workers.

Season 6

• "Honeymoon":
  • Jake and Amy are on their honeymoon when they run into a depressed Holt, and try to cheer him up.
  • When Holt nihilistically dismisses Jake after Jake heartfeltedly says how much he needs Holt, Amy flips out and rips into Holt to defend Jake, and shames him into giving a hoot again and returning to the Nine-Nine.
• In "Hitchcock & Scully":
  • Jake is seriously leaning into the fact that the two stole the fourth bag of money during a 1986 case they did, with their panicked expressions not helping matters. It turns out the two used the money to help out an informant and friend who helped them out on that case. She was The Don's wife, and the captain of the Nine-Nine wouldn't put her in witness protection, so Hitchcock and Scully gave her the money and helped her set up a new identity and get a job.
  • It also explains why they are regulars of Wing Slutz as, besides the food, they want to make sure their friend is safe, and keep in contact with her. At the end of the episode, when her ex-husband tries to shoot her, they both leap in front of her without a moment's hesitation.
  • At the end, Holt acknowledges that, even though they did it for a good reason, Hitchcock and Scully did steal the money, so he has no choice to punish them... with a year's worth of desk duty. Given that it's well-known Hitchcock and Scully prefer desk duty to being out on the field, not to mention the fact that they were openly praying for it, it can be inferred that Holt gave them a "punishment" they wouldn't mind on purpose — as by-the-book as Holt can be, he's not about to penalize them for doing the right thing.
• "The Tattler" shows just how much Gina cares about Jake (and has ever since their childhoods): she (unbeknownst to him, as he'd assumed that the rumour was organic) makes him a social pariah in high school by spreading a lie that he'd told on a classmate, and reveals that it was because Jake was falling into the bad crowd (the same crowd that the classmate was in) and she wanted to protect him from their influence, especially because she knew he had goals to become a cop.
  Jake: [Gina] is fiercely loyal. She will do the right thing for you, even when you can't see it for yourself. She's saved my ass countless times.
  • Amy fixing the science project that accidentally got broken due to them is this. Even if the student somehow wasn't blamed and the teacher gave them an extension with no late penalty, a student coming in one day to find their science project had somehow been destroyed would be bewildering and hurtful.
• If "A Tale Of Two Bandits" is to be believed, then Doug Judy has finally given up his life of crime. Over the course of the episode, he commits no crimes whatsoever, and doesn't betray Jake at the end. Doug Judy really did manage to change himself and become an upstanding member of society.
• "The Crime Scene":
  • Rose lets her current girlfriend practice hairdressing on her frequently is an incredible sweet gesture. Especially from the usually reserved Rosa.
  • Rosa’s mother coming to visit her at the end. Throughout the episode, it’s mentioned that they haven’t spoken since Rosa came out last season. The case Rosa and Jake work hits close to home for Rosa when the victim’s mother says she regrets fighting with him before he was killed, so Rosa reaches out and her mother replies by stopping by the precinct. Even if they haven't fully reconciled, hearing her call Rosa "Rosalita" and "mija" is an especially sweet note to end on.
  • Rosa and Jake's friendship throughout the episode "The Crime Scene".
• Sweet Jake is concerned for Amy who desperately tries to crack a difficult case of sexual assault in "He Said, She Said", feeling guilty for not realizing how much stuff women have to deal with on a regular basis. It's especially nice of him that he offers to bring her clean clothes and a cup of coffee, and also a comb, but she doesn't have to use it unless she decides.
  • Amy's story about her first mentor is Heartwarming in Hindsight for what it says about her relationship with Holt; the guy who helped her make detective then tried to get in her pants, but as Holt is gay, Amy knows that his help and approval don't have an ulterior motive. She's able to feel safe with him.
• In "The Golden Child", it's clear that Amy's spent her entire life in David's shadow, trying to upstage him somehow. When Jake is grabbed by a group of mobsters, she has a chance to take the mobsters down, but insists that David take the shot, because he's a better marksman than she is. She later makes explicit that the sibling rivalry instantly meant nothing when her husband was in danger.
  • Crosses into funny and awesome, but Jake roasts Amy's mom for her blatant favoritism towards David even and doing it openly while also calling her out for her passive aggressive tendencies. He does it to defend Amy's honor which Amy appreciates. For his part, David more or less appears to agree with Jake's roasting. While he's enjoying his meal during Jake's roasting, he gives a sense that while he's getting a kick out of the show, he also seems to like his brother-in-law for standing up to his mom.
• Holt and Kevin have a brief conversation in "The Therapist" over what to do with two extra portions of rice after Rosa cancels a dinner she was to have with them and her girlfriend. As inane as the conversation is, it shows the depth of love and affection the two, notably non-demonstrative people, share.
• "Casecation" features some subtle moments:
  • Despite Jake thinking that debating is, in his words, a stupid way of making decisions, he goes along with it in order to show Amy that 1) he's still willing to listen to her side of why she'd like to have kids, and 2) have a mature conversation about the topic at hand, complete with his own "research" (though short compared to Amy's) and willing vulnerability to discuss his issues with father figures.
  • Despite Kevin's general exasperation with Jake whenever he's required to spend any time with him, he indirectly admits that he somewhat considers Jake a son to him as well (since Holt already somewhat readily accepts his position as a father figure to Jake), when Holt calls Kevin up and asks him to moderate the point regarding Jake's aforementioned issues with father figures.
• At the end of "The Bimbo," Kevin gives his boss, Dean Allister, a stern telling-off for the way he's demeaned Holt and his intelligence for years, and declares that Holt is not only an intelligent man, he's a good man, and they could all do to be a little more like him. He then gives Holt a handshake in plain view of his colleagues — which may not sound like much, but remember, earlier in the episode, Kevin referred to a handshake as "PDA." For a couple as taciturn and stoic as Kevin and Holt, this is basically their equivalent of what it would be like if Jake dropped a Cluster F-Bomb on the Commissioner for disrespecting Amy and then laid The Big Damn Kiss on her.
• "Ticking Clocks":
  • Holt first subverts Jake's expectation of an action movie line, then plays it straight a minute later, just to make him happy.
  • The Nine-Nine has to wrangle two warring sororities, and every girl is a mean-spirited Alpha Bitch... except one. Upon hearing about Rosa's relationship woes, one tearfully opens up about how she foolishly dumped her boyfriend and really misses him, and encourages Rosa to go after Jocelyn.
  • Rosa admits to Jake that she loves Jocelyn. Rosa Diaz admitted she loves someone.
• "Return of The King" shows us what a good father Charles is with Nikolaj. Nikolaj is first and foremost very sweet and well-behaved, asking how's "Mr. Kevin" when he greets Holt, and Charles' idea of tough love is to say "I love you" in a sterner tone. Though Charles is led to believe that he hadn't been paying attention to Nikolaj's potential (since both him and Holt mistake one of Nikolaj's doodle as a solution to a complicated equation), it turns out that he has been paying attention and encouraging Nikolaj's true talent and passion, which is art. Holt also praises Nikolaj's art later on and validates Charles' parenting skills.
  • Jake and Gina making up by the end of the episode. And even though Gina has a very strong It's All About Me perspective, she insists on Jake carrying on with his rant and actually listening to him even though she had just been stabbed. It's also sweet that Jake did want to postpone the argument in favour of taking care of Gina.
• In "Cinco De Mayo", Kevin's involvement with the 99 grows when he involves himself in this season's heist. Early in the episode, he tells Holt that he doesn't like that the heists push Holt's competitiveness, but ends up trying to take the medical bracelet (that year's item) for himself. Though ultimately unsuccessful, he engages in some trash talking with Terry and Jake and admits to Holt that he thinks the heists are fun by the end of the episode.
• As twisted and dangerous as Caleb is, the genuine camaraderie and connection he and Jake share in "Sicko" is touching. Even if he does try to eat Jake when he touches him.

Season 7

• "Manhunter": The very final scene over the credits. Amy confesses her pregnancy scare and that she was sad it was negative and Jake gently suggests that maybe they should start trying, fully over his nerves in Season 6. They agree to try and the smiles on their face a mixture of nerves and joy is a wonder to behold.
• "The Jimmy Jab Games II" Holt offering to sit with Rosa and keep her company to help her through her break-up.
  Rosa: Do you like it?
  Holt: Not at all.
  Rosa: You can leave.
  Holt: Not a chance.

• "Trying":
  • Holt has to walk the same beat for six months, and while the tedium wears on him, it's really sweet to see him becoming conversational in Russian with the woman who works the coffee stand and training a neglected dog.
  • At Hitchcock's wedding, Scully officiates, and tears up as he talks about what a great friend Hitchcock has been all these years, asking his wife to take good care of him. It's so sweet, Terry actually cries!
  • After trying and trying to get pregnant for months, and failing despite doing everything right, Amy becomes so upset and frustrated that she says she's "done" with the whole thing. Jake comforts her, and suggests they give themselves a break for awhile before revisiting the topic, and then decide if they want to look into IVF or adoption, or just decide not to have a child after all. As long as they're together, Jake says, they're a family, and that's enough for him.
  • Rosa and Charles co-parenting the guinea pigs. It's sweet to see them have this as their thing.
• “Ding Dong”:
  • Jake decides to take Terry’s daughters and Charles’s son to a movie premiere after the two have spent the whole episode pestering Jake on who they should take to see it.
  • Jake and Amy finally manage to conceive a child.
  • After spending a whole episode trying to upstage dead Wuntch, Holt finally admits that she had a special place in his life and ends up giving a sincere eulogy for her at the funeral.
• "The Takeback":
  • Doug Judy's plans were always about manipulating other people to save his hide. Here? It's to please his wife and only consists in trusting his best friend to do the right thing, which he does.
  • Jake gleefully agrees to be Doug's best man.
  • Holt's return to his office is soured by Terry accidentally throwing away a dirty card with a message from a man he failed to help early in his career. Holt considers that reminder of his letting someone down as how he became the cop he is today. Sad, except that Terry later brings him a sackful of business cards. All of which are from people Holt has helped as a police officer. Holt even remembers Alex Chen from the first card he holds up, along with the situation and the names of Alex's siblings.
    Terry: One mistake did not make you the cop you are today. Thirty years of service to the community did. That should be your motivation.
• "Admiral Peralta":
  • Hitchcock and Scully once again reveal their shrewdly empathetic side — they "mistakenly" didn't take down the name and contact information of a witness in a high-profile B&E because the witness is an undocumented immigrant, and would therefore be at risk of deportation if they appeared in court even though they were reporting a crime. Once Amy and Rosa find this out, they allow the "mistake" to go uncorrected, and give Hitchcock and Scully an Unishment of a week's paid suspension — one that Amy delivers by yelling at them so as to preserve face in front of the prosecutor.
  • Roger's talk with Jake at the end of the episode, where he now disbelieves the existence of a Peralta curse (specifically, of bad fathers leading to poorly-raised sons cursed to become bad fathers themselves) all thanks to Jake. The man went from being an aloof, uncaring and shameless excuse of a father and husband to a genuinely caring, invested and loving one, all thanks to Jake.
    Roger: I was wrong. There's no curse. My dad is just a selfish dick. And I was, too. All the other Peralta dads, we probably just learned it from each other.
    Jake: Or it's just in our genes...
    Roger: No, you proved that wrong. You care, and you do the work. You're reading parenting books before your kid is even born. You tried to get me and Dad back together. [...] You're so excited about having a kid, you're having a sex reveal party. [...] Jake, you're gonna be a great dad. And your son's gonna love you.
• "Ransom":
  • Holt putting a steadying hand on Kevin's back when the latter, in clear distress, is describing how Cheddar went missing.
  • Holt referring to Cheddar as his "fluffy boy".
  • While it's a Tearjerker because of how upset he is, Kevin describing all the things Cheddar loves and loves to do when he and Jake are retracing his steps right before Cheddar got kidnapped.
  • Jake making a Heroic Sacrifice for Cheddar: he's being cornered at gunpoint by the kidnapper, Kingston, by the latter's car within which Cheddar and Kingston's laptop is kept. Kingston demands Jake to open the USB files on his laptop in front of him (files which are deliberately altered). Jake, knowing the jig is up, calmly opens the car door for the laptop before hitting Kingston over the head with it, distracting him, so that Cheddar could make a run for it. Also counts as Awesome.
  • Cheddar running back to Holt and Kevin! It's a reunion that may well be straight out of Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey. They first hear the jingle of Cheddar's collar, then his bark, before he finally emerges into view and dashes straight into his human fathers' arms!
    Kevin: (rubbing Cheddar's face) Oh Mister Cheddar, how I've missed you.
    Holt: (holding Cheddar in his arms) We both have!
    Kevin: I'm putting that GPS tag on your collar immediately!
  • Once Cheddar is saved, Holt focuses on saving Jake. He chases the getaway car on foot, makes it crash, and takes on the kidnapper one-on-one. No one messes with Jake, or Holt's fluffy boy!
• "Lights Out":
  • The whole squad contributes in either helping Amy with her birth or getting Jake to said birth:
    • Hitchcock and Scully make Amy a birthing suite using their expertise in making workplace nap rooms (Scully gets a second one in the scene. When Amy starts cussing the two of them out mid contraction, Hitchcock fires the words right back at her. Scully just looks at Hitchcock with disapproval and smiles at Amy while talking to her),
    • Terry and Holt distract Amy from her pain with an incredible dance routine Gina herself would've been proud of,
    • Also noteworthy is how that dance got started. Earlier while trapped in the elevator, Terry helps Holt stay calm by teaching him dance moves to Push It. Terry explains he used the same routine to keep his little brother calm when their abusive father was upset. It's just another nice example of Terry's nurturing instincts.
    • Rosa stays by her side the whole time and overcomes her horror over the nastier side of birth by being a second set of hands,
    • And finally, Charles contacts his nemesis Lt. Peanut Butter to get Jake back to his wife. A truly awesome finale!
  • The firefighters who come to save Holt and Terry immediately drop their petty grudge with the cops when Amy goes into labor. They start reassuring her as Mac starts coming out and sincerely ask Rosa for help. While Jake says they'll always know a firefighter touched their child, it was good luck that duty came first and grudges second.
  • The birth of Amy and Jake's baby. World, say hello to Mac Peralta!
    • You heard it folks. The Peraltiago baby has a Die Hard name, and he's liquid-fire!
    • Jake and Amy assuring themselves they will be good parents to their son, make time for him and support him no matter what he decides to be... even a colossal nerd.
  • Charles is "Uncle Charles" and presumably will be the kid's godfather.
  • Rosa referring to herself as Auntie Ro-Ro.

Season 8

• "The Good Ones"
  • Jake and Boyle create a COVID-safe means to do a high-five. It goes wrong, but Rosa looks mildly impressed.
• "The Lake House"
  • The Nine-Nine conspires to get Kevin and Holt back together. It works!
  • Amy goes Mama Bear on Charles for accidentally locking Mac in a room for three hours. This leads her to realize, however, that her overbearing parenting was keeping the baby awake. She accepts Charles's Apology Gift of truffle soup and tells him as punishment he needs to cook for Mac until the kid goes to college. Charles gives a big grin, showing he doesn't mind being his home chef.
• "Balancing"
  • Rather than go for the classic sitcom trope of new parents exhausted by taking care of an infant turning on each other and fighting over whose work is more important, Jake and Amy's problems are entirely external. Every disaster that could possibly befall them does, but they work as a team every step of the way. While they have their disagreements, neither is ever dismissive of the importance of the other's work and they never stop supporting each other. Ultimately, their decisions are all based on what's best for their son and their city.
  • Rosa allows Holt to stay at her flat as a roommate as he has nowhere to go. Even though Holt is a lot more chatty, constantly talking about his problems with Kevin, Rosa doesn't kick him and instead just tries to help him as much as possible.
• "PB & J"
  • When the thugs Trudy Judy hired to help Doug Judy escape announce their intention to kill Jake, Doug Judy sacrifices his chance by signaling Jake before turning the tables.
  • Doug Judy is capable of picking handcuffs with an ordinary pen. It's heavily implied that Jake slipped his pen in Doug's pocket when he was hugging him goodbye, allowing him to escape prison and flee the country with his wife. Jake will have to take it to the grave that he helped the Pontiac Bandit escape justice, but you get the feeling he doesn't regret it.
  • Rosa serenading Doug via Facetime as Jake is driving him to prison. She even cheers him on when she finds out he's planning to escape again.
• "Game of Boyles"
  • After Jake orders a DNA test, it comes out that Charles isn't a real Boyle. His father is forced to confess that Charles's mother had an affair and got knocked up, but Lynn raised Charles as his own son because he knew that Charles wasn't to blame for what happened. He did that despite several cousins knowing and disapproving.
  • Holt's and Kevin's Big Damn Kiss after making up for good. It helps if you recall a simple handshake between the two is already very romantic, which means a kiss is even more passionate and romantic to them compared to an average person.
  • How the episode ends: Charles is in a Heroic BSoD about the fact that his Boyle pride was misplaced and that he's just a weird, ordinary guy. Jake tells him nonsense and hands him his grandmother's unopenable sourdough starter. He assembles the cousins and says that if Charles opens it, he's the one true Boyle. Thanks to Jake's Rousing Speech and belief in him, Charles opens the jar and holds the lid in triumph. Each of the cousins is a Graceful Loser and mobs him in a Group Hug.
• "Renewal"
  • Upon renewing his wedding vows with Kevin, Holt intends to retire from the NYPD to dedicate more time to his marriage. When Kevin finds out, he's absolutely against it. He knows how important police reform is to Holt and wouldn't dream of asking his husband to sacrifice such important work for the greater good.
    • For once, Holt asks Jake for marriage advice, asking how he makes difficult decisions with Amy. Jake says he thinks about how much he loves her, and he "just knows."
    • Kevin tries to rush the wedding, saying that "everyone who isn't family has already left", which just leaves the core members of the 99.
• “The Last Day”
  • Holt telling Jake that if he had ever had a son who turned out like Jake, he would be very proud of him. It’s followed by Holt making a “title of your sex tape” joke (he calls it “sex movie” but Jake still says it was perfect).
  • Jake deciding to leave the 99 so he can be a stay-at-home dad for Mac. He's determined not to make the same mistakes his father and grandfather made, even if it means giving up his career.
    • Not to mention Jake's arc this season has been his increasing discomfort at being a cop after seeing the corruption at such high levels. In the end, Jake can't change the world. But what he can do is set a good example for his son.
    • Even better is Amy asking if he's okay with leaving his dream job. He answers by saying his family is his dream job.
  • Jake's gifts for the other characters, including:
    • A binder necklace for Amy, with tabs inscribed for her, Jake, and Mac.
    • A picture of him and Charles in the "Best Friends" section of Fancy Brugdom magazine, like he always dreamed of.
    • A travel sized board game for Rosa to remind her that family game nights with the original squad would still continue even with the Nine-Nine breaking up.
  • In a odd way, the fact that Holt puts a fresh balloon arch over Wuntch's grave every week is heartwarming. He's doing it to be petty and spiteful, but it still means he spends regular time 'visiting' her. There's also something kind of heartwarming about Holt finding an outlet for his love of balloon arches.
  • Terry being named the new Captain of the Nine-Nine.
  • Rosa's and Amy's conversation reminiscing about their time together at the Nine-Nine, ending with them both telling each other, "I love you."
  • The ending: a year later, Jake appears at the precinct and revealed he lied about there being just one more heist. He will continue holding the Halloween Heist every year so the current and former members will have a chance to always be in each others' lives. The last shot of the series is the crew cheering "Nine Nine!"

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