7 Times Jake Peralta from Brooklyn 99 was serious about something

Jake Peralta might have appeared like a man-child in Brooklyn 99 to many viewers. His resorting to cracking silly jokes and making everything comedic might have been due to many personal issues, especially due to his father. However, he has impressed the fans of the procedural comedy show several times with his genius ways of solving cases.

Solving cases and some beautiful moments with Amy are the only times the detective was serious. Other than that, he relied mostly on being funny and goofy. While funny, we have also seen our favorite detective in situations that might have left serious effects on his mind, such as his prison stint. But still, there were only a few moments throughout the show where Jake Peralta let us see his true emotions and thoughts.

This list looks at 7 such times when Jake Peralta was serious in Brooklyn 99.

Disclaimer: This article contains the writer's opinion. Readers’ discretion is advised.

7 Times Jake Peralta from Brooklyn 99 was serious about something

7) Jake solves the homicidal Dentist case

Andy Samberg in Brooklyn 99 | Image via Universal Television

Being charming and goofy are part of Jake’s personality, but when it comes to solving a case, the detective shows another aspect of his personality and successfully catches the criminal. Regarded as one of the best episodes of Brooklyn 99, Season 5 episode 14, about the homicidal dentist, Phillip Davidson (Sterling K Brown), depicts a serious about his job Jake Peralta, who spends all night interrogating Davidson to get a confession out of him.

From using Gina to spilling soda in the interrogation room, Jake tried many techniques to get the man to confess to his murder spree, as he didn’t have any murder weapon to prove anything against him. At last, he resorted to this unique way that only Jake could pull off- he delivered a monologue about how he thinks Davidson killed his victim. Since it was mostly wrong, an annoyed Davidson blurted out the truth about how he actually killed and helped solve the case himself for Jake.

6) Jake confesses to Amy

Most of Jake’s serious moments in Brooklyn 99 are with Amy, as he had to be serious about confessing his love or to make her see how serious he was about her. Season 1 of Brooklyn 99 had several moments that depicted Jake’s feelings for Amy, but she began dating Teddy.

However, things changed in the finale episode of season 1 titled Charges and Specs. In the last few moments of the episode, Jake was going to do an undercover job, which would take him six months to complete. So, without knowing the outcomes and fearing he might not come back, he finally confessed to Amy about his feelings toward her, leaving a shocked Amy behind.

5) Jake proposes to Amy

Just like the confession, Jake’s proposal was also a surprise to Amy. In the season 5 episode 4 of Brooklyn 99, the 99 precinct participated in the Halloween heist to find the cummerbund that had been stolen.

As everyone began looking in their own direction, Amy and Jake went to the evidence room, where they found the cummerbund, and Jake asked Amy to read what was written on it. It read- ‘Amy Santiago, will you marry me?’. As a surprised Amy turned toward Jake, he was already holding the ring and asked her to marry him, to which she instantly said yes, resulting in one of the heartwarming moments of the show and one of the few moments where Jake was serious, and also caused Charles to faint.

4) Jake confronts his father

Most of Jake’s problems stem from his father-related issues, as he didn’t have a good father, and it took a lot of courage and growing up for him to be able to call out his own father for his selfishness. In episode 18 of Brooklyn 99 season 2, Jake finally confronts his father about his being selfish and not caring about being a dad, even when Jake considered him his hero.

He tells him that he has been making excuses for his behavior all his life and that he has always been an irresponsible father. So, until he wants to be a good one, he should not call him again. This is one of the moments when Jake didn’t hide his disappointment toward his own father and showed us the real side of Jake Peralta, who is used to masking his loneliness and other issues with being goofy and funny.

3) Jake and Amy’s debate about having kids

As it has been shown several times that Jake did not have a healthy childhood, therefore him not being keen on having children might not be a surprise. In episode 12 of season 6 of Brooklyn 99, while watching over a comatose mobster, the two get into a debate about having kids, with Holt and Kevin as moderators.

Although the debate begins on a lighter note, Jake becomes serious in the middle and confesses why he doesn’t want to have kids. He tells her that he had a crappy dad and he knows what happens when a parent messes up, which isn’t good. Jake doesn’t want his kids to grow up like him, as it terrifies him if he turns up like his father. He confesses all of this to Amy and tells her he is scared, as he is not sure about the outcome, as everything he did up until now, he was confident, but this issue, he is not.

2) Jake gets serious about putting someone in prison

Jake’s prison stint had various moments that could result in him having some serious issues, such as PTSD. And it gets clear that Jake is struggling when he joins back, but has clearly changed from before. In episode 3 of season 5 of Brooklyn 99, Jake returns as a detective and asks Holt to send him into the field, but Holt disagrees.

Jake asks him to evaluate him as he is ready, and goes to catch a burglar with Charles. After catching a man who appears to be the criminal, Jake isn’t sure about arresting him, and they follow another lead, who tells them that the man they had caught is the culprit, but Jake had already let him go. He then asks Holt to suspend him as he is not ready to come back.

He still has issues with arresting people as he is scared of sending someone innocent to prison, who would have to go through what he had gone through in prison, and he doesn’t want that to happen. That’s why he let the man go and couldn’t arrest him. Jake tells Charles and Holt that prison certainly has changed him before leaving.

1) Jake and Holt’s final talk in the Brooklyn 99 finale

Jake’s biological father might not have paid enough attention to him, but he found a father figure in Holt, who supported and saw his growth as a proud parent would do for their kids. From calling him Dad accidentally to making him proud by solving weird cases, Jake and Holt’s relationship evolved through the eight seasons of Brooklyn 99.

The final moments of the season finale of Brooklyn 99 might be Jake’s most serious moments as he shares his final talks with Holt. Holt tells him that he was a great detective from the start, but he might not have known how to grow up when he first joined 99 precinct. But now, he thinks Jake has figured it out, to which Jake tells Holt it was all because of him, as he helped him grow.

He also tells him that if he had a son and if they had turned out like Jake, he would have been very proud, making Jake emotional. This was one of the most emotional and serious moments of Jake Peralta from Brooklyn 99, and a fitting closure to Holt and Jake’s story.