Brooklyn Nine-Nine's Most Romantic Episode Brilliantly Broke A Series Tradition

Brooklyn Nine-Nine's Jake Peralta and Amy Santiago are one of the most beloved modern sitcom couples, but their most romantic moment broke a show tradition. Although the series had several weddings and vow renewals over its eight-season run, Jake and Amy’s wedding is by far the most romantic episode of the show. While it is remembered for bringing humor to police work like in many of Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s incredible cold-openings, Jake and Amy’s relationship is one of the emotional anchors, with many of their big milestones happening at the precinct itself.

Typically, Brooklyn Nine-Nine used its season finales to focus on dramatic twists that would reshape the precinct's dynamics, but season 5’s finale “Jake & Amy” has the entire squad preparing for its main couple's wedding. Jake’s irreverence and Amy’s Type-A personality prove that opposites attract, and their differences ultimately strengthen their bond. When an unforeseen complication ruins Amy’s months of planning, all the characters in Brooklyn Nine-Nine work together to create the most enchanting venue in the least romantic place: a police precinct.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine Usually Blows Up The Status Quo In The Season Finales, But Season 5 “Jake & Amy” Is About The Wedding

“Jake & Amy” Is About A Happy Occasion, Not Criminals Targeting The 9-9

Ultimately, the show was a police workplace comedy, and while the tone was overall light, there were many serious, powerful episodes of Brooklyn Nine-Nine that relate to their jobs as detectives. The series often used season finales and premieres that introduced a major change to shake up the squad, including putting Jake and Holt in Witness Protection in season 3 after mob boss Jimmy “The Butcher” Figgis threatens their lives or Jake and Rosa Diaz being framed and sent to prison by a dirty police lieutenant in season 4.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine Season Finales
Episode	Air Date	Network	Logline
Season 1, Episode 22, “Charges and Specs"	March 25, 2014	Fox	Jake Peralta intentionally gets fired so he can go undercover with the mafia.
Season 2, Episode 23, “Johnny and Dora”	May 17, 2015	Fox	Captain Holt is forced to accept a lateral position that takes him away from the Nine-Nine. Jake Peralta and Amy Santiago go undercover as a couple.
Season 3, Episode 23, “Greg and Larry”	April 19, 2016	Fox	Jake Peralta and Captain Holt must go into Witness Protection when they are threatened by a local crime boss.
Season 4, Episode 22, “Crime and Punishment”	May 23, 2017	Fox	Jake Peralta and Rosa Diaz are framed for crimes they did not commit by a dirty lieutenant in the NYPD and sent to prison.
Season 5, Episode 22, “Jake & Amy”	May 20, 2018	Fox	Jake Peralta and Amy Santiago’s wedding is disrupted by a bomb threat.
Season 6, Episode 18, “Suicide Squad”	May 16, 2019	NBC	Captain Holt helped take down a corrupt Commissioner, but is bussed down to beat cop while his nemesis is promoted.
Season 7, Episode 13, “Lights Out”	April 23, 2020	NBC	Amy Santiago goes into labor at the precinct during a city-wide blackout.
Season 8, Episodes 9-10, “The Last Day”	September 16, 2021	NBC	Captain Holt and Amy Santiago accept promotions to lead a reform proposal. Terry Jeffords is promoted to Captain of the Nine-Nine. Jake Peralta retires to focus on being a dad.

However, the Brooklyn Nine-Nine season 5 finale, "Jake & Amy," takes a different approach. Instead of disrupting the squad, it celebrates a special occasion: Jake and Amy’s wedding. After five years of watching their relationship grow, the squad—and the audience—are fully invested in their nuptials. While past finales featured high-stakes twists, "Jake & Amy" shifts the focus inward, celebrating the love and friendship that defined Brooklyn Nine-Nine at its core.

Season 5 Finale “Jake & Amy” Is The Most Romantic Episode Of The Series

Boyle Gorgeously Transforms The Precinct’s Courtyard For Jake & Amy’s Wedding

After a bomb threat ruined Amy’s wedding plans, Charles Boyle saved the day by organizing a last-minute ceremony in the courtyard outside the 99th Precinct, beautifully transformed with fairy lights and the red and blue glow of two squad cars. It was a fitting location, as so many of Jake and Amy’s biggest milestones, like their first real kiss and their engagement, took place there. The wedding was filled with personal touches that reflect Jake and Amy’s relationship, including a Die Hard-inspired Nakatomi Plaza cake, showcasing how perfectly they understood each other.

"Jake & Amy" was written to be a potential series finale in case the show was canceled after season 5, which also explains the decision not to build towards major cliffhanger. Fox did cancel Brooklyn Nine-Nine one day after "Jake & Amy" aired, but NBC picked up the sitcom, which ran for three more season.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine perfectly combines comedy and romance in the wedding speeches. Amy promised they would share everything as a couple, even “arch-nemeses.” Amy calls back to Jake’s joke, calling his butt was “da bomb,” which makes Jake tear up, saying Amy was his “dream girl.” Even the stoic Captain Holt who rarely showed emotions stated that he loved Jake and Amy and looked forward to seeing the future of their “childish, distracting marriage.”

Love was also in the air for Rosa, who came out as bisexual in Brooklyn Nine-Nine season 5. Terry Jeffords believed “the universe” would bring someone special to Rosa who had given up on dating, and Rosa developed an immediate crush on their ride-share driver, Alicia, played by Gina Rodriguez. Rosa's subplot contributed to the overall romantic themes of Brooklyn Nine-Nine's most romantic episode.