Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s cold opens are great, but Terry Crews’ favorite is one that makes a hilarious reference to ‘90s nostalgia.Every season ofBrooklyn Nine-Ninefollows the squad of the 99th precinct in New York, which includes the likes of detectives Jake Peralta, Amy Santiago, Rosa Diaz, and Charles Boyle, as well as higher-ups such as Sergeant/Lieutenant Terry Jeffords and Captain Raymond Holt. No matterwhoBrooklyn Nine-Nine’s captain isat different points in the show, there’s always a fantastic cold open to enjoy.
The cold opens inthe best episodes ofBrooklyn Nine-Nineare just as good as the rest of the story, which prepares viewers for further hilarity. However, each cast member’s favorites differ from one another. Terry Crews’ favoriteBrooklyn Nine-Ninecold open, though, is the actor’s top pick for reasons other than the fact that it’s hilarious.
Terry Crews' Favorite Brooklyn Nine-Nine Cold Open Is From Season 4’s “The Night Shift”
Jake Is Robbed Of His Frosted Tips
There are a number of incrediblecold opens inBrooklyn Nine-Nine, but Terry Crews’ favorite is from the season 4 episode “The Night Shift.” After the squad saves Holt and Jake from Jimmy “The Butcher” Figgis in Florida, the pair are able to leave witness protection and return to New York. However,as punishment for the squad leaving against C.J’s orders, everyone is put on the night shift.In this cold open, the squad attempts to remove the frosted tips Jake had adopted while in Florida, unaware that Charles has also copied this notable look.
While speaking toVariety, Crews explains why he finds this cold open so hilarious:“Charles’s undying and disturbing affection for Jake is one of the funniest running gags I’ve ever seen.This cold open never ceases to make me laugh, no matter how many times I see it.” However, what makes this even better is the nod to the ‘90s.
This Brooklyn Nine-Nine Scene Hilariously References The ’90s Frosted Tips Trend
Brooklyn Nine-Nine Makes A Nod To The Boy Band Era
There are severalpop culture references inBrooklyn Nine-Nine, but especially to the 1990s, like when Gina and Jake attend their high school reunion in the season 6 episode “The Tattler,” dressing like they did as teenagers.Frosted tips were also a huge style choice back then,so the fact that Jake thinks they’re still cool in 2016 is ridiculously comical. When explaining the cold open, Crews also says, “[Charles and Jake] scream, ‘Nooooooo!’ together when they realize once Jake gets his tips cut, they’ll be ‘Tip Buds’ no longer.”
Like Jake, it was also common that those with frosted tips would eventually see how it looked on their friends, and realize that it wasn’t as good as they initially thought.
Although this sounds like a typical moment in thisBrooklyn Nine-Ninefriendship, it’s also brilliant because this was something real people with frosted tips would do. With the huge popularity of boy bands like NSYNC in the ‘90s,it wasn’t uncommon for young men to replicate the look with their friends(although some wouldn’t admit to this). Like Jake, it was also common that those with frosted tips would eventually see how it looked on their friends, and realize that it wasn’t as good as they initially thought.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine Is A Sitcom Trailblazer For Cold Opens
There’s no doubt thatBrooklyn Nine-Nine’s cold opens are fantastically strong. Many ofthe best sitcoms of all time use cold opens to set up the events of the show,or instead to be able to include a comical moment that would otherwise be cut.Brooklyn Nine-Ninedoes both, and the show has a reputation for producing some of the best cold opens ever. FromBrooklyn Nine-Nine’s iconic Backstreet Boys cold opento the legendary Dianne Wiest infection gag, which is Andy Samberg’s favorite, there are so many to enjoy.
The “I Want It That Way” scene is iconic,and it’s so notable because it’s unbelievably funny and makes so much sense for Jake’s character. Somecold opens change their sitcoms forever, andBrooklyn Nine-Ninehas a few that do this, too. For example, when Rosa decides to quit the force after the death of George Floyd inBrooklyn Nine-Nine’s final season, which is set during the COVID pandemic.
Brooklyn Nine-Nineis a standout sitcom for cold opens. Whileeveryone has a different favorite cold open,audiences generally agree that each one is stellar in its own way, and there aren’t many that can be criticized.
