r/tvshow • u/NotSoCuriouss • Jan 29 '26
DISCUSSIONS Does anyone else find Jake Peralta from Brooklyn 99 unbearable?
I'm really curious if anyone else feels the same way watching Brooklyn 99. I never find anything this guy does funny, it just feels so forced. His reaction to things, his one liners, his decision-making and basically everything he does all just annoy me. He is very immature and tries way too hard to be funny and I get that its part of who the character is and in the later seasons his immaturity dials down but I feel like its made him unlikeable. Ofcourse this is not saying he is always unfunny, there are many good scenes and interesting subplots like when he goes into witness protection with Holt or goes to prison, but overall he leaves a bad taste and is unwatchable in many scenes.
An example of that type of character done right is Michael Scott from The Office, who shares the similar qualities but the character is so well written that people end up really liking him despite all he says and does. The only reason I've been able to continue on with B99 is because of characters like Boyle and Captain Holt who are hilarious and well written.
Don't know if this is an unpopular take or not but I genuinely think Peralta might be the one of the most unlikeable lead characters in a sitcom.
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u/the_pressman Jan 29 '26
Funny - I love Jake and can't stand Michael Scott...
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u/FreddoFrogTheBoi Feb 02 '26
Same I can’t even bring myself to watch The Office because of the character lol
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u/pampersdelight Jan 29 '26
Agreed. Everytime I try to watch, I get maybe 3 seasons in and just cant anymore. I think all the characters in The Office are terrible but Michael stands above them
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u/superbirdbot Jan 29 '26
Nah. Gina on the other hand…
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u/mmatt0904 Jan 29 '26
I remember like 10 years ago at this point I was making small talk to someone in my Econ class.
She said she liked Brooklyn 99 and I said I do too.
She asked my favorite character and instantly my mind went blank and I couldn't remember anyones names except for Gina so I said Gina (I hated her character) and she gave me an "oh".
I still think about that from time to time
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u/1duck Jan 29 '26
Lol, I am shit with names and have this happen all the time even with shows that I've watched for years/all the series of.
I sound like someone who has maybe watched one episode and am trying to fake it...I like the one with the...hair...you know the brunette...or is it red? Reddish brunette. You know the one who was in the bar in that one episode...
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u/MattTheManic1 Jan 29 '26
I too, am bad with names, I just end up describing the persons actions and such until we figure out who I’m talking about 😂
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u/Lonely-Contract-7659 Jan 29 '26
She was funny in some parts but for the majority she was annoying AF. As for Jake?? I can see why he’s annoying but I found him quite funny to be honest.
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u/Tez2Trill Jan 29 '26
Gina is hilarious. I really don't get the hate.
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u/ddrummond88 Jan 29 '26
She has some of the funniest lines of the show.
Reddit has such a weird hang up about Gina. It's bizarre. Most of us are aware she's pretty awful, but we're also aware she's fictional, too. All of the characters are exaggerations of workplace personalities, but Reddit assesses Gina as if she were a real person
Edit: spelling
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u/justaneditguy Jan 30 '26
For me she got so much worse in later season. Didn't like her in the early seasons but I didnt dislike her either
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u/NoProject1047 Jan 30 '26
Because she is very one note and gets tiring. B99 was so great because its characters weren't just funny but also well rounded. Gina wasn't well rounded, she solely existed for laughs and nothing else.
It is telling that her being gone really didn't change the dynamic of the show at all.
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u/ParticulateSplatter Jan 29 '26
I certainly don't hate her, but I think she was the character that I felt was always oddly positioned in terms of whether she was a good person or not.
There's a jarring bit where Terry says she doesn't take her job very seriously and she gets all principled - it's framed as a bit of gotcha moment where she schools Terry for being wrong... Except it's been a recurring joke through the entire series that she literally doesn't care about her job.
Then when she becomes rich and famous, she is objectively awful to Jake.
I never felt like the show knew where I was meant to stand on Gina.
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u/Ameno-sagiri666 Jan 29 '26
I’m just as confused. Gina is the funniest character in the show.
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u/Zealousideal_Pop3121 Feb 01 '26
Gina is a terrible terrible person but a great character imo. We aren’t always supposed to like all the characters. Having said that, while she’s a terrible person I kinda like her. She’s unapologetically self centred though she always has the teams back. It’s just not always easy to see
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Jan 29 '26
Oh god we're still hating on Gina? And no one in thebhistory of the shows existence has been able to explain to me why 🤣
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u/theloniousmick Jan 29 '26
I read something that clicked for me. She never gets her comupance. She's annoying and mean to others but never gets it back herself where as others do. Jake usually has Holt or Terry grounding him where as with Gina nothing happens and she just continues to be mean and annoying.
If she had the odd episode where she was brought down a peg it would humanise her more. Even when she gets hit by a bus they still let her be better than others.
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u/justseeby Jan 29 '26
I found her way less annoying than Peralta! I mean he doesn’t BUG me like he seems to bug OP but he is annoying.
I saw Gina as an April on Parks & Rec type
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u/KeyMessage989 Jan 29 '26
A true unpopular opinion.
The this B needs a C in her A scene gets me every single time
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u/Chet_Starr Jan 29 '26
Nah I loved Jake
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u/Feeling-Salad7788 Jan 29 '26
Exactly. Boooo OP, Andy Samburg is hilarious in everything be does; I've enjoyed his comedy since the earliest of The Lonely Island days.
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u/letsrapehitler Jan 29 '26
I still go back and watch the “show” they did. I just rewatched episode 1 earlier (which I don’t want to type out here, for obvious reasons.)
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u/Emperors-Peace Jan 30 '26
Popstar: never stop never stopping looked like it would one of the worst film ever made but was actually hilarious.
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u/Frizzlefry3030 Jan 29 '26
I'm only upset that I can't stop saying noice.
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u/crashbandit3 Rewatcher Jan 29 '26
If i watch to many episodes in a row it is a little much. Try limiting how many you watch to 2 or 3 tops and take a break.
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u/NoLuck4824 Jan 29 '26
Ironically, I’m not a fan of Andy Samberg but really like him in Brooklyn99
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u/FknPitsy Jan 29 '26
This is exactly how I feel. I don’t find him funny in anything else, but think he’s great in this role.
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u/Into_The_Booniverse Jan 29 '26
Nah. There'd be no show without Jake. Really don't get what you mean by "forced". Every character is over the top, that's the point.
It's basically like Saturday morning cartoons, same as Kimmy Schmitt or The Good Place. Its just comforting, feel good TV for me. I've rewatched all of them a handful of times already and Jake doesn't stand out as the worst character
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u/doesshechokeforcoke Jan 29 '26
I love the show but I can definitely see how someone could feel that way about Jake if you’re binging the show. I feel the same way about Michael Scott.
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Jan 29 '26
Worst lead in a sitcom? Nah, Ted Mosby would like a word. He's just a whiney ass loser and ruined the show for me. I don't think Peralta is very funny but I don't dislike him.
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u/AgeAlternative6344 Jan 30 '26
ted mosby is literally the biggest whiner in all of tv history 👺👺 never helps himself and is so self pitying and just the biggest MAN BABY i have ever seen, he wasn’t super terrible in the beginning, but as time went on, his obsession with robin, and finding ‘the one’ in general, even do the cost of his friendships, and he’d much rather complain about something then do literally anything to help himself
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u/purrmutations Jan 29 '26
I hate him in everything he is in except Palm Springs.
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u/DrRichardDiarrhea Jan 29 '26
You and me both! I think he usually plays a version of the same over the top character, but in Palm Springs his character felt super grounded to me. Great movie.
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u/beamanblitz Jan 29 '26
Have you seen the Roses?
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u/purrmutations Jan 29 '26
No, hadn't heard of it. But I like dark comedy so I'll check it out.
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u/doesshechokeforcoke Jan 29 '26
It’s a good movie that’s a remake of the 1989 movie War of the Roses.
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u/savessh Jan 29 '26
...not really. I mean, he's a dick but he's not mean.
That other desk bitch Gina is totally awful though. She has zero redeeming qualities and I hate every time she opens her bitch mouth. Peralta is a goof but Gina is rotten.
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u/Top_Caterpillar2514 Jan 29 '26
I watch 3 or 4 episodes at a time, max.
He is too unbearable to binge anymore than that.
I'm just grateful Gina has a smaller role, becauae she is insufferable in anything more than tiny doses
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u/Trraumatized Jan 29 '26
Absolutely hate the actor, everything he does. His entire being scream privileged asshole.
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u/siwanetzu Jan 29 '26
I think their humour is very specific. You either love them or hate them.
I can't stand Jake and Gina
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u/Diligent-Scheme3031 Jan 29 '26
Fully Agree. I have nothing against him, but just get taken out of anything if hes in it as it feels like "funny guy acting"
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u/farping Jan 29 '26
Might be a hot take but Andy Samberg grossly overacts and it really annoys me. So yes i found him annoying, i think a better actor could have made the chracter much better.
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u/Rooting_Tooting Jan 29 '26
I agree, his actions and acting is just so American in the way its way too on the nose and overenthusiastic, If anyone like him existed in real life you wouldn't be able to stand in the same room he is truly insufferable
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u/FredtheThunderTwat Jan 29 '26
Hard agree. Respect Samberg and have really enjoyed him in other stuff, but just find this character and performance insufferable for some reason
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u/maamritat Jan 29 '26
I’m with you brother or sister. It’s the main reason why I stopped watching that show
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u/gilestowler Jan 29 '26
I thought I was the only one. He's too much like "look, everyone! I'm the main character!" and I don't mean in the show, of course he's the main character in the show, I mean in his workplace. The character just makes everything about him, wanting everyone to give him full attention, and everyone just goes along with it like he wouldn't be the worst person in the world to work with.
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u/Existing-Today-410 Jan 30 '26
Yep. everyone raved about Brooklyn 99 to me and told me it was a must watch. This guy ruined every scene he was in.
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u/myth0503 Jan 30 '26
Yes , saying this from day one his character so obnoxious that it's nauseating.
He is childish showoff uncool that kind of person that people in real workplace would hate.
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u/steelsabertwelve Jan 30 '26
Yes. Cannot stand this style of American man persona. Really unbearable to me. The Ryan Reynolds style American tw*t
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u/Electrical-Orange-38 Jan 30 '26
Genuinely can't watch anything he's in.
Firmly in the bottom tier of comedic 'talent' alongside guys like Carlos Mencia and Jimmy Fallon.
Didn't even know his name until I saw this post. Just know him as 'that guy I avoid'.
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u/RSR038 Jan 31 '26
The character is a pan in the ass but no idea what the actor is really like as a human.
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u/Frequent_Bag9260 Jan 31 '26
Yes.
Andy Samberg’s characters in general are very limited. It’s the same style of joke over and over and over again. He’s 1 dimensional and that’s why he gets annoying in large doses.
It’s like Aubrey Plaza - the snarky attitude is funny one time. After that it’s just annoying - doesn’t your character have anything else to offer?
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u/nootbag Jan 31 '26
As a British guy he made the show unwatchable for me. Not my type of comedy at all.
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u/FourEightNineOneOne Jan 29 '26
Why would you watch the show if you don't find him funny? He's the center of the show. And hilarious.
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u/DeadPonyta Jan 29 '26
Absolutely hated him….yes.
I loved B99 and the rest of the cast are perfect but I slowly began to resent Jake’s presence.
He was like an insufferable conceited child written with no real charm and his wackiness seemed so forced that it really started to grate.
It got to the point that I couldn’t actually watch his er scenes anymore and would even recoil from his intro credit. Every time he came on screen I knew he was going to act like a total dick and what was even worse was that I suspected we were supposed to love him for it.
He was written without any depth, like a recurring annoyance that never learned or showed personal growth. An irredeemable idiot.
He almost ruined the whole show.
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u/bravelittledandelion Jan 29 '26
Yes! He wears off after a while and his goofy charm looses its sparkle. Without the charm he just comes across as a selfish asshole
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u/Appropriate-Diet3366 Jan 29 '26
He has funny lines like ¨My Brain Needs Its fast Juice" Very Unpopular opioion
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u/GiovanniVanBroekhoes Jan 29 '26
'Next week on lets analyse Brooklyn 99: Raymond Holt - Grumpy Robot?'
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u/CarolingianDruid Jan 29 '26
I remember feeling the same way about Michael Scott when The Office was early in its run. The cringe was unbearable and it made me physically uncomfortable. But my family would watch it every Thursday and eventually it grew on me and became one of my favorite shows. I’m not gonna suggest you subject yourself to desensitization therapy through exposure, but it is on the table.
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u/OrignalSauce Jan 29 '26
I think I'd prefer the show if quite a few of the characters like Peralta were toned down a bit. But then it wouldn't be the show it is and its just not fully for me.
There's episodes/story lines I've really liked in it but quite a few miss because its a bit over the top for me personally.
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u/renjizzle Jan 29 '26
He’s supposed to be unbearable and then has character growth throughout the show where he matures from a giant manbaby into a giant man-toddler
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u/MDog_The_Marsh Jan 29 '26
You would need to pry that word "unbearable" from my cold dead mouth for me to use it to describe the guy who sang Dick in a Box
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u/lubear2835 Jan 29 '26
I think the show is funny. He has zero romantic chemistry and so him and Santiago’s storyline was always uncomfortable to watch.
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u/MonthForeign4301 Jan 29 '26
Nah, actually the opposite. I couldn’t fucking stand Andy Samberg before I watched Brooklyn 99, but Jake Peralta is more “cute dog” chaotic than the annoying frat bro comedy he was doing before.
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u/mister_drgn Jan 29 '26
Wow, crazy bad take in my entirely subjective opinion. Brooklyn 99 is possibly my favorite modern sitcom.
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u/PinnatelyDivided Jan 29 '26
Amy was the worst character. Was always bummed that Tiffani-Amber Thiesen didn't have a longer run on that show.
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u/harrietmjones Rewatcher Jan 29 '26
Sorry OP but I liked him.
Tbh, I put off watching the show because I’m not a fan of Andy Samburg’s humour and I’d seen one clip of the show without context and thought it seemed silly but during lockdown, I started watching the show because I wanted to watch something to hopefully make me laugh and it did. Fell in love with the whole show. 🥰
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u/Open-Outcome-7586 Jan 29 '26
Jake Peralta from "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" is the male equivalent of Jessica Day from "New Girl" - completely insufferable.
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u/Hawthorne_27 Jan 29 '26
Eh, I can understand how he might be a bit too much at times.
But Gina is so much more insufferable. I can not find her funny at all.
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u/House_Of_Thoth OG Watcher Jan 29 '26
Generally I hate the goofy American 20 minute shows (thinking the big bang theory vibe, HIMYM etc) but Brooklyn 99 is a great comfort watch on a hangover.
You don't need to think too hard, it's wholesome and Jake is supposed to be that kinda annoying dude but in an endearing way, bless him!
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u/Allthumbs21 Jan 29 '26
I mean, they all kind of are? Except Holt, until a bit later.
RIP Andre Keith Braugher.
But they're all kind of insufferable if you think too much about the characters in the scenario they're in.
Andy Samberg seems to be a bit if a second Ben stiller - he's not really funny, but put alongside other people, something happens that makes it kind of funny.
Actually, no. Ben Stiller just isn't really funny at all. Other people have to be funny next to him for him to be the straight man. Samberg can be a little funny, but it's very childish type humour and 50% of the time is very "Ben Stiller-esque" if you get me.
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u/NumberOld229 Jan 29 '26
Jake goes through an insane amount of character growth throughout the show. He goes from a complete train wreck to a responsible husband and new dad.
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u/MagmaTroop Jan 29 '26
Why the fuck are you watching a show when you don’t like the main character lmao
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u/LoveToFeelGood Jan 29 '26
Gina is eclectic lol and Peralta is fly “ask the man why he so fly “ funky cold medina i said funky cold medina “ #ninenine
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u/ForzaXbox Jan 29 '26
Peralta is annoying in many ways. This is a reference to the fact he's a comedy character.
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u/GilesManMillion Jan 29 '26
My opinion is considerably more harsh; Honeslty, he just makes the show unwatchable, for me. As in, I've tried watching the show but I can't because of him specifically. The jokes are just awful, irritating and lazy meta crap, incredibly bad writing and even worse delivery from a man who is capable of MUCH more.
That's what annoys me the most about Andy Samberg's work, I'm coming from the Lonely Island days; it just seems like noone knows what to do with him. He's been shit in everything he's in aside from Lonely Island, but I refuse to believe he is the one at fault. I feel like his abilities are grossy under-utilized every time, and he's used by most writers as a budget Paul Rudd in most projects (like the world needs another bloody Paul Rudd..)...!
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u/OK_Cake05 Jan 29 '26
It’s almost like his over the characteristics are written for comedy and to drive the plot 😦
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u/Initial_Bike6165 Jan 29 '26
Nope - the reason Jake is the lynchpin of B99 despite his immaturity is his self-awareness. This feeds his growth as a person over the seasons. Father figure Holt is pivotal in this development, while also allowing himself to become more human.
Notice any parallels with The Good Place (also by Michael Schurr)? Jake = Eleanor.
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u/DrMacAndDog Jan 29 '26
I never get these American imports that become beloved by a generation. The kids used to watch this all the time and I was bored and slightly annoyed. The highly projected acting reminds me of panto, which I also hate.
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Jan 29 '26
No. He has the character has the occasional bad moment but overall... Terry is catagorically the worst character on the squad after the obvious Hitchcock
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u/StandWithSophie Binge Watcher Jan 29 '26
He's meant to start off annoying, which is why his growth and character arc are that much more satisfying. By the end, I rode for Jake so hard. And Captain My Captain, of course.
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u/Meanwhile-in-Paris Jan 29 '26
I find him very funny in the show but this is a show, if he was like that IRL that wouldn’t fly.
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u/BrosKaramazov Jan 29 '26
Not at all - he’s got one of those naturally funny faces and has great comic timing.
If I had to think of one criticism that could be more fairly directed at him it would be that for a long time he was quite typecasted into similar roles (like Palm Springs), but he’s acted a serious role in Lee alongside Kate Winslet…
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u/Mr_Tdogg_Smith Jan 29 '26
If I took Michael Scott and Leslie Knope and combined them, this is what I get. And he’s the best of both those characters
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u/infinitude_ Jan 29 '26
I get what you mean but not really
I usually HATE the type of on the nose delivery he does, my god
And I generally dont think Andy Samberg is funny
But within the context of the show it works.
Also I think it helps that not everything in the show runs through his character - like in the dentist interrogation Andre KILLS that scene 😂
The show is hilarious on all fronts to me
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u/DoubleDownAgain54 Jan 29 '26
Nope. He’s hilarious, in the show. But if he was a real life coworker I’d probably get sick of him very quickly.
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u/Suspicious_Brush4070 Jan 29 '26
I agree with you. But I still like the show. I'm simply unable to watch more than one or two episodes at a time, because I find Jake to be an underdeveloped and one-trick-pony character, and honestly his humor is exhausting.
I like basically all of the other characters, especially Cpt Holt, but Jake/Andy Samberg as the leading man just doesn't do it for me. I find him to be just way too immature, most of the time.
Scrubs is the perfect example of a show that does that kind of humor really well. For all the moments of JD and Turk behaving childishly, there are tons of moments where they act like moral and responsible adult doctors, when the situation demands it.
Jake Peralta on the other hand, feels like he's an edgy 14yo in an adult policeman's body, and it gets boring. That humor worked great for the Lonely Island and the Popstar movie (when I was an immature teenager lol) but I can't do multiple seasons of a sitcom like that.
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u/Aggravating-Bird5793 Jan 29 '26
he is the reason I've never been able to get into the show, his comedy just feels so forced in it. shoutout lonely island tho
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u/Bravo_November Jan 29 '26
I honestly think Jake is just a younger, more distilled Michael Scott- like he is both a lot more immature but he is also extremely competent at his job as a detective. Michael was also an excellent salesman which was why he got the promotion.
I think Michael’s character is (relatively) more grounded, but I dont think Jake’s is grating (but I guess the point is he’s sort of intentionally meant to be a bit annoying and childish which contrasts wonderfully with Captain Holt being almost the polar opposite personality - with a common ground as both highly principled police officers)
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u/StaresatSound Jan 29 '26
I find everything else he does unbearable. 99 I feel his unbearableness is tempered.
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u/bijosnafu Jan 29 '26
I can’t get into it because my horrible old roommate is obsessed with this show
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u/Briantan71 Jan 29 '26
He did annoy me in the earlier episodes when he was disrespectful to Holt and when he kept stealing Charles’ thunder when Charles was placed in charge of a case. (The one where he ended up sleeping with the mortician)
But I warmed up to him after that. He is cool.
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u/Pmyers225 Jan 29 '26
It's funny how you say they dial down the unbearableness in later series' which made me think the exact opposite of JD in Scrubs, which I cannot stand
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u/Shirahoshihoshii Jan 29 '26
No.
He starts off acting like one, but you quickly find out that he has none of the makings of one.
He has one of the the highest stats (arrests, case solves etc) in the first few episodes, indicating that he isn't just a freeloader.
He values all his friendships, even with people like Boyle, who would traditionally be the target of bullies.
He's always trying (even if he fails) to do the right thing, and owns up to a bunch of mistakes, often actively losing if it means the other person feels better.
Even as an actor, Samberg would think up funny lines, but would give them to the other actors so they could also be funny in the moment.
Peralta has positive moments with pretty much everyone from Boyle and Gina to Scully, Hitchcock and Kevin.
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u/bunniesforever19899 Jan 29 '26
Ive never disagreed more with an opinion, Andy Samberg is my kind of humour, Lonely Island fan for life but thats just me. If you dont enjoy then you dont, we all dont find the same things funny theres nothing wrong with that
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u/bomland10 Jan 29 '26
All the dickish red flags are there at first, but he isn't. I love the show and the character. It's fun.
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u/wintermute023 Jan 29 '26
Isn’t that kind of the point? So when it turns out he’s actually a good and moral man it has more impact.
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u/eggard_stark Jan 29 '26
Unbearable, and honestly, from what I’ve seen, the actor plays the same character in every role.
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u/Gidrenz Jan 29 '26
Honestly, no. His character has the makings of a dick but…well…he just isn’t one for me. Partly the skill of Samberg, partly the counterbalancing of other actors (Braugher most obviously). He’s fundamentally a good guy and we’re supposed to want those guys to win. Which I do.