Entertainment

Jakes Dad Comes To Town On 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine'

by Laura Rosenfeld

We've heard a little bit about Jake's dad during Brooklyn Nine-Nine 's two seasons. Though I'd like to say it's been all good, that would be lying, and I wouldn't want to bend the truth, especially when we're talking about a cop show. No, unfortunately, Jake's dad left him when he was only 7 years old, and he's been a bit of a flake in his life ever since, to put it mildly.

So you can understand why when Jake announced to the precinct that his dad is coming to town for a once-in-a-blue-moon visit the only person in denial enough to be excited about it was Jake. Charles, who adorably told Jake that he considers them to be brothers, reminded him that he abandoned "us" throughout their lives, and his dad is really not a good guy.

However, nothing could bring Jake down, and when his father, played by Bradley Whitford, arrived in Brooklyn, he was eager to introduce him to the whole gang. He was especially excited to introduce his dad, an airline pilot named Capt. Roger Peralta, to Capt. Holt. When the two met, each in their navy blue uniforms, it was like worlds colliding, especially since Capt. Holt has really been more of a father figure to Jake in his adult life than his real father. This was "super weird" for Jake, and it was "super weird" for me too. But more on this later.

Score a bunch for Charles though, because he was so right about Jake's dad. Roger told Jake that basically the only reason why he was visiting him is so he can get help with some legal trouble he has found himself in. Apparently, the Canadian customs officials found prescription drugs in Roger's board bag, and he needed Jake to make things right since he is a police detective and all.

So Jake partnered up with Charles as usual to help crack his dad's case. The two traveled up to Quebec where Roger got into trouble in the first place along with Scully, who miraculously learned French once after his parents accidentally left him alone in the Louvre in Paris. Though the police arrested Roger, and we got to see Jake and Charles dress up like airline pilots, it turned out that Roger's girlfriend that he cheated on with not one but two side pieces set him up by planting the prescription drugs in his bag. Obviously, Jake's dad isn't a great guy, but he's not that bad.

It didn't end there though. Roger promised to treat the whole precinct to drinks to celebrate, but when he was a no-show, Jake hunted him down and soon confirmed what he knew all along, deep down inside. His dad is a jerk, and the less time he spends with him, the better. Upon Jake's return to the bar, Capt. Holt told him how proud he was of him. Jake practically melted at that praise, and I did too.

So there you have it. Jake's upbringing may have been a bit rough, but he really has found his true family in the 99th precinct. Charles, who will stay by Jake's side to help him even if he doesn't agree with the mission, is his brother. Even though Jake and Capt. Holt rarely see eye to eye, this episode cemented just how much of a paternal influence he has on Jake's life. Finally, we got to see that Jake is really OK with that.

Images: Eddy Chen/FOX; jakeparalta, swarekperalta/Tumblr