Brooklyn Nine Nine finale: Easter Eggs That Took Us Down Memory Lane


The Brooklyn Nine Nine finale not only made us bawl our eyes out, but also gave us the most brilliant final heist we could ask for. As a fan, I could not have imagined a better way to end the show.

The premise is one where the Nine Nine gang comes together for one final heist and somehow, the series manages to involve us as the audience in this heist as well.

The heist as well the rest of the episode is scattered with easter eggs for hardcore fans. If you’ve been watching the show for long, this will be a whole new journey for you, because we fans get to spot the easter eggs!

An easter egg is basically a hint or a reference to another movie, show or in this context, earlier episodes or iconic catchphrases, incidents or gags in the show.

The easter eggs in the finale will surely take you through an emotional rollercoaster, as they remind the fans of all the moments that made the show as iconic as it is.

For your convenience, I have put down all the easter eggs that I could find in episode 9 and 10 i.e. The Last One part 1 and 2. How about you check out what you might have missed.

1. The Final Heist And The Clues

The biggest and most exciting references were definitely part of the final heist, which involves the nine nine gang coming together to solve one last case together. The winner of the heist was supposed to receive the medal of valor.

Brooklyn Nine Nine finale: Easter eggs that took us down memory lane
Captain Holt’s Medal of Valor | Source: Fandom

That’s the first easter egg right there. The medal of valor is a reference to Holt’s medal, which he held very close to him. He had received the medal for saving Maya Angelou. So the heist prize was basically modelled after Holt’s iconic medal.

Remember the time Hitchcock’s hand got stuck in one of those underground tubes? Well that’s the next easter egg, it is a throwback to that moment when the heist involved the numadic tube system.

Now comes my favorite one. In the episode, Jake tells Amy that he wants the heist to end at Brooklyn Bridge, where he intends the whole gang to enjoy a display of fireworks. Amy wonders when exactly did they hang out together in the Brooklyn Bridge.

We got it, didn’t we? It’s a reference to the opening credits where we see the gang walking together in the bridge. Brilliant, isn’t it?

Now comes the clues. “Where the devil lies, you find the prize” was a hand down reference to Madelaine Wuntch’s grave. It’s pretty obvious, because Holt always called her the devil and we’ve all known as that way throughout!

Holt even puts a balloon arch in Wuntch’s grave because Holt is the best at that. Just an affectionate reminder of what a gem Captain Holt is. He even made one for Rosa and Pimento’s wedding, remember?

“Don’t tell me where the next clue is hidden, tell me why” – Do I really have to explain this one? This is another one of the best easter eggs, which is a reference to the most iconic cold open of the series, Jake making the prisoners sing “I want it that way” by Backstreet Boys.

Hell, that was funny.

Captain Holt And Kevin Kiss In The Rain

Also, the answer to the last riddle, which mentions a “passionate kiss” is a romantic reference to Kevin and Holt’s iconic kiss in the rain, just outside of the precinct.

The scene where Amy told Rosa about the axe also reminded me fo Rosa’s iconic idea of how every woman should own an axe. Classic Rosa Diaz, after all.

What I loved about the whole heist was how every character’s signature style was referred to atleast once and we all got to see them in their natural element for the final time. It is really all about the small little emotional references.

A genuine joyride for the fans.

2. Jake’s Gifts For Everyone

Jake also got unique and specific presents for everyone in the gang, since he is all set to leave the Nine Nine to stay home with Mac and be a good father. He reveals this to Amy in the episode. Peralta supremacy!

He got a tie for Holt, which is bound to remind fans of Holt’s obsession with ties and how it is a part of the uniform. It was what the team represents. A perfect gift, if you ask me.

Rosa Diaz | Source: IMDb

Rosa’s gift was the best one for me. Jake got her a travelling board game for the game nights at her place. Back when Rosa came out as bisexual, her family was not exactly accepting of her identity. But the gang was always there for her.

As a reminder of how Rosa is loved and accepted irrespective of her sexual identity, the gang decided to have a weekly game night for Rosa, because her dad had told her it will take time for her mom to accept her sexual identity so they have to postpone game nights.

The easter egg is intended to be a throwback to this wholesome moment in the show.

Boyle’s gift was the Fancy Brudgom magazine. When Jake was planning Boyle’s wedding back in season 1, he wanted everything to be according to that magazine. So it is a reminder of the iconic bond that is Jake and Charles.

Amy’s gift was the warmest of all the presents. It was a binder necklace with three tiny tabes, one each for Jake, Amy and Mac, because you know, Amy loves binders.

3. Gina Knows Best!

One of the highlights of the nine nine finale was the appearance of Chelsea Peretti as Gina Linetti one final time.

Jake and Gina Gear Up for Their High School Reunion

Gina’s arrival is one big whole easter egg altogether, because she had been one of the most popular characters of the show until she left in season 6. Her top had “Surprise Revealed” written on it, which is so typically Gina!

She was also the one to drive Pimento and Rosa to the airport (or so it seemed, though it was all a part of the heist). Basically, Gina came and showed us one last time why she is the Paris of people.

When the gang decided to chill after the heist, Gina put cement in their drinks, which is a easter egg reference to the good old precinct days when she made them do it to impress her social media followers.

Like, that iconic cement prank which screams just Gina things!

4. Special Appearances By Guest Stars

The finale episode also gave us some real time déjà vu moments, with many of the most loved guest stars making their final appearance in the episode.

Jake and Caleb | Source: IMDb

First of all, there’s Caleb, Jake’s cannibal friend from prison ( Tim Meadows). When Jake tried to shake hands with Caleb, he tried to eat him. This is an easter egg that reminds of the last time that Jake and Charles had gone to meet him and our cannibal guy did the same!

Bill (Winston Story) was also back and it would definitely not feel like a heist without him, would it? Another iconic appearance was made by Adrian Pimento, Rosa’s ex boyfriend and fiance (Jason Mantzoukas).

After Rosa traps Amy, she speeds off on Pimento’s bike to win the heist.

Mlepnos (Fred Armisen) also makes an appearance and helps Jake free himself after Amy leaves him handcuffed in the hospital bed. Mlepnos gives a legit flashback to the pilot episode. A full circle it is.

Teddy | Source: IMDb

Then there was Teddy (Kyle Bornheimer), who proposed to Amy once again also gave Jake the trauma when Amy fooled him by saying he was in coma for the last seven years and Teddy had been there for her and Mac the whole time.

Damn, Amy. It was really hard to stop laughing.

5. Other Easter Eggs You May Have Missed

Yeah, that was not all. I found a few more references. A little more crying to do.

Goodbye, Vending Machine – Brooklyn Nine-Nine

The vending machine easter egg was a classic one, drawing reference to the iconic cold open involving the beloved vending machine which broke, giving everyone free candy.

Another one which was also-freaking-amazing was when Charles commented that Jake and Amy has stopped kissing in front of everyone. I would consider this an inside joke reference on the makers themselves.

They forgot to make Jake and Amy kiss through the whole of season 6 and realized it in the last episode, as they revealed in an offscreen interview. If you re binge season 6, you’ll notice Melissa Fumero and Andy Sandberg does not kiss even once in the season. Thanks to Boyle we got that cool inside joke though!

We finally get to see Captain Holt’s tattoo, which has been referred to multiple times throughout the show. It is basically one with Kevin’s head on Cheddar. I would not call it a easter egg but it is nevertheless a superb surprise reveal.

There was a “it’s Nikolaj, not Nikolaj” gag and some references to Boyle’s buttholes, which is a reference to the time when Boyle got shot in his butt. Apparently, Jake had implanted a tracker in Boyle back when he got shot in the butt.

Finally, there was the heartfelt conversation between Jake and Holt. When Holt tells Jake that if he would ever have a son, it would be like Jake, it really could not fail to touch our hearts.

But wait, there were easter eggs there too! There was a reference to the robot joke. Holt cracks the joke that Jake cracked back in season 1 when he tried to imitate Holt (while he stood right behind him).

Holt even manages to crack a “title of your sex movie” which is the iconic tribute to the running gag of “title of your sex tape” throughout the show.

The Last Day | Source: IMDb

Infact the whole premise of episode 9 and 10 of season 8 was meant to give us a nostalgic boost and take us back to the legacy of Brooklyn Nine Nine. Every character was being uniquely themselves.

From Amy being the competitive perfectionist to Rosa being the badass and Gina being the self-proclaimed Beyonce that she is, it all reminded us of why we fell in love with this show and why it is feels so much like home.

Adios, Nine Nine! We will miss you. Too much.

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6. About Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Brooklyn Nine-Nine is an American police procedural comedy television series created by Dan Goor and Michael Schur.

The show stars Andy Samberg as Jake Peralta, the Stephanie Beatriz as Rosa Diaz, Terry Crews as Terry Jeffords, Melissa Fumero as Amy Santiago, Joe Lo Truglio as Charles Boyle, Chelsea Peretti as Gina Linetti, Dirk Blocker as Michael Hitchcock, and Joel McKinnon Miller as Norm Scully.

Braugher has been nominated four times for the Primetime Emmy Award and has twice won the Critics’ Choice Television Award. The show has also received a GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Comedy Series portrayal of LGBTQ+ people.

The series revolves around Jake Peralta (Andy Samberg), a talented but immature NYPD detective in Brooklyn’s fictional 99th Precinct, who often comes into conflict with his commanding officer, the serious and stern Captain Raymond Holt (Andre Braugher).

The latest season, i.e. the eighth season of the series is scheduled to release after the Summer Olympics in August. The plot for the final season is anticipated to highlight the George Flyod incident and the Black Lives Matter Movement.