Jake Peralta is perhaps one of the most hilarious characters in modern times. His comedy has this excellent blend of slapstick, wit, and of course, the occasional existential humor when he talks about his dad.
Every time he’s on-screen, you know you’ve got to keep your eyes and ears open because there’ll be observations, punchlines, and a couple of tags. All of this within 10 seconds. You adore his messy behavior. His childish impulsive behavior is beyond hysterical, and yet he is the smartest person you know in the Noine-Noine precinct.
After the show came out, there were speculations on public forums that all these behaviors point towards a condition called ADHD. So does Jake Peralta have ADHD?
The show hasn’t explicitly revealed it, but it’s a popular theory that Jake Peralta does have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, aka ADHD. His inability to focus on one thing, impulsiveness, lack of organization are some of the symptoms that point to that.
Alright, I know this is a huge claim, but hear me out. As someone who has read quite a bit about the condition, there are a few clear-cut signs that point to the fact that Jake Peralta has ADHD.
Let’s quickly jump in to find out what those signs and instances are.
1. Observation And Crime Solving Skills
Right from the episode, we see Jake Peralta as this amazing detective/genius who can solve crimes within a matter of seconds. We see him always be a step ahead of most of his peers when it comes to solving crimes or even planning the Halloween heists.
For instance, there was this one episode where Captain Holt is merely sitting in his cabin, and Gina walks out from there. Next thing you know, Jake claims that Captain Holt has no pants on. He then takes everyone through the chronology of the series of events leading upto that moment.
He describes everything down to its tiniest detail, such as the time of the event. Now all this might seem quite impressive, and it is. But it shows how he is so focused on one activity that he can’t think of anything else. He is watching everything so closely. It’s almost like he sees things through a magnifying glass. (I know. Detective… Magnifying glass… You get the image right).
This is one of the symptoms of people with ADHD. They are so engrossed at times that they can catch the most minute details that others might not perceive.
2. Always Follows His Gut (Almost Immediately)
It’s usual for us to see Jake Peralta follow his gut and fall on his face. If he has something on his mind – be it a clue, a lead, or his gut feeling, he HAS to do it. Captain Holt is usually the one trying to stop him and help him see the pit in front of him, but of course, that goes in vain.
This show of impulsive behavior is yet another symptom of ADHD. I know, I know what if that’s just a character trait. But wait for it. There are other manifestations of impulsiveness as well. Engaging in reckless behavior, impatience, not waiting for your turn to speak but answering even before the question is complete… I can go on, and I know you’re guilty of relating all this to Jake Peralta.
3. Garbage Dumpster V/S Jake’s Desk
You know where I’m going with this, right? Jake is messy, but you may think everyone can be messy, right? But yet again, there could be more to it. Jake is not only messy, but he doesn’t like to organize anything. He definitely is scared by Amy’s organizational skills. They borderline creep him out and, we all know how much Jake hates writing case reports.
Needless to say, this, too, is a symptom of ADHD. People with this condition just drop things wherever they are (Have you seen Jake’s apartment), they might lose important papers and legal documents, and their cabinets, closets, or drawers are jammed with stuff they think they might need later.
Umm… I don’t want to say I told you so… yet! I will in the end, though!
4. Fear Of Rejection And Need For Validation
This might be a bit on the darker side. But Jake has always slipped in his traumatic past with his dad, in conversations, and there have been entire episodes about that as well. When his father left him, he felt abandoned and rejected.
When the new Captain of the precinct, Holt, used to tell him off or be tough on him, he would feel that need for validation and acceptance from Holt about how good he is. He isn’t particularly good with handling rejection.
Now, I can say I told you so! “I told you so!”
5. Case In Point
In essence, the character of Jake Peralta does have ADHD, and these are just a few signs amongst the many. Other signs include him being easily distracted, being socially unaware, and more.
So, according to these, Jake Peralta does have ADHD. But before I rest my case, I just want to point out that though all these premises have been tackled without ever mentioning the condition itself, the way they’ve done is sheer genius.
Not only are they able to bring out humor around the subject, but they have also kept the sensitivity intact. At no point do you feel that Jake or his condition is being put down or he’s treated as different. And that’s what’s fantastic.
Guess noine noine is indeed the best. And now, I rest my case.
6. Does Jake Peralta Have Asthma?
Yes, Jake Peralta does have asthma. Jake went to asthma camp and was lost in the woods searching for his inhaler. He is also allergic to poison ivy.
When Jake and Sgt Jeffords are in the woods looking out for Charles Boyle, Jake tells him the time when he was in the woods making out with a girl at a school camp. He then says that he’s lying and he had actually lost his inhaler at asthma camp.
So this does confirm that he has Asthma.
7. 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, 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, Andre Braugher as Captain Holt, 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, 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.
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