Lucifer S6 And B99 S8: How Latest Shows Are Tackling Police Brutality

It was only a matter of time till fan-favorite cop dramas had to pull up their socks to address real issues.

Lucifer and Brooklyn Nine-Nine have been tackling policing issues in their ways, especially considering that they are primarily a funny, witty police show just for laughs.

Terry Crews revealed last year that B99 showrunner Dan Goor and writers had scrapped multiple-episode scripts after George Floyd’s death.

Similar was the case with Lucifer’s executive producer Ildy Modrovich, who brainstormed with his team to have season 6 talk about policing issues.

There were definitely particular concerns. Police brutality, or for that matter, racial profiling, isn’t easy to blend in a funny show. Or a show that has demons and angels.

But with B99 and Lucifer’s last season finally, here, fans can see that the efforts behind both the shows have paid off.

Lucifer had previously tackled police brutality and racism, albeit a bit, in Season 4 Ep8 when cops slammed Caleb to the ground and pointed a gun at Amenadiel. It was an impactful scene as it reached a peak where if Dan didn’t step in, Amenadiel would have been shot.

Now in S6 Ep6, Amenadiel runs into one of the policemen who arrested Caleb, Detective Reiben, who still hasn’t grown even a tad bit. He’s the same racist officer we met in S4 and similar to countless Black people still have to meet in real life.

The episode does its best to show how police racism is so ordinary; people often tend to either forget to take action or let things go. Probably one character that stands out is training officer Harris, who is a ‘Can’t change the system if you’re out of the system’ type.

It also showed Reiben’s blatant racism that reflects on ground reality – him labeling a murder as a gang hit, immediately targeting Michaela as the real killer, not listening to Amenadiel when he yells that the killer is the white man with a gun right in front of them, and more.

While the episode ends with no solutions, it makes systemic policing apparent and shows it like what it is – utterly disgusting and woefully wrong.

Just like that, B99’s season 8 also tackles the same and with great reviews. It offers multiple points of view of a person reacting to prejudiced policing patterns.

Around three episodes in season 8 address the policing issues, each time giving a new perspective.

But when it comes to taking action, it showcases how different people react.

We have one who’s straightforward and takes action right on-spot, such as Rosa. And some like Jake, who believe in the ‘Not all cops’ scenario, join hands with Rosa for a case just to prove that some are good, and not because he sees the real, very deep-rooted problem.

By the end of this episode, Jake learns that it isn’t about disliking your job but rather disliking the power loopholes and biases in the system.

Of course, a few episodes of Lucifer and Brooklyn Nine-Nine aren’t the answers to systemic policing issues.

But the fact that they’re being made, produced, edited, aired, and talked about might just shorten the long way we have to reach a better place.

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.

About