Captain Wuntch. Good to see you. But if you're here, who's guarding Hades?
Any Brooklyn Nine-Nine fan would know how Captain Raymond Holt signs off on his text messages. So, how else could I headline an article in tribute to the New York City Police Department's 99th Precinct's Commanding Officer?
Andre Braugher, the actor who portrayed Holt, tragically died on Monday due to a brief spell of illness, as confirmed by his publicist. As tributes and condolences poured in from fans and fellow cast members, I too could not help but be consumed by a wave of sorrow.
You know how some people prefer to fall asleep with the TV on, watching a sitcom like Friends or The Office or something of the sort? For me, that 'white noise' is Brooklyn Nine-Nine. I watch an episode every night, to end what is usually always a difficult day of work.
As I write this, what scares me is that tonight when I see Holt in the briefing room, scolding Peralta for God knows what, it will brutally hit me that while the Captain is immortal, Braugher is no more.
In a line-up consisting of the hilarious Jake Peralta, the brainy Amy Santiago, the badass Rosa Diaz, the sensitive Charles Boyle, the lovable Terry Jeffords, and the queen Gina Linetti, what makes Holt, a strict, no non-sense Captain, such a big favourite amongst the fans?
Perhaps because he is all of them in one.
Holt's humour is a deadly combination of wit, wisdom, and sarcasm, something no one else in the show can emulate. His intelligence and knowledge are to die for, and what can one say about the bravery of a gay, black man marching his way to the top of the NYPD within the conservative domains of the police in the US?
But more than anything else, Holt teaches us, more than anyone else, that there are no two ways about being a decent human being. So many episodes have concluded with him explaining to Peralta or Terry that, despite losing a competition or angering their superiors, they did the right thing. Holt is a parental figure, not just to the Nine-Nine, but also to us fans.
This does not mean he does not have his share of fun. Remember when he said, WUNTCH TIME IS OVER! BOOM. Did it! Had it both ways! No regrets. Madeline Wuntch, in that sense, brings out the best of Holt — his competitiveness and grit, but also the moral boundaries that he never crosses, even though that would make his life hella easier.
Holt is not without his flaws. Indeed, sometimes he goes too far during the Halloween Heists in order to win (like tricking Terry into consuming a GPS tracker or reducing Amy to Jake's 'paramour', although Jake does no different in either case). As his husband Kevin Cozner says, "I do not like what these heists bring out of you." But then again, we can't blame a guy who has been put down all his life for his colour and sexuality, can we?
On that note, Captain Holt is the epitome of how films and TV should approach the sensitive issue of representation. He is black and gay (coming out in 1987), thereby furthering the representation of two of the most marginalised communities in the US. But credit to the writers, it is not his colour or his sexuality that makes him a fan favourite.
These attributes don't dominate his personality or his contributions to the Nine-Nine. In other words, it is not there just for the sake of it. It is nothing more than a side note. It is, on the other hand, his struggle, persistence, righteousness, and of course, his sass, that make him immensely loveable and memorable. Nevertheless, the presentation of Holt's gayness, and his relationship with Kevin, play an important role in normalising queerness in TV and media.
So much could be written about just Holt and Kevin. They are a gay, interracial couple, but that's not what makes them GOALS. They have so much respect for each other, and they know each other so well, which is a big deal for a guy like Holt who doesn't open up easily. Birds, math, grammar, and classical music among other interests — these two live in their own world, where they need nothing and nobody else.
Kevin brings out the gentle and content side of Holt, the side of Holt that does not believe that "everything is garbage. You find something you care about, and it's taken from you. Your colleagues, your dream job, your mango yoghurt. Never love anything."
My favourite episode of Holt is probably a tie between Season 4, Episode 17: Cop-Con and Season 4, Episode 16: Moo Moo.
In Cop-Con, the squad disobeys Holt and raves all night at a convention for cops, inadvertently sabotaging the Captain's presentation the following day, something he needed to ace to become a part of an elite group of police officers. But we see that what hurts Holt more is not that his chances were wrecked, but that he wasn't invited to the party and he felt left out, just like how he had felt all those years climbing up the ladder, alone, to reach the Nine-Nine as the CO. Not a robot after all, right?
And in Moo Moo, when an angry and hurt Terry tells Holt about how he was racially profiled by a white cop for being a black man in a particular neighbourhood, the Captain initially tells him that submitting a complaint might adversely impact his career, and that he should, instead, rise through the ranks and change the system. When Terry files the complaint anyway, Holt thinks "a lot" about this, and concludes to Terry:
As a Black, gay man, I never had a superior who was on my side. So, the advice I offered you - that came from a different place, a different time. I put all my energy towards rising to a rank where I could make a difference. And I realize that if I don't back you up on this, I would be betraying the very thing that I worked so hard for.
Contrary to what may seem in the early phases of the show, Holt's mind can be changed. He does listen, he does introspect, and like any good leader, he does understand his responsibilities. Perhaps that is what makes Holt so attractive. There is no one in the show whose words I'd pay more attention to. I laugh at his jokes, I laugh at him, but most importantly, I learn from him.
And all of this could not have been possible without Andre Braugher. A phenomenal performance from a phenomenal actor. As he is laid to rest at the age of 61, this article is my humble way of thanking him for his invaluable contribution to TV as Captain Raymond Holt.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)