Why Amy’s Brooklyn 99 Prison Storyline Was Secretly Genius

In Brooklyn Nine-Nine season 3, Amy Santiago goes into a prison undercover as a pregnant inmate. Here’s why the storyline was secretly genius.

Amy Santiago’s prison storyline in Brooklyn Nine-Nine season 3 was secretly genius. Amy Santiago, played by Melissa Fumero, is the most ambitious and stubborn detective in the entire Nine-Nine precinct, and a fan-favorite in a series with an entire ensemble of lovable characters. One of the major reasons for this is her will-they-or-won’t-they relationship with Brooklyn Nine-Nine‘s lead character, Andy Samberg’s juvenile-yet-driven Jake Peralta, which captivated audiences before they finally got together towards the start of Brooklyn Nine-Nine season 3.

Later in Brooklyn Nine-Nine season 3, Amy is forced to go undercover in a women’s prison in order to befriend the sister of Jimmy “The Butcher” Figgis, so that the team can arrest the infamous mob boss. In order to get close to Maura Figgis, Amy takes up the identity of Isabelle Cortez, a pregnant inmate, after Brooklyn 99 rebel Rosa Diaz is identified by a convict she had previously arrested, blowing her cover. Meanwhile, Jake disguises himself as a doctor in order to keep an eye on his girlfriend. While this idea already makes for a hilarious episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, one behind-the-scenes fact makes it secretly genius.

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The Real Reason Behind Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s Prison Story

The real reason behind Amy’s secret identity as a pregnant inmate in Brooklyn Nine-Nine season 3 is that Melissa Fumero was actually pregnant with her first child at the time of filming. If an actress becomes pregnant when their character is not, TV shows will usually attempt to hide the growing bump. Typically, this is done by only shooting the actress in close-ups or from the waist up. If that cannot be fully achieved, then the actress will be given a prop to carry, like a large purse or a pillow, to hide her pregnancy.

While the now-canceled Brooklyn 99 did use those classic tricks initially, Amy going undercover in prison was the perfect storyline excuse to use Melissa Fumero’s real-life pregnancy for comedy. Brooklyn Nine-Nine season 3 was not the only time that Melissa Fumero would be pregnant during production. In contrast to Amy’s prison storyline, Melissa Fumero’s second pregnancy was fully written into Brooklyn Nine-Nine. During the episodes where Amy is pregnant with her and Jake’s baby, Mac, Melissa Fumero was actually pregnant with her second child.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s True Strength Is Improvisation

Amy’s prison storyline highlights one of Brooklyn Nine-Nine‘s greatest comedic strengths: improvisation. Amy’s pregnant inmate cover is not the only time that Brooklyn Nine-Nine displayed how good it is at seizing upon unexpected narrative magic. The iconic Brooklyn 99 chant was never actually supposed to be heard on the show. According to Melissa Fumero, it originated as a way for Terry Jeffords’ actor, Terry Crews, to boost the cast’s morale during early morning shoots. Without such improvisation, this iconic line would have never made its way into the show.

Additionally, in the wake of George Floyd’s murder at the hands of police officer Derek Chauvin, the crew of Brooklyn Nine-Nine scrapped four completed episodes and began rewriting the final season from the very top. In reaction to the protests in the wake of Floyd’s murder, the Brooklyn Nine-Nine writing team penned the season 8 opener “The Good Ones,” in which Rosa quits the NYPD. Like Amy Santiago’s pregnant prison storyline, this highlights the talent of the Brooklyn 99 crew over eight seasons at adapting to real-life situations and accepting improvisations to improve the show, whether for comedy or poignancy.

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