Following the heartbreaking and all too frequent stories of systemic racism and police brutality against black people and people of color in this country, industry folk and audiences alike have begun to cast a critical eye against “cop shows” – in attempt to both understand and deconstruct how they may shape and perpetuate misconstrued perceptions of the police. Essentially, everyone is re-examing what they do and trying to see how they can better it.
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One of these cop shows looking to make changes, is the comedy series “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.” In a recent conversation with Access Daily’s Kit Hoover and Scott Evans, “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” star Terry Crews reveals that new scripts for the upcoming eighth season have been completely thrown out. “Our show-runner Dan Goor, they had four episodes all ready to go and they just threw them in the trash,” Crews explained. “We have to start over.”
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And, of course, these changes aren’t solely industrial, but also personal, as Crews opens up about his experience before fame: “You’ve seen me, in movies or whatever but before all this, I was always a threat. I would be going to the mall or going to different places. I’ve had guns pointed at me by police officers in L.A. This was before I was famous. The thing is, they had the wrong guy.”
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Crews continued to share personal anecdotes involving his family, specifically with his 14-year-old son. “As a young black man, you’re not going to be treated like a 14-year-old, especially by the police… He gets heart palpitations when a police car goes by,” Crews said. “He does not feel safe, there’s a threat[ening] feeling.”
It’s not yet clear how the eighth season of “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” will grapple with these arising themes. Crews himself explains that “right now we don’t know which direction it’s going to go in.” However, it can be assumed that the hit comedy series plans to create sincere and nuanced conversations about the police force and their too-often venerated depiction through television, film, and media. Looking forward, Crews says, “We’ve had a lot of somber [and] deep conversations… We hope to bring something that can truly be groundbreaking this year.”
As of now, “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” season 8 is still slated for release sometime in 2020.