Andre Braugher was an American TV and film personality. The reason I say “was” because the actor sadly passed away on December 11th, at the age of 61 following a brief illness. Braugher was active in Hollywood from 1989 and to 2023, it was a glorious career spanning more than three decades. He had his breakthrough role in 1989’s “Glory,” starring alongside Morgan Freeman and Denzel Washington. Known for his dramatic roles and heavy voice, Andre Braugher ‘s biggest rise in fame happened when he played Captain Raymond Holt on NBC’s Brooklyn 99, a cop sitcom. Holt’s stoic, pragmatic and serious demeanor coupled with his unintentional humor was a huge winner. The audience went head over heels for him and he became one of the most loved characters in the show’s eight season run. Today, on this sad occasion, let’s remember the best Captain Dad I mean, Captain Holt episodes in the honor of Andre Braugher.
The Box (Season 5, Episode 14)
Anytime anyone asks me to list down the best Brooklyn 99 episodes, this one springs right up. This is probably the most policework we’ve seen in one episode of this cop sitcom. The premise is quiet simple but the chemistry of Jake and Holt makes it so interesting. The various strategies the duo employ to extract the truth out of the dentist are phenomenal. This is also the famous episode that gave us, “Oh damn, Oh damn, OH DAMN!” from Holt.
Honeymoon (Season 6, Episode 1)
Usually Holt is the sanest person in the entire office. He is a father figure to everyone and solves everyone’s problems. However, I love the episodes that have shown us the petty side of Captain Holt. The first episode of season six, is probably the best of the lot. Holt has just suffered the biggest setback of his career. Despite being the most deserving candidate Holt was robbed off for the position of commissioner. It is lovely and hilarious to see Jake and Amy being the grown ups for once and taking care of Holt.
Coral Palms: Part one, two and three (Season 4, Episode 1, 2 &3)
Season 3 ended with the show’s biggest cliffhangers rendering season 4’s opener to be one of the most unique episodes of the show. We see what Florida has done to our favorite characters. They’re not Jake and Holt, they’re Greg and Larry. We get a glimpse of heterosexual Ray Holt and he is an absolute dog. The three episodes set in Florida are the funniest Brooklyn 99 has to offer. In fact the first episode is just about Jake and Holt, no other characters appear in it.
Ransom (Season 7, Episode 12)
Remember how I told you that Ray Holt is a father figure to everyone at the 99, but, do you know what happens when someone messes with his real baby? – Cheddar (Holt’s dog) Well, you get action hero Holt. The episode shows Holt losing all objectivity and simply going berserk for his fluffy boy. Brooklyn 99 Season 7 was kind of a hit or miss but this episode was definitely a hit.
9 days (Season 3, Episode 17)
Oh boy, this one is a doozy. What starts as a pity fake case for Holt turns out into a full blown quarantine for Jake and Holt as they get the mumps. For once, Jake and Holt live together and as they both descent into madness it just gets funnier. This episode was more relatable to me because I watched it when we all were under quarantine during the Covid-19 pandemic. We breakthrough the tough personality of Holt and finally see him vulnerable as he misses Kevin.
Ding Dong (Season 7, Episode 7)
Out of all the subplots the show has had over the course of eight seasons, the rivalry between Madeline Wuntch and Captain Holt has given us some of the best moments. It was so sad to see this rivalry end on such a note but this episode was full of twists and turns and I have to admit that I assumed Wuntch would return at the end of it but I was wrong. It was a pleasure to see Holt embrace dark humor as he spoke terrible things for a dead person, as he is the first person who talks about etiquettes.
The Fugitive Part 2 (Season 4, Episode 12)
Doug Judy episodes are always fun but this was the most fun because the episode not only made Jake and Judy cross paths but also took Holt along. The episode was full of laughs and emotions. This is the episode in which we say goodbye to Gertie (Holt’s car) but, at the end of the episode Judy gifts Holt the exact same model and names it “Sexarella”.
Blue Flu (Season 8, Episode 3)
I think season 8 is the worst season of Brooklyn 99, the writers became too self-indulgent in including all the political issues and the simple premise of the show was compromised. However, the final season did have good moments for Holt with him remarrying Kevin and becoming the deputy commissioner. Although, my favorite Holt moment from the season was when he figures out how to end this Blue Flu. Sometimes, we forget how smart and strategic Holt is.
Lights Out ( Season 7, Episode 13)
The finale of season 7 was one of the good episodes from the season. Amy’s water has broken and entire Brooklyn’s lights are out. Jake is not available to cater to Amy so Rosa has to take care of her. However, despite all of this happening I think Holt just stole the show in this episode. Holt is trapped in an elevator with Terry and he has a phobia of lifts. Terry distracts him by teaching him a dance number, which we later see is used to distract Amy. I think that is the best dance I’ve ever seen in my life. Andre Braugher was so good in this episode.
The Overmining (Season 4, Episode 9)
The entire team was put on the night shift because they came to rescue Jake and Holt from Florida. I don’t have to tell what night shift does to a person, the entire team is frustrated and Jake finds a way to get them back on the day shift but Holt doesn’t want to stoop so low. However, at the end he does and gets the squad back on the day shift. This is an amazing episode with funny Jake and Holt banter but also an amazing guest appearance from Ken Marino as Captain C.J.
The Oolong Slayer (Season 3, Episode 4)
Season 3’s beginning was very sad for me because the one thing that makes the Nine-Nine the best was missing – Captain Ray Holt. The man was sad and so was I. However, this episode finally showed Holt breaking the rules and working a case with Jake. It is so fun when Holt embraces the dark side and taps into all the ridiculous roleplay with Jake. If it wasn’t for Holt then the Oolong Slayer would’ve had his way with Jake.
The Chopper (Season 2, Episode 22)
Another episode of Jake making a serious situation into a movie and Holt getting pissed. I have to admit this episode did feel like a made for TV movie starring Holt, Jake and Boyle. I love the codenames Jake assigns and it becomes even funnier when Holt finally gets in on it too. We get more of Holt and Wuntch rivalry and Holt’s aversion to the word “chopper” is hilarious. The episode also has a good cliffhanger at the end.
The Wednesday Incident (Season 2, Episode 16)
This episode is full of memes. Andre Braugher had both an explicit and understated portrayal of Captain Holt at the same time. The Wednesday Incident is such an interesting episode that doesn’t feature a lot of Holt as it is about Jake finding out why Holt is mad at him, but whatever little we see of Holt is pure gold. The image I’ve used above is from a short snippet where Holt is so mad that he just starts smiling wildly. The episode also has a good emotional angle that finally tells us why Holt is so upset.
Halloween II (Season 2, Episode 4)
How could I end this list without a Halloween Heist episode. The concept of Halloween Heist only came into existence because of a bet between Jake and Captain Holt. In the initial seasons the heist was always about them, it was later that the entire team got on board. I believe that Holt’s competitive side is what makes all Halloween Heists fun. However, what makes this particular episode special is that Holt won indisputably, although, I still believe he won in “HalloVeen “.
Your Honor (Season 4, Episode 19)
Ever wonder who gave birth to a character like Ray Holt, well, we had to wait for four seasons to finally find out. The episode showed us the beautiful relationship between Holt and his mother. Despite loving each other so much, there were any unsaid conversations between them, thanks to Jake those difference were resolved. If it wasn’t for Jake then we would’ve never heard the famous, “Cowabunga mother” from Ray Holt.
These are just some of the episodes that I love. However, each episode starring Andre Braugher as Captain Raymond Holt is the best. He is at his best in the episodes. There are many epic moments that I’ve not listed like the famous “BONE?!”, “Hot damn!” and “No one will ever believe you”. I will always love and cherish the joy his portrayal of Captain Holt gave me. I regret that we won’t see anymore new work from him. He went away too young but I think he is in a better place. Rest in peace Andre Braugher!
All eight seasons of Brooklyn 99 are available for streaming on Netflix.
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