The Fox (and later NBC) hit comedy seriesBrooklyn Nine-Ninecompletely flipped the script on the typical police procedural. Though the show takes place in the 99th Precinct of the New York City Police Department, the series isn’t really about police work. It’s aboutintra-office dynamics and crazy workplace hijinx everyone can relate to. With a talented comedic cast includingAndy Samberg,Terry Crews,Andre Braugher,Chelsea Peretti,Stephanie Beatriz,Melissa Fumero, andJoe Lo Truglio, the series offeredsome of the greatest comedic momentson network television.Tacoma FDoffers all of this and more for fans of ensemble workplace comedies like Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
Comedic look at firefighters battling their own boredom.
What is ‘Tacoma FD’ About?
Much likeBrooklyn Nine-Nine,Tacoma FDis a workplace comedy about first responders. Instead of a seriousshow about firefighters likeChicago FireorStation 19, co-creators and Broken Lizard alumniKevin HeffernanandSteve Lemmefocus on the funny side of fire station life. Set in Tacoma, WA, a city that averages 41 inches of rain per year, the firefighters of Station 24 find themselves with a lot of free time on their hands. Sure, they get called out on emergency calls. Still, aside from fried turkey fires on Thanksgiving and accidental dispensary fires,most of their emergencies are non-fire related and completely over-the-top hilarious.
Tacoma FDfollows the work lives of the A-shift firefighters of Station 24. Led by paperwork-loving, snack-a-holic Chief Terry McConky (Kevin Heffernan) and lady-loving shift commander Captain Eddie Penisi (Steve Lemme), the firefighters of Station 24 are ready to take on anything their city can dish out. Unfortunately for them, withfew fires to fight in the damp Pacific Northwest climate, the group spends a lot of time at the station, leading tooutrageous schemes and genuinely laughable moments.
‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’ and ‘Tacoma FD’s Characters Are Perfection
The best thing aboutBrooklyn Nine-Nineis the phenomenal cast of characters.Jake Peralta (Andy Samberg) is a highly perceptive and intelligent detective whose goofball antics and love of pranks always seem to throw a wrench into his investigations. Surly badass Rosa Diaz (Stephanie Beatriz) is always ready with a sarcastic comment, but under her prickly exterior is a forever loyal friend with a heart of gold. Sargeant Terry Jeffords (Terry Crews) is the caring father-type leader of the bunch whose eternal optimism and charisma make him instantly likable. Amy Santiago (Melissa Fumero) is an ultra-perfectionist who follows the rules to a “T” and loves paperwork. Charles Boyle (Joe Lo Truglio) is Jake’s BFF who happily follows Jake’s schemes no matter what. He is laughably oblivious and lovably inept. Gina Linetti (Chelsea Peretti) is the sarcastic assistant who thinks of herself as a social media influencer and loves to poke fun at her less “cool” colleagues. Captain Raymond Holt, played by the late Andre Braugher, leads the precinct.Captain Holt’s severe demeanorand deadpan expressions make for a hilarious opposition to the rarely serious group of detectives.
LikeBrooklyn Nine-Nine,Tacoma FDoffers ahilarious bunch of characterswho play off each other perfectly. The two main stars ofTacoma FDare, of course, Kevin Heffernan and Steve Lemme. However, the other cast members are in no way eclipsed by these two comedic geniuses. In fact,each character is so perfectly defined and ideally cast that it’s virtually impossible to pick a favorite.
When Paramedic Granfield “Granny” Smith (Marcus Henderson) isn’t saving lives, he’swatching British period dramassimilar to Downton Abbey and turning his incident reports into captivating novellas. Hunky engine driver Ike Crystal (Gabriel Hogan) moonlights as an exotic dancer, and despite his efforts to fit in with the wise-cracking crew, he can’t make a pun to save his life. The Dungeons & Dragons-obsessed Andy Myawani (Eugene Cordero) has an unusual relationship with his family,making for some hilarious commentary and awkward moments.The lone female of the bunch is the chief’s daughter, Lucy McConky (Hassie Harrison), whose youthful ignorance makes for some terrific generational disconnects.
‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’ and ‘Tacoma FD’ Have Great Recurring Characters
Among the many hysterical storylines inBrooklyn Nine-Nine, one of the funniest by far involvesrecurring guest starCraig Robinsonas Doug Judy. In Season 1, Jake and Rosa team up to uncover the identity of Jake’s arch nemesis, the Pontiac Bandit, with the help of Doug Judy. As it turns out, Doug Judyisthe Pontiac Bandit, and in an elaborate scheme in which Judy pretends to help Jake and Rosa meet the real Pontiac Bandit, he escapes, only to return in Season 2. Throughout the series, Doug Judy shows up numerous times. His obvious rapport with Jake and his cool-guy vibemakes him one of the best additions to the show.
OnTacoma FD,another Broken Lizard alumnus,Paul Soter, joins the team in numerous episodes as firefighter Wolf Boykins, who is deeply despised by the crew. Boykins frequently changes roles within the fire department due to his ineptness and highly unlikable personality. He is over-confident, insecure, jealous, inappropriate, and downright hilarious. In “Fire Choir,” Boykins attempts to prepare the cappella choir, which Granny and Eddie Penisi join, for a big performance at the local nursing home. Despite his complete lack of talent, his perfectionist attitude makes for riotous moments. In the Season 3 finale, “Fire at the Station,” Boykins, now Fire Inspector, attempts to demonstrate how the station fire started and instead blows up the entire building.Soter commits fully to the unlikable character, and the result is comedy gold.
‘Tacoma FD’ is Binge-Worthy
Brooklyn Nine-NineandTacoma FDhave a lot in common. Both shows flipped the script ontypical first responder dramasbyinstead turning those stories into uproarious comedies.At their heart, both shows are about workplace antics and the friendships that develop when people spend lots of time together.
Tacoma FDoffers a plethora of belly laughs with its outrageous storylines and fast-paced humor. Like the Season 2 episode “Ike and Mike,” where Ike Crystal’s jerk twin brother visits Ike to convince him to help him and his wife with their infertility challenges. Or the Season 3 episode “Rise of the Machines,” which takes robotic automation station enhancements to Terminator-level insanity. Theseries couldn’t be more outlandishand sidesplittingly funny.All four seasons are available to stream on Netflix, makingTacoma FDa highly satisfying binge-watch.
