Brooklyn Nine-Nine: 10 Reasons Jake and Charles Aren’t Real Friends

Detectives Jake Peralta and Charles Boyle are known as the best of friends on Brooklyn Nine-Nine. But there is an imbalance in their relationship that makes some wonder how real their friendship is. In some moments, Jake and Charles act like true best friends, but in others, it’s a hard relationship to believe.

Friendships are hard relationships to keep up, as much as romantic connections. But it sometimes appears as if Jake and Charles have a harder time being friends than they do with others in the precinct. Their personalities and interests are so different, it’s a wonder they ever get along.

10 Jake Always Tells Charles What to Do

There’s a clear power imbalance in Jake and Charles’ friendship. Jake has a habit of bossing his friend around and treating him like a subordinate. Even though Jake is often the lead detective on a case, that doesn’t give him the right to push Charles around.

As they are both detectives of the same rank, it makes it especially disrespectful for Jake to brazenly tell Charles how to do everything. Taking the lead is one thing, but being a bully is another.

9 Charles Idolizes Jake

Charles has an unhealthy obsession with Jake that goes beyond admiration. He puts his best friend up on a pedestal, which often leads him to disregard the rude and hurtful things Jake says and does. It’s this attitude that allows Charles to be pushed around by Jake.

The idolization Charles has for Jake is played for laughs on the show, but a relationship like that in real life would be considered creepy and concerning. Real friends can admire each other, but they shouldn’t worship one another.

8 Jake Uses Charles When It’s Convenient

Besides bossing Charles around, Jake has a habit of using him when it’s convenient for him. This is especially apparent during the Halloween Heists. Jake always wants to keep Charles close and use him for his ploys, but often betrays him and leaves him to fend for himself.

Jake also likes to use Charles as an ego boost. He looks to Charles’ idolization to stroke his ego and uplift his confidence when he feels down. Usually, he feels bad when he’s messed up and done the wrong thing.

7 Charles Refuses to Acknowledge Boundaries

Charles has an issue with acknowledging boundaries in general, but it’s especially prevalent when it comes to his relationship with Jake. Jake makes it clear every time that he doesn’t want to hear about Charles’ sex life, but Charles insists on dishing everything to him.

Jake also hates when Charles involves himself with his and Amy’s love life. Charles is way too invested in Jake and Amy’s relationship. He pushes his way into their marriage, getting far too involved when they start trying for pregnancy.

6 Jake Forgets Charles When Christmas Shopping

In the Christmas episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, where Jake gets to live out his Die Hard fantasies, the only reason they are in the store in the first place is because Jake forgot Charles when shopping for gifts.

It’s easy to leave someone out by accident when one has so many gifts to buy, but if they were truly best friends, Charles wouldn’t have slipped Jake’s mind. Rather than admit it though, he lies and tells Charles he forgot Amy’s gift.

5 Charles Is Possessive of Jake

Charles doesn’t just idolize Jake, he is incredibly possessive of their friendship. Every time Jake mentions his friendship with another person outside of the precinct, Charles gets jealous. When Jake’s old partner from the nine-eight, Stevie Schillens, comes into the picture, Charles immediately goes on the defensive.

Even when Jake befriends a cannibal in prison, Charles gets jealous. Jake has to assure him the prison friendship was a matter of circumstance and that Charles doesn’t have to worry about being replaced.

4 Jake Doesn’t Totally Accept Charles’ Quirks

Charles definitely garners some criticism for his lack of boundaries and borderline creepy guy behavior. But when it comes to his quirky tendencies, especially with food, he doesn’t deserve to be bullied. Jake often comments on these quirks with positive words of support, but his tone always turns them into backhanded compliments.

Jake and Charles enjoy role-playing when solving a case. Charles always chooses strange character backstories that leave Jake confused. Even though he lets Charles go with it, he does so with a grimace on his face.

3 Charles Bungles Jake’s Bachelor Party

As Jake’s best man for his upcoming nuptials, Charles is in charge of planning the bachelor party. But he creates an elaborate scavenger hunt around the city with impossible clues. Worse, he has himself “kidnapped” and Jake doesn’t spend his bachelor party with his best man.

Jake tries to be a good friend and do the scavenger hunt, but Terry and Captain Holt convince Jake to instead partake in steaks and Scotch and pretend to have done the scavenger hunt.

2 Jake Undermines Charles’ Authority

When Charles is assigned the lead detective on a case, Jake doesn’t take it too well. He insists he’s good with his best friend taking the lead, but every step of the way pushes his way to the front and bulldozes Charles. Jake undermines his friend’s authority when he starts sleeping with the medical examiner on the case and distracting her from her job.

Jake even undermines Charles’ authority as a father. He gets involved in the situation with Gintars when he comes to America to bond with Nikolaj.

1 Charles Wants Jake to Put Him Above Amy

Charles admits to Jake that he’s afraid how things will change once Jake and Amy get married. He laments that his best friend will prioritize Amy over their friendship. Jake affirms that statement is true, but that it’s not a bad thing. He insists it’s normal, as Charles did the same when he adopted Nikolaj with Genevieve.

The fact that Charles wants Jake to put his friendship above his marriage with Amy shows he’s a bit selfish. Real friends are happy for each other in their relationships, not jealous.

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