Brooklyn Nine-Nine: Why Hitchcock & Scully Have Never Been Fired

Brooklyn Nine-Nine‘s Hitchcock and Scully are often described as no-good detectives, so why hasn’t the 99th Precinct fired them? While Captain Raymond Holt and Jake Peralta are often regarded as the main leads of the Fox-turned-NBC sitcom, it’s an ensemble show with each character integral to its storytelling. That means everyone has a part to play in it, even old-timers like Hitchcock and Scully who may not seem like they really do much work at the station.

Originally, Hitchcock and Scully had a third member, Detective Daniels, who only appeared in the pilot episode. While it’s difficult to predict how her involvement would’ve made any difference to the show, if at all, her male counterparts were more than enough to represent the veteran members of the 99th Precinct squad. From a storytelling perspective, Hitchcock and Scully’s roles in the series are for comedic relief, a more straightforward and even slapstick kind; this diversified its sources of humor. But in-universe, it doesn’t make much sense to keep them around especially since the station has gone through some rough times with budget cuts.

Before Holt came to the 99th Precinct, it was established that the previous captain couldn’t be bothered with day-to-day operations. It’s the reason why Jake was able to get away with not wearing appropriate attire – something Holt immediately ordered him to do. Not that the squad wasn’t performing; they’re all good at the jobs, which was why they never got in trouble despite having a hands-off leader. With Holt’s penchant for efficiency, however, he could’ve easily gotten rid of Hitchcock and Scully, but there are some less-obvious reasons why they have been retained. Just because they don’t normally go out on the field anymore and are almost always doing something odd at their desks, that doesn’t mean they’re not contributing to the station, as the pair are actually good with paperwork. Considering how far behind the squad is with this aspect of their jobs, getting rid of the duo would be counterintuitive. Other than that, they can also be helpful in strange ways – something that has happened in the show multiple times throughout its run.

It’s also been revealed in a period episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine season 6 that the duo actually did some great detective work in their heydays. Back then, they were cool and skilled officers who solved various cases and bagged different criminals. But things changed when they discovered buffalo wings. It’s uncertain how quickly they went downhill from there, but given their age, it’s understandable they don’t go out on the field as much as their younger co-workers do. Kicking them out of the task force now that they’re no longer traditionally useful would be a bad look for Holt and the rest of the NYPD. Aside from the revelation that Hitchcock and Scully were once cool, it also reinforced the idea that, despite their weird antics, they are good officers.

Finally, a more realistic reason is the union and how it would more oppose their firing given how long they’ve been in the force. Ultimately, it wouldn’t be worth all the hassle dealing with the potential blowback just to fire Hitchcock and Scully in Brooklyn Nine-Nine. They don’t pose a threat to 99th Precinct except for the occasional accidents; for the most part, they can be ignored while they eat, do their work, and mind their own business. Given the situation, it would’ve been much better to simply let them work and wait until they decide to retire.

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