Given Brown’s dramatic performances, it’s entirely possible that Brooklyn Nine-Nine intends to deliver some seriousness in his episode along with the comedy.
Of course, we can’t say at this point just how much Sterling K. Brown’s character will be played for laughs.
The show does manage to infuse comedy into these subjects — such as bringing in Tim Meadows to play Jake’s amiable prison BFF who also happens to be a cannibal — without holding back from addressing their real-life relevance.
Although Brooklyn Nine-Nine has to be one of the most consistently hilarious sitcoms on television, it doesn’t shy away from tackling very serious subjects from time to time, ranging from homophobia to racism to conditions in prison.