Brooklyn Nine-Nine character guide
Who is Amy Santiago in Brooklyn Nine-Nine?
The fiercely competitive, rule-loving, binder-organizing detective of the 99th Precinct, who desperately wants Captain Holt's approval and slowly falls for her rival partner, Jake Peralta.
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- Played by
- Melissa Fumero
- First episode
- “Pilot”Season 1, Episode 1, aired September 17, 2013
- Role
- Main cast
- Network
- FOX
- Occupation
- NYPD detective, then sergeant
- Show run
- 2013 to 2021Moved from FOX to NBC for its last three seasons.
- Also known as
- Santiago, Sergeant Santiago, Detective Santiago
Amy Santiago is the 99th Precinct's ultimate overachiever, a detective who loves rules, color-coded binders, and the approval of her captain. Played by Melissa Fumero, she goes from Jake Peralta's rival to his wife over the course of Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
On Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Amy Santiago's story runs through Jake Peralta (Husband), Raymond Holt (Mentor), Rosa Diaz (Friend), Charles Boyle (Colleague), and Terry Jeffords (Sergeant).
Who is Amy Santiago?
Amy is a detective at the NYPD's 99th Precinct and the squad's most dedicated rule follower. Her dream is to become the youngest captain in NYPD history, and she sees the arrival of the strict Captain Raymond Holt as the mentor she has always wanted. She works twice as hard as anyone to earn his praise, usually with mixed results.
She chalks up her competitive streak to growing up with seven brothers. That drive puts her in constant competition with Jake Peralta, whose easy success drives her crazy. Their bets and rivalries fill the early seasons, and they slowly turn into respect and then romance.
Personality and comedy
Amy is a type A perfectionist through and through. She loves crosswords, trivia nights, office supplies, and well-organized paperwork, and she has a hard time relaxing even on vacation. Her eager attempts to impress Holt, often by guessing wrong about what he wants, tend to end in excruciating embarrassment.
What keeps her from being a simple teacher's pet is the mess underneath. The precinct's model officer has a long, losing battle with cigarettes, and the woman who reveres the rulebook will throw it out the moment it protects the wrong person. The squad teases her love of trivia and organization, but the show treats it with affection rather than as a flaw to be fixed.
Key storylines
Jake tells Amy he has feelings for her at the end of season one, they kiss at the end of season two, and they start dating in season three. Jake proposes during the season five Halloween heist, and they marry in the season five finale despite a bomb threat. In season seven, Amy becomes pregnant, and she goes into labor during a borough-wide blackout, giving birth to their son Mac at the precinct.
Her career rises alongside her personal life. After agonizing over whether outranking Jake would hurt their relationship, she passes the sergeant's exam and starts leading her own uniformed officers. In the final season, her work on a police reform proposal earns her a promotion to run the program alongside Holt.
Behind the scenes and legacy
Melissa Fumero came to the show after four years on the soap One Life to Live, eager to do comedy, and her chemistry with Andy Samberg stood out at her screen test. She and Stephanie Beatriz, as Rosa, were the show's two Latina regulars, and because both worried one of them might be cut, they deliberately made their characters look different, with Amy's straight hair against Rosa's curls. Fumero's early nerves about comedy were even folded into Amy's personality.
When Fumero was pregnant during season three, the writers hid it by sending Amy undercover as a pregnant prison inmate. Her real second pregnancy lined up with Amy's on-screen pregnancy in season seven. Critics have praised Amy as a warm, positive portrayal of an overachieving, nerdy woman.
Key Amy Santiago episodes
- “Charges and Specs”Season 1, Episode 22Before going undercover, Jake tells Amy he has feelings for her, leaving her conflicted.
- “Johnny and Dora”Season 2, Episode 23An undercover job pushes Amy and Jake together, and they kiss in the file room.
- “Chasing Amy”Season 4, Episode 18Amy avoids the sergeant's exam out of worry about outranking Jake.
- “HalloVeen”Season 5, Episode 4Amy wins the heist belt only to find Jake has turned it into a marriage proposal.
- “Jake & Amy”Season 5, Episode 22A bomb threat derails the wedding plans, but Amy and Jake marry outside the precinct.
- “Lights Out”Season 7, Episode 13During a borough-wide blackout, Amy gives birth to Mac at the precinct.
Season and episode numbers follow the original broadcast order.
Famous sitcom couple
- Jake and AmyAmy Santiago and Jake Peralta made our list of the best sitcom couples.
Amy Santiago: frequently asked questions
Who plays Amy Santiago in Brooklyn Nine-Nine?
Melissa Fumero plays Amy Santiago. She is part of the main cast for all eight seasons, from 2013 to 2021.
When do Jake and Amy get together?
They share their first kiss in "Johnny and Dora," the season two finale, and officially start dating in season three's premiere, "New Captain."
When do Jake and Amy get married?
Jake and Amy marry in "Jake & Amy," the season five finale, which first aired on May 20, 2018. Captain Holt officiates.
Does Amy Santiago become a sergeant?
Yes. After hesitating in season four's "Chasing Amy," she passes the sergeant's exam and is commanding uniformed officers by season five.
What happens to Amy at the end of Brooklyn Nine-Nine?
Amy is promoted to lead the NYPD's new police reform program with Holt, and Jake leaves the force to stay home with their son.
Test yourself: Amy Santiago quiz
5 questions about Amy Santiago. Think of your answer, then open the reveal to check it.
- Question 1
Which NYPD precinct do Jake, Amy, Rosa, and the rest of the squad work out of?
- The 98th
- The 101st
- The 99th
- The 89th
Show the answer
Answer: C. The 99th
The squad works out of the 99th Precinct in Brooklyn, which gives the show its name. Neighboring precincts pop up now and then, like the 98th in the season three episode "The 9-8."
- Question 2
What does Jake call a coworker's innocent sentence when he wants to turn it into a dirty joke?
- Name of your band
- Tagline of your movie
- Caption of your selfie
- Title of your sex tape
Show the answer
Answer: D. Title of your sex tape
Jake springs the gag most often on Amy, spinning her most harmless remarks into imaginary video titles. It plays a lot like the squad's own version of a classic office punchline.
- Question 3
What derails Jake and Amy's wedding plans in the season five finale?
- A blizzard
- A power outage
- A bomb threat
- A flooded venue
Show the answer
Answer: C. A bomb threat
In "Jake & Amy," the threat traces back to a criminal Amy once put away, and Charles makes up for his part in the mess by staging the ceremony right outside the precinct.
- Question 4
In which episode does Jake propose to Amy by rewriting the inscription on the heist prize?
- Halloween III
- Johnny and Dora
- HalloVeen
- The Box
Show the answer
Answer: C. HalloVeen
During the fifth heist in "HalloVeen," Amy tracks down the champion cummerbund, then reads the new inscription Jake had engraved asking her to marry him. Holt grumbles that the proposal means nobody really won.
- Question 5
How many brothers does Amy Santiago have?
- Seven
- Three
- Five
- Six
Show the answer
Answer: A. Seven
Amy grew up with seven brothers, and Terry tells Holt in the pilot that it explains her fierce competitive streak.
Sources and corrections
Reference pages used for this guide, including character, cast, and episode details.
Could Amy Santiago be today's mystery character? Name them in eight guesses.
Play today's SitcomdlePeople in Amy Santiago's life
- Jake PeraltaHusbandPlayed by Andy SambergThe brilliant but wildly immature star detective of Brooklyn's 99th Precinct, a Die Hard-quoting prankster who slowly grows up under the eye of his…
- Raymond HoltMentorPlayed by Andre BraugherThe stoic, deadpan, fiercely principled commanding officer of Brooklyn's 99th Precinct, an openly gay Black captain who finally gets his first…
- Rosa DiazFriendPlayed by Stephanie BeatrizThe tough, intensely private, leather-jacketed detective of the 99th Precinct who terrifies nearly everyone she works with…
- Charles BoyleColleaguePlayed by Joe Lo TruglioJake Peralta's devoted, eager, and endlessly enthusiastic best friend and partner, a nervous but hardworking detective and passionate foodie whose…
- Terry JeffordsSergeantPlayed by Terry CrewsThe enormously muscular, yogurt-loving, deeply devoted family man who supervises the 99th Precinct's detectives…
More Brooklyn Nine-Nine characters
- Gina LinettiMain castPlayed by Chelsea PerettiThe 99th Precinct's sardonic, phone-obsessed civilian administrator and Captain Holt's assistant, a gloriously self-absorbed force of nature who is…
- Michael HitchcockMain castPlayed by Dirk BlockerThe lazy, crude, and gleefully clueless veteran detective of the 99th Precinct and Norm Scully's inseparable partner…
- Norm ScullyMain castPlayed by Joel McKinnon MillerThe sweet, sleepy, endlessly ailing veteran detective of the 99th Precinct and Hitchcock's lifelong partner…
- Doug JudySide characterPlayed by Craig RobinsonThe smooth, charming, pop-culture-loving car thief known as the Pontiac Bandit, Jake Peralta's slippery arch-nemesis who keeps escaping him and…
- Kevin CoznerSide characterPlayed by Marc Evan JacksonCaptain Holt's husband, a precise and wonderfully dry Columbia classics professor who is just as formal and private as Holt…
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