No, but seriously, B99 is so good for Black men.

eshusplayground:

There are two dark-skinned Black men who are nothing like the hypermasculine stereotype of Black men.

It’s so subtle that you don’t realize it until you stop to think about it.

You have Terry, the bald, muscle-bound Black dude who is supposed to be the Scary Black Man who’s nothing but Most Macho Manliest of All Macho Manly Men, but it turns out he’s the most gentle, domestic, nurturing mother hen in the entire precinct (except for maybe Boyle), and the show doesn’t show this as a weakness. It’s just Terry being Terry. (Which is why it’s not just scary, but heartbreaking when Terry gets profiled by that cop. This is Terry. Terry. Terry!)

Then there’s Holt, who’s supposed to be the Scary Black Judge/Captain who’s screaming and yelling all the time, but he’s actually a reserved, intellectual, ridiculously formal, deadpan snarker with hidden depths that he only shares with those he trusts. As a gay man, he’s supposed to be campy (read: entertaining for straight people) and/or tormented by the fact that he’s gay (read: someone straight people can feel sorry for), but Holt is sure of himself and confident in who he is.

It’s such a breath of fresh air. It’s unfortunate that the show doesn’t get more recognition for its non-stereotypical portrayals of Black men because if we had more Terrys and more Holts, and fewer thug #3s, things would be a lot better.