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Comm-entary

Publication Date

2024

Abstract

This essay examines how sitcom Brooklyn Nine-Nine explores what it means to grieve the loss of someone who wasn’t necessarily a friend or a foe through the theoretical lens of The Five Stages of Grief. It begins with a brief explanation of what the Five Stages Theory is, followed by an outline of the tumultuous history between Captain Raymond Holt and Acting Commissioner Madeline Wuntch, describing their rivalry and placing it into the larger context of the show. Then, the piece follows Holt through each of the five stages after Wuntch’s unexpected death in season 7, episode 7, titled “Ding Dong.” Through an analysis of Holt’s actions, placing them into each stage of the Kübler-Ross model, the piece demonstrates how we can experience grief in unpredictable ways, especially for those with whom we have complicated, possibly negative relations.

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