Brooklyn Nine-Nine is a beloved show that stands face to face to polarizing social issues. The writers, along with the cast, are never afraid to tackle the problems that affect people on a day to day basis. Their relevancy is one of the show’s best features because it displays the importance of allowing viewers to be involved and have a voice. Their show has had success with the way they portray controversial topics and characters. 

Dan Goor, the creator of the hit TV show, had told fans that they would only do an episode based around the #MeToo movement if the script was right and the story did justice. Eventually, that script was written up and centered around Melissa Fumero’s character, Amy Santiago. “I’ve never done an episode like this,” Fumero tells TVLine. “You see a side of her that you’ve never seen before.”

Stephanie Beatriz, who plays Rosa Diaz, will have her directorial debut in this episode. For Fumero, having Beatriz direct such an emotional episode for her character is fitting. “I think it would have been nerve-wracking if it had been someone else, or someone I didn’t know,” she says. “It was really wonderful to have my friend directing, where we already have a shorthand… It was so amazing to just have that trust, to feel protected and safe.”

The two never miss a moment to praise one another as their friendship over the years on the show has only brought them closer together. Beatriz says, “I think she’s [an] underrated actress. I don’t think people understand the scope of her talent, and I am really thrilled I got to be witness to it on set that week. Melissa’s a star.”

An all-new anticipated season of Brooklyn Nine-Nine will return on January 10 at 9/8c on its new home, NBC.