In addition to diversity in casting, Brooklyn Nine-Nine has made an effort to feature characters who are not necessarily typical of a network sitcom. Captain Holt, played by Andre Braugher, is the head of the precinct and has risen through the ranks of the police force despite facing discrimination due to him being both African American and openly gay. The show handles the character of Holt, and issues of race and sexuality in the show generally, with a light touch, never shying away from the reality of the situation while also not making them the sole focus of the characters. It is refreshing to see a show in 2015 which treats a diverse workplace as a fact of life rather than an anomaly without making that diversity a perpetual storyline.