Sal's Pizza

Jake chases an arsonist while the precinct gets hacked by their own new hire.

"Sal's Pizza" is the ninth episode of the first season of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, written by Lakshmi Sundaram and David Phillips and directed by Craig Zisk. It aired on Fox in the United States on November 12, 2013. The episode features Jake Peralta investigating a fire that destroyed his favorite pizzeria, leading to a conflict with Fire Marshall Boone (Patton Oswalt). Meanwhile, a computer virus exposes the squad's search histories, prompting Terry and Gina to recruit a new IT specialist who turns out to be the hacker themselves. The episode was the ninth broadcast but the eighth produced.

Quick Facts

Series: Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Director: Craig Zisk
Writer: Lakshmi Sundaram
Photographer: Giovani Lampassi
Editor: Sandra Montiel
Runtime: 22 minutes
Air date: 19 November 2013

Lore & Background

Sal's Pizza serves as a crucial emotional anchor for Jake Peralta, representing a sanctuary from his childhood before his father abandoned him. It was the specific location where he and his dad went after every Little League game, making its destruction in a fire deeply personal. The pizzeria is owned by Sal (played by Joey Diaz) and is destroyed early in the episode. Fire Marshall Boone initially refuses to let Jake investigate the site and suggests that Sal burned down his own restaurant. This accusation drives Jake to break protocol, eventually leading him to collaborate with Boone after he learns about Jake's personal history with the establishment. The fire was set by Gino, who burned down Sal's Pizza because Sal refused to sell him the business.

Reader's Guide

Viewers can expect the episode to balance Jake's emotional investigation with the squad's reaction to the data leak. The cold open features the virus printing search histories, which sets off a chain of passive-aggressive behavior from Amy toward Rosa. The climax involves Jake and Boone finding the culprit, Gino. A key twist occurs when Terry and Gina hire a new IT specialist who is revealed to be the person responsible for hacking the precinct in the first place. Critical reception was positive, with specific praise directed at Patton Oswalt's performance as Fire Marshall Boone and the development of Jake's character regarding his father issues.