“ | Just because you wanna do something doesn't mean you get to do it. Life is chaos, success is completely arbitrary, and confidence is everything. | ” |
―Gina Linetti in "Four Movements" |
Regina "Gina" Linetti (portrayed by Chelsea Peretti) is a main character in all of seasons 1-5 and the first four episodes of season 6 of the show. She was the 99th Precinct's sardonic civilian administrator and Captain Holt's assistant, who despite not caring about her job, is shown at times to be very good at it. Even though she was not a detective, she was a part of the squad, even joining them at the "Detectives Only" getaway. Her blunt and narcissitic behavior can often be a deterrant, but she always shows up when it matters. At the end of the season 6 episode, The Tattler, she decided to quit working at the 99 and makes her last appearance as a series regular in the fourth episode Four Movements. She comes back in the fifteenth episode, Return of the King, helping the squad by using her role as a celebrity internet influencer for a case. She returns for the two-part series finale, and in the final scene is shown at the 99 participating in the yearly Halloween Heist.
Personality
She has displayed a penchant for kleptomania and extreme narcissism but is generally regarded as harmless by the rest of the staff. She does very little other than play on her phone, taunt Charles and Amy, flirt with Terry, and constantly compliment, praise and exalt herself. However, her narcissism comes from an overwhelming sense of self-confidence that can range from endearing to annoying, depending on who she's talking to.
She believes in the power of psychics and hires one routinely and believes psychologists are those not gifted enough to become psychics. She is a firm believer in astrology.
She enjoys internet surfing and dancing. She believes she is an amazing dancer however, the others in the show just find her dancing 'weird'. She was part of a dance group called Floor-gasm but was later voted out by the other members.
She cares a great deal about Jake, considering they grew up together, and their friendship is possibly the strongest she has with anyone. She does show some regret for straining it after leaving the 99.
Despite her surface-level laid-back personality, Gina is hinted to be very intelligent, but also generally uncaring. She is often seen making seemingly outlandish predictions or assumptions which are later proven right. She claims that, as a child, she forged her report cards to make her grades lower because “people are harder to control when they know you’re smart”. If she’s telling the truth, which is, at the very least, plausible, she is an incredibly skilled manipulator and likely very gifted.
Biography
Gina was a childhood friend of Detective Jake Peralta and spent a lot of time over at his Nana's. She was name-checked in her kindergarten teacher's suicide note, which she still likes to brag about.
When she was a teenager, she attended the Junior Police Program for at-risk youth which she claims does not work. Gina is Italian-American.
Before joining the 99th Precinct she was an assistant manager at a sunglass kiosk in a mall for four years.
At some point earlier in her life she attempted to do a B.A. but failed, after joining the 99 she decided to return and attempt to complete it.
Jake was the reason that she got her job which he claimed could be done by an ice cream cone. She saved money and later proved herself to be financially responsible. She has been engaged 8 times but has never been married.
Physical Appearance
Gina has long auburn hair that she refuses to put in a ponytail. She is usually seen in a printed blouse with a cardigan and jeans.
In the Series
Season One
In the Pilot, Gina is the office secretary. She bluntly informs Detective Charles Boyle that he isn't Detective Rosa Diaz' type when he asks Gina for help in acquiring tickets for a Rihanna concert. However, Gina does recommend that Charles ask Rosa to an old movie theatre. Gina's first impression of Ray Holt is that he is suave, but she also picks up a "gay vibe". She reveals to him the conditions of Detective Amy Santiago and Jake's bet.
In The Tagger, Gina introduces Boyle, Diaz and Amy to her psychic friend Carlene. Boyle believes everything Carlene says, and because he disliked her predictions, he tries to prove them wrong. However, Gina taunts Boyle by twisting events to make them fit Carlene's predictions.
In The Slump, when Amy rejects Gina's help for the Junior Police Program, Gina is upset. However, Amy and Rosa (after failing themselves at connecting with the at-risk teenagers) realise Gina is their last hope. Gina dances badly in front of the teenagers to prove she has a passion. When this proves useless, Gina lists the perks of being a cop. This makes 8 children sign up to the program. However, Gina comments that she was part of the program and that it doesn't work. For her efforts and achievement, Holt makes Gina his personal assistant because he sees potential in her.
In Sal's Pizza, Gina helps Terry recruit a new IT specialist. She frustrates Terry by provoking the interviewees but explains to Terry and Holt afterwards that her actions proved that none of the applicants could cope inside a police precinct. She goes on to say that the young man (Corey Park a.k.a. Savant) who originally hacked the system should be the new IT specialist. She exits Holt's office by saying "If I had a mic, I'd drop it". Her actions impress both Terry and Holt.
In Charges and Specs, she suggests that a heartbroken Boyle should get some "rebound nooky" to cheer up after being dumped. Later, she and Boyle are surprised and horrified at waking up together in bed after drinking together.
Season Five
In Game Night she came back to work at the precinct after having had a child the season prior. She has, however, grown so attached to having Enigma around that she ends up sneaking out to visit her, ultimately getting caught by Terry.
Relationships
Jake Peralta
- For the page, see Jake-Gina Relationship.
Jake and Gina grew up together. When Jake was getting evicted, she bought his Nana's apartment. Jake was responsible for getting her hired by the department. Jake is one of the few people Gina treats well and they have a very strong friendship. Their relationship becomes strained however, when Gina becomes an internet celebrity and doesn't have time for him anymore.
Rosa Diaz
Gina and Rosa get along reasonably well, with the occasional dispute (such as Rosa making fun of Gina in "Lockdown" and the pie contest in "48 Hours"). Rosa has been occasionally tasked with taking care of Gina such as during Holt's birthday party, and Gina took care of Rosa while she was ill by creating a "Rosa's gonna make this cold her bitch" care package. When Rosa came out as bisexual, Gina responded by contemplating that, in an alternate world, they would have made a "hot ass couple" - Rosa agreed.
Charles Boyle
- For the page, see Charles-Gina Relationship.
Gina always used every excuse to make fun of Charles, but after he broke up with his fiancée Vivian, she told him the fastest way to get over someone is rebound sex. At the end of the Season 1 finale, the two were shown in bed together. During the early part of Season 2, they were casually hooking up. At the end of season 2, they became stepbrother and stepsister when Gina's mother and Charles' father got married in Boyle-Linetti Wedding.
Amy Santiago
Gina is often seen making fun of Amy, mostly because of her "drab pantsuits". Gina says that Amy is a boring old lady, making fun of her look, personality and apartment. Despite all of the teasing on Gina’s side, the two definitely have their bonding moments. The harsh teasing slightly decreased once Amy entered into a serious relationship with Jake, with Gina even congratulating their engagement via text.
Captain Holt
Gina and Captain Holt are shown to have a fairly close friendship. She is promoted to his assistant. She has oddly helped in some situations and also got him addicted to a game called Kwazy Cupcakes. And she is even on a first name basis with his husband, Kevin.
Terry Jeffords
Terry and Gina have a friendly relationship, however Gina has a crush on him, often commenting on his body and making sexual passes, which disturbs Terry due to him having a family.
Milton Boyle
Milton Boyle is the only man that Gina is ever shown to be in a relationship with. The pair have a daughter named Enigma, however it seems that since the child's birth the couple have broken up. It should be noted that Milton isn't the only man Gina has dated in the show, as there a couple of other men in her life. For example Leo 'Nadia' Mirren-Carter, a man she is assumed to have dated after Charles introduces her to him in Halloween III. Nadia also turned out to be the brother of Charles' partner Genevieve.
Quotes
- "(Laughs) If I had a mic right now, I'd drop it."
- "The English language cannot fully capture the depth & complexity of my thoughts."
- "Bitch, you know I'm out of data."
- "No doubt, no doubt. Gina culpa."
- "And there we have it, another flawless Gina moment."
Trivia
- Gina owns a number of spandex suits and gifted two of them to Rosa Diaz and Amy Santiago after they thief-proofed her apartment.
- She was a dancer in the group Floor-Gasm♙(Pilot, The Slump) and a member of a political dance troupe called "Dance-y Reagan"
- Gina appears to like dogs as there is a picture of one on her desk and she has a stuffed Webkinz dog on her computer.
- Her favorite cop movie is Bad Boys.
- Gina has appeared in all episodes except M.E. Time, Old School, Coral Palms Pt. 1, The Big House Pt. 1, The Big House Pt. 2, Kicks, Bad Beat, The Venue, Two Turkeys, Return to Skyfire and 99.
- In Boyle-Linetti Wedding, Gina states that she "doesn't see movies like [Lord of the Rings]" because she was too pretty for those movies, when Jake compares her to Gollum. Later in the episode however, she references them by calling Lynn Boyle a hobbit, implying that she has seen the movies or at least has enough interest in them to know both hobbits and Gollum as references.
- Gina's favorite animal is "nature's greatest predator: the wolf," which she describes as "her spirit animal." She also had a blanket with a picture of a wolf on it, but she had to give it to Scully and Hitchcock in order for them to stop using Babylon, Rosa and Gina's secret bathroom.
- In Adrian Pimento, Gina reveals she worked as an assistant manager at a sunglass kiosk at the mall for 4 years.
- Gina often hangs out in the men's room all the time because "the acoustics are amazing."
- In The Oolong Slayer, she has thumb drive that looks like a watermelon slice because she adores the summertime.
- In Halloween IV, she reveals that she lost her two front teeth during the 5th minute of 7 Minutes in Heaven when a bowling ball fell on her face.
- Gina has never had her phone on airplane mode, not even when she is on an airplane.
- Gina is left-handed.
- She fantasizes about having her own reality series called "Linetti, Set, Go" and her own fragrance line called "Gina in a Bottle."
- While on her free time, Gina presumably digs up every single secret about the squad she can find and files it in a folder. She has returned Amy's and Charles's folder, because of her friendship with Jake, it is presumed she didn't make one on him.
- Amy's folder was simply pictures of her in her normal clothes, which Gina called embarrassing.
- Her daughter's name is Enigma.
- However, Gina calls her "Iggy" as a nickname.
- Gina said she didn't know what Star Wars was when Amy helped her with her astronomy test. However, when Amy becomes a sergeant and meets Gary, she says, "Damn! The force is strong with this Amy," which shows that she has actually watched the Star Wars movies.
- She went to John Roebling High School.
References
- ↑ referenced in Halloween III
- ↑ referenced in The Apartment and The Tattler
- ↑ referenced in Halloween IV