The Rookie Episode 11
Today, we focus on the tree instead of the forest.
No, I’m not talking about the arriving Veep code-named Redwood.
Ten episodes in, I thought The Rookie couldn’t surprise me anymore. We’re getting to the dreaded midseason doldrums, a period of mediocre storylines to make room for the exciting opening and closing episodes that bookend every season.
That’s sweet, Mr. Cleaver.
When the plot was revealed in the previews, I stifled a groan because how many did we have already of the VIP protection versus hijinks episodes? Wait, in fact, a few shows I will not mention here on networks unrelated to this review had already aired similar stories.
It seemed to be a required plot device for every procedural show. As much as I have been enjoying The Rookie, I didn’t have high hopes for the episode.
It’s nice to be wrong. Well, regarding this, at least.
It means we’re having different adventures today.
The Rookie started off with a tongue-in-cheek opening that involved a gun buyback program, a dotty grandmother and a claymore from the Vietnam War-era. To say the episode started with a bang wasn’t an exaggeration.
The episode picked up sedately after the flash of the title: the final nail to Nolan’s divorce seemed to have fallen with an offer to buy the house he had built.
The sale of the home he hoped his son Henry would inherit one day plagued Nolan’s mind all day. But before Ben’s Sedona hiking trip could distract him, Nolan (Nathan Fillion) was called back to duty on his day off.
Everything we do today is gonna piss someone off.
ALYSSA DIAZ, TITUS MAKIN, MELISSA O’NEIL, ERIC WINTER
With the vice president coming into LA, it’s “all hands on deck” or as Lucy called it: overtime to put down cones and put up roadblocks. This time, it was the LAPD causing traffic.
It’s also a day of reversals for our cast as well.
West (Titus Makin Jr), usually the poster boy, the go-get-’em rookie, got caught looking at his cell phone instead of the briefing conducted by Grey (Richard T. Jones) and Secret Service Agent Danvers.
Chen (Melissa O’Neil), often intense as she struggled to be the by-the-book rookie, was relaxed and almost gleeful about collecting overtime pay that could fix the air conditioning in her car.
Bishop (Afton Williamson) and Nolan were assigned to tracking down Level two threats and Bishop was “happy to do it.”
Wait. What?
Who are you and what have you done with my T.O?
With some of the cast acting slightly out of character, the episode appeared primed for laughs. And sure enough, it was a humorous start.
Bishop and Nolan foiled an assassination plot by a not “Jason Bourne” with a flare gun wrapped inside his underwear. Bishop’s glass full attitude started to freak Nolan out (and bemused Grey). Lopez and West encountered some protestors and a very visual moment of projectile vomiting.
But then we get to Bradford (Eric Winter) and Chen’s story and the episode took a sobering turn.
While trying to clear out a street packed with makeshift shelters, Chen stepped in between a fight and gets stabbed by a used hypodermic needle.
What do we do now?
Abruptly, The Rookie reminded us of the dangers our police face. Chen’s POV slowed and distorted similarly to Nolan’s in “Time of Death.” This humanized her. She was no longer Probational Officer Chen, but Lucy Chen now burdened with a fear many of us hear and dread.
Here, Tim Bradford stepped up to plate. He’s becoming one of my favorite characters of the series. He’s the show’s Clint Eastwood with the rough and tough cowboy demeanor and yet with a heart of gold. He took charge of a Chen clearly in shock. He tried to get her to focus on procedure and took her to the hospital to get tested.
Despite Bradford’s earlier scoff that “air conditioning makes you soft,” he proved to be the standout TO in this episode. He remained by Chen, got her fast-tracked into testing (yet was reasonable when the nurse later apologized for a mistake) and kept Chen’s mind from falling into the “WebMD rabbit hole.” Later, when Chen thanked him, he dismissed it as just doing his job.
Get it together, Officer West.
Meanwhile, Lopez and West were knocking doors to take down obscene banners that hung outside the Veep’s route.
As Lopez and West visited each apartment, we gained a bit more insight on West and his relationship with his mother. And each door knock revealed our golden rookie’s tarnished spots especially after the last door opened to a shocking scene of elder abuse. West’s eruption on the son was both a shock and a revelation.
Lopez typically has little patience for her rookie; she was understandably annoyed at West’s uncharacteristic lack of focus. Instead of being angry with West, though, Lopez displayed a stern but tolerant demeanor towards West, reminding him the lapse of concentration could get him killed.
Okay, I’m just gonna say it. It’s starting to freak me out.
Bishop and Nolan were reassigned to rover duty which consisted of going to help bring water, jump in so others could have bathroom breaks, basically LAPD’s version of second string or bench warmers.
The running gag of Bishop’s newfound positivity stopped short after a road rage incident ended with a nearby innocent driver shot. What started out as a funny twist on Bishop became a reveal when it turned out Bishop was seeing a therapist, who recommended the change.
The tragic moment turned into a personal one between Bishop and Nolan. Bishop rarely offered anything personal about herself while Nolan was often more than happy to. The reveal brought the two closer in a way I hope will continue throughout the season.
The overall plot of the episode was about the Veep’s visit and the LAPD. But as the episode progressed, we narrowed down to the individual rookies and their TOs. And it’s this narrowed focus that elevated “Redwood” to something a bit different from your standard storyline.
So why is a lone male sitting in a running vehicle behind a closed business that deals in cash?
We have all the elements of your police drama from the VIP visit to a harrowing shootout in a foiled robbery at a marijuana shop. The show stayed in format, jumping back and forth to each pair and fed us the typical bits of “a day in a life” of an LAPD officer.
However, The Rookie also went microscopically on each character. We went from amusing anecdotes to something more intimate.
And in her mind, I chose the job before family. Again.
West faced backlash when he continued onto the academy at the face of potential tragedy in the family. Chen faced the possible destruction of her career as a police officer if she was indeed infected. And Nolan thought he was about to have nothing left to leave his son with the house being sold; in turn, losing all ties to his old life and maybe his son.
In the end, all our rookies came through unscathed. However, not unchanged. The bond between TO and rookie evolved after this episode. And we were treated to some personal details of the TOs and better yet, they shared it with their rookies.
The Rookie always revolved around the new officers and their TOs. They started out with reluctance and gradually worked to a closer relationship. They weren’t instant best friends the moment either pair partnered up. But that’s okay.
Watching the partners evolve after each episode was far more rewarding. And the payoff after “Redwood” was the best; each set of partners offered to each other a bit more of themselves instead of it being only one-sided.
Ultimately, it felt like the episode was about loyalties and where they lie. The characters were at each’s side, but it was never vocalized. In this episode, their actions spoke out loud.
My guys were under fire. Your guy? Was going for a sandwich.
Grey, after Agent Danvers complained that Lopez and West left their posts to give Bishop and Nolan backup, showed his loyalties were with his fellow officers. He’s been a great mentor figure throughout the season so far. He told Danvers “it’s a no brainer” when the choice came down to watching the Veep eat his sandwich or help Bishop and Nolan.
There weren’t a lot of scenes for the watch commander in this episode. However, this scene proved Grey was a man who has his officers’ backs.
Can’t leave you alone for a minute.
RICHARD T. JONES, AFTON WILLIAMSON, NATHAN FILLION
Bradford, the stickler to duty, stuck by Chen’s side and quick to rush to Chen’s aid after her “Tim” radio call in the hospital. He’s been one of the more interesting characters on The Rookie. His backstory with Isabel revealed a dimension beyond his hard-as-nails demeanor. His steadfast support of Chen proved his bark is worse than his bite. Sometimes.
We always had better access to what makes Nolan tick. It was nice that this time, we get to see what makes Bishop tick as well.
When Nolan fretted about the house being sold, Bishop offered a bit of her past and some reassuring advice. Plus, Bishop expected Nolan to think less of her after hearing she was seeing a therapist. Instead, she found she earned more of his respect. And in a way, I think Nolan won more of hers.
We’re redundant standing around in a hallway.
Lopez, instead of berating West for his distraction, advised him and guided him rather than report him. She’s finally growing into the role of West’s TO.
Lopez and West are somewhat alike: they always stuck by the rules, rigid about duty. But when Bishop and Nolan radioed for backup, she proved she knew what was important. They left their post and hurried to their fellow officers’ aid.
That’s actually an excellent perspective.
“Redwood” looked like it was going to be a typical episode. It wasn’t.
Going personal instead of concentrating on the main event about the Veep, made the episode a pivotal one, a tipping point for our partners.
The Rookie so far has avoided turning mundane or cookie cutter. It managed to be both amusing and serious at the same time. And at this point, it looked like The Rookie is keeping that strategy as its MO.
Is it too soon to make jokes about that?
The show has been structurally strong and enjoyable. The addition of Ben (Currie Graham) also provided an outsider POV to Nolan’s new life. That and the occasionally off-duty pizza scenes we had at the end kept the episode from becoming insular. Will this continue? I hope so.
However, the show needs to watch out for some of the characters as well. Lopez and West often have some of the weaker storylines among the three sets. The two’s dynamics haven’t progressed as far as the others.
West still has a respectful distance towards Lopez. Even after confessing his distraction was about his mother, he didn’t elaborate until he was with Chen in the hospital.
Lopez has been vague about her own past as well. We got hints about her family that implied her motivations, but out of all of them, she’s still a little two dimensional. To be fair, her attitude towards West have softened, but she remains a mystery to both the audience and West.
The show needs to develop these two more like they’re doing with Bradford/Chen and Bishop/Nolan. The two are too distant with each other which is a shame because their backstories could make great stories.
Right now, Lopez/West often fall into the anecdotal side, not really contributing much to the episodes. They need to share some stronger scenes together. They also need to step out of their “super-cop” roles and show there’s more to them than the uniform. Otherwise, like a tree, if Lopez and West fall into obscurity, no one is going to hear and they’ll be quickly forgotten.
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