After an extended hiatus, fuelled by industry strikes that left fans eagerly awaiting its return, The Rookie finally made its triumphant comeback, picking up precisely where it left off. The hiatus heightened anticipation for tonight’s premiere, especially since when we last saw our favourite LAPD officers, they were facing an unknown threat that had already injured several officers and landed Aaron Thorsen in critical condition in the hospital. Although a lot of the new season is still shrouded in secrecy, the outcome of Thorsen’s storyline was a poorly kept secret, given away by numerous cast members on social media, and ABC released promotional images featuring him very much alive. However, the anticipation remained high among viewers, eager to uncover who the perpetrator was behind the LAPD attacks and what their underlying motive could be.
As viewers reacquaint themselves with the world of the Rookie again, it is clear that the break in no way diminished the show’s momentum, and its ability to captivate and engage its audience. The Rookie hashtag was trending for days before the premiere. The premiere began with a blaze, literally, as a man ran, covered in flames, away from an armed car as money flew in the air. A title reading, “97 minutes earlier,” flashed through the screen as the action picked up exactly where it left off in last season’s finale, immediately after Lucy and Tim’s epic battle with the army of masked men. The man in the black SUV at the end of the finale, worked with a crew to rob the Federal Reserve bank, which was clearly his intended target from the get go. Nolan and the team arrived on scene and were able to take down one of the men, but the mastermind got away.
A six-week time jump kickstarted the rest of the episode, as Nolan embarked on his final shift before his wedding to Bailey. However, the narrative quickly became muddled, as the episode juggled numerous subplots that struggled to mesh well together. Early on, Aaron Thorsen appeared very much alive (no shocker there), making a dramatic entrance on his motorcycle, seemingly unscathed. The episode introduced a new character, LAPD Psychiatrist Blair London, played by Danielle Campbell. Despite Thorsen’s eagerness to return to active duty, Sergeant Grey insisted he receive a green light from the Psychiatrist before allowing it. Thorsen found it hard to remain sidelined, and spent the episode jumping in to help as needed. Grey’s behaviour towards Aaron was surprising, but understanding when you think of the trauma he faced with Jackson in the past. Grey was terrified of losing another young officer the way he lost Jackson, so this is clearly Grey’s way of protecting Aaron and making sure that nothing else happens to him under his watch.
In the meantime, Nolan, Celina, Grey, Nyla and Angela, fresh off maternity leave, all worked to uncover who was behind the bank heist. In the midst of this, Nyla warned Nolan of the curse of the last shift. Nolan shrugged it off at first, but as minor mishaps continued to befall him throughout the episode, he quickly realized that perhaps the curse could be real. The bank heist investigation led the team to the hospital, where they apprehended a suspect involved in the heist who had taken a nurse hostage. However, the situation escalated when Nyla, firing from an air vent, accidentally wounded the nurse, resulting in her being put on leave pending an investigation into the shooting. Despite Nyla’s attempts to minimize the incident, the impact is palpable as she is haunted by flashbacks of the moment. Nyla is always poised and confident. It will be interesting to see how this affects her both professionally and personally.
Capturing the man in the hospital eventually steered the team towards the brains of the heist operation, yet the plot thickened, as the lawyer that everyone loves to hate, Monica Stevens, returned as his defense attorney, revealing that he is not the top dog in this scheme after all. There is a larger conspiracy at play, one that is completely off the LAPD’s radar. In a cryptic turn of events, Monica is heard on the phone nonchalantly authorizing someone to do “whatever helps them sleep at night,” leading to the suspect being fatally shot in the head while on the bus being transported to jail.
In another sub-plot, Lucy asked for Tim’s help to prepare for her Detective’s exam, by requesting that he ride with her in order to quiz her. She is already at a disadvantage, with Lieutenant Primm having it out for her for the 5 player trade that she made last season to get Tim into Metro. Their patrol duty led them to the scene of a man dressed as a clown, laying dead on a residential boulevard. Lucy’s anxiety was heightened and it led to her botching up the crime scene. It didn’t help that everyone at the station heard about her mishap, and relentlessly teased her about it at every turn. Lucy’s anxiety also led to her accusing Tim of undermining her, accusing him of doing so out of fear that her becoming a detective might trigger memories of his traumatic past with his ex-wife, Isabel. The episode ended with Tim deciding to part ways with Lucy for the night, clearly upset that she would even think that he would do something like that to her. It will be a long week for Chenford fans as they await the next episode, yet they shouldn’t worry too much. The writer’s have done such a great job developing Tim and Lucy’s relationship thus far, highlighting their ability to openly share emotions and resolve issues, ultimately coming out stronger from each challenge. Like any relationship, they will experience their shares of highs and lows but every obstacle will only bring them closer. There should be no doubt in anyone’s mind that Tim and Lucy know that this relationship is worth fighting for.
Despite the plot being a bit challenging to follow and the episode feeling overloaded with plot points, it was still a solid instalment and it was great to have the show back after such a long break. Each episode of the series never ceases to reaffirm what viewers love about the show- it is a police procedural, sure, but it has a lot of heart. In this day and age it takes a lot for a show to get to 100 episodes and the Rookie has done just that, with the 100th episode airing next week. With so much excitement looming, the series promises to deliver a season filled with action, character growth and suspense. Whether you’re a long-time fan or a newcomer to the series, this episode sets a promising tone for what’s to come this season. Your turn, Rookie fans! What did you think of tonight’s episode? Who do you think is really behind the bank heist? How will the shooting affect Nyla’s ability to function on the job? Will Tim and Lucy work it out? Comment below and engage with me on Twitter @MiddleofCanada.