Why ‘The Rookie’ Can’t Drop Its Serial Killer Plot Just Yet – Here’s What’s at Stake

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Every television drama needs a good villain. Police procedurals especially depend on a convincing bad guy to create intriguing and suspenseful storylines and lots of high-octane action sequences. ABC’s hit drama, The Rookie, has certainly had some seriously great villains throughout the years. But the addition of Liam Glasser (Seth Gabel) in Season 7 has been one of the best so far. That’s why it’s troubling that the series seems to be wrapping up Glasser’s storyline much too quickly. The Rookie crew needs some criminals to chase, and locking Glasser up prematurely would make for a boring remainder of the season.

‘The Rookie’ Has Had Some Truly Awesome Villains

As heroic as the police officers are in The Rookie, the series has also created some equally fun-to-watch baddies. One of the most memorable villains was Rosalind Dyer (Annie Wersching), who was first introduced back in Season 2. Even after the female serial killer was arrested, she was still able to convince her protégé, Caleb Wright (Michael Cassidy), to carry out several murders, as well as the kidnapping of Lucy Chen (Melissa O’Neil). With her psychological manipulations and mind games, Rosalind was always a worthy adversary for John Nolan (Nathan Fillion) and his team. Rosalind was eventually killed in Season 5, but she wasn’t the only female mastermind that the Los Angeles Police Department worked hard to take down. The cartel leader, Sandra de la Cruz, known as La Fiera (Camille Guaty), kidnapped a pregnant Angela Lopez (Alyssa Diaz) in Season 4. Tragically, Jackson West (Titus Makin Jr.) died trying to rescue Angela — which makes La Fiera one of the worst criminals to cross paths with the Mid-Wilshire crew.

But it hasn’t just been women who have tormented law enforcement on the series. Drug cartel leader, Elijah Stone (Brandon Jay McLaren), menaced Wesley (Shawn Ashmore) and the Mid-Wilshire cops, starting in Season 4, and even though he’s behind bars, it’s always a possibility that Elijah will pop back up again in the future. More recent villains have included Oscar Hutchinson (Matthew Glave), who has caused trouble consistently in every season since Season 1 of the show. As one of the funnier criminals, Oscar is a constant thorn in the side of the police, though he did provide for some more lighthearted material even if he did stab Wesley once. In Season 6, he even escapes from prison, and his fellow escapee just so happens to be Bailey’s (Jenna Dewan) ex, Jason (Steve Kazee). Until his death in Episode 5 in Season 7, Jason served as a scary reminder of the abuse Bailey went through in her marriage to him. Now, with Jason out of the way, and Oscar in the wind, there has been a clear opening for a new villain to enter onto the scene.

Glasser Is LAPD’s Latest Target in ‘The Rookie’

In the beginning of Season 7, the team uncovers that a serial killer has been working diligently to murder innocent victims in the Los Angeles area. In Episode 4, Nyla Harper (Mekia Cox) pursues clues linked to the killer, and is attacked in an abandoned mental hospital (which is the stuff of nightmares). In Episode 5, Nyla narrows in on her suspect: a seemingly normal man with a family. Glasser and Nyla begin a cat-and-mouse game; she knows that Glasser is her guy, and Glasser knows that she’s onto him. Nyla assures him that she will be the one to take him down, but Glasser doesn’t seem afraid of her for one second.

In The Rookie‘s most recent episode, Glasser starts a wildfire in the hills to create a gigantic distraction. The police officers who have been tasked to do surveillance on him are needed elsewhere, and Glasser is able to ditch his family and pick up his next victim (without Nyla on his back). Glasser abducts a homeless man named Phil (Kaidy Kuna), but Nolan and Nyla are able to convince Glasser’s wife, Miranda (Hannah Barefoot), to provide them with information about where Glasser may be hiding. Nolan, Nyla, Angela, and rookie Miles Penn (Deric Augustine) head to the cabin in the woods where Glasser is camped out. They confront Glasser in a heart-pounding battle, and even after being brutally attacked, the officers are still able to rescue Phil and take Glasser into custody.

‘The Rookie’ Should Keep Glasser Around

Even though Glasser is now being charged for his crimes, The Rookie shouldn’t wrap up his storyline just yet. There aren’t any other characters right now who can create the same kind of creepy, evil vibes that Glasser projects. He is a fascinating character, precisely because he’s been able to avoid detection for so long. His disturbing and sinister behavior and his back-and-forth interactions with Nyla have been one of the most compelling aspects of the season. Plus, the series seems to be leaning into the fact that Nyla has become overly focused on capturing Glasser (which has caused her to lose sight of being there for her own family). In Episode 8, she confesses to Angela that she’s been working overtime just to keep watch over the guy. She’s risked burning out (and is forgoing her usual responsibilities) just to nab this serial killer. Why bring up her obsession over this case, just to drop it so quickly? It would be disappointing if this plot were abandoned, and the serial killer was simply put away for good already. These cops need a long-term villain to fight against, and Glasser has been one of the most sinister ones the Mid-Wilshire precinct has pursued so far.

It does seem like there are several ways that The Rookie could keep Glasser around. Perhaps he hires an attorney that’s able to somehow get him out on a technicality, and Nyla could be set right out on his trail again to put him behind bars permanently. The series has already featured one jailbreak; couldn’t the super-smart and diabolical Glasser also figure out a way to escape custody? Season 7 has been such a strong one, but wrapping up Glasser’s story too early could end up making the season feel incomplete. Without Oscar back in the game yet and with no other long-term villains in sight, the show needs Glasser as an evil antagonist the good guys can chase.

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