The Rookie excels at crafting compelling antagonists, moving beyond simple criminals to create long-term psychological threats. The show recently amplified its danger factor by bringing back defense attorney Monica Stevens (Bridget Regan). Monica, an ethically flexible legal shark with ties to organized crime, certainly makes for a formidable, white-collar villain, capable of tying the LAPD up in bureaucratic knots and threatening their careers.
However, as thrilling as Monica’s return is, she represents a familiar type of threat—the systemic one. There is a far more terrifying, purely anarchic villain from the show’s past whose return would not just challenge the LAPD’s procedures, but shatter their morale and threaten their very lives: Rosalind Dyer (Annie Wersching).
While Rosalind met her demise in a shocking and dramatic fashion, the very nature of her character—a true agent of chaos who delighted in psychological torture—makes the argument that her evil legacy, if not her physical body, must return to truly test the emotional resilience of the show’s heroes, particularly Officer John Nolan (Nathan Fillion) and Sergeant Tim Bradford (Eric Winter).
Why Monica Stevens Is Just the Warm-Up
Monica Stevens is undeniably effective. Her power lies in her manipulation of the law and her connections to figures like Elijah Stone. She can cripple a case, expose police misconduct, and use the system against itself. Her threat is to the LAPD’s professional stability.
Yet, Monica is predictable. She has rules, albeit ethically gray ones, and her motives are clear: power and profit. A bullet or a cage can stop her.
Rosalind Dyer, conversely, was a villain defined by pure, sadistic pleasure.
The Terrifying Power of Rosalind Dyer
Rosalind Dyer was introduced as a brilliant, captured serial killer—the show’s take on Hannibal Lecter. Her terror stemmed from her unique abilities:
- Psychological Warfare: Rosalind’s true weapon wasn’t a gun; it was her mind. She derived joy from getting inside her victims’ heads, dismantling their sense of safety, and forcing them to confront their darkest fears.
- The Art of the Escape: Even when confined, she could orchestrate massive chaos, as proven by her dramatic escape. Her ability to manipulate people and events from behind bars made her feel inescapable.
- Personal Vendetta Against Nolan: Unlike Monica, who is generally opportunistic, Rosalind developed a deep, obsessive, and personal attachment to John Nolan, whom she viewed as her moral opposite. She made it her life’s mission to destroy his life and those he cared about.
Her threat was not to a case file, but to the officers’ personal lives and sanity. The fear she instilled was palpable and deeply psychological.
The Unfinished Business: Rosalind’s Legacy
Rosalind Dyer’s death was necessary to close out her storyline, but the narrative potential she unleashed remains untapped. Her final act of chaos—orchestrating a bomb plot and causing widespread destruction—left deep emotional scars. For the show to fully honor the terror she represented, the consequences of her actions need to resurface, perhaps in the form of a successor or a hidden accomplice.
Haunting John Nolan
John Nolan’s encounter with Rosalind was foundational. She was the one who forced him to compromise his moral code by encouraging him to lie to save his friend, Officer Chen, during the serial killer’s escape.
A major storyline could revolve around a copycat killer or a protégé who emerges to finish Rosalind’s work, specifically targeting Nolan. This new villain could use Rosalind’s old psychological tricks and even her actual case files, forcing Nolan to revisit the worst parts of his past and question whether he truly stopped her.
This kind of antagonist would force Nolan—now a seasoned officer—to rely on his wit and moral compass, not just his badge, to save those he loves.
The Impact on Tim Bradford and Lucy Chen
Rosalind Dyer was the villain who most deeply affected Lucy Chen (Melissa O’Neil). It was Rosalind’s manipulation that led to the event where Lucy was trapped in a barrel, a storyline that profoundly shaped her character and her relationship with Tim Bradford.
The return of Rosalind’s influence could target Chenford at their most vulnerable moment: their burgeoning relationship. A new killer, inspired by Rosalind, might see the happiness and growth of Lucy and Tim as a personal affront to Rosalind’s legacy of destruction. This would force Tim and Lucy to confront their shared trauma, making them realize that even in death, Rosalind still has the power to wound them.
Tim, who is typically guarded, would have to fully expose his fear and vulnerability to protect Lucy, adding significant emotional depth to their dynamic.
The Narrative Opportunity: Escalating the Stakes
Every successful procedural needs to continually raise the stakes. While gang leaders like Elijah Stone or legal adversaries like Monica Stevens provide excellent recurring conflict, they operate within known parameters.
The return of a Rosalind-style villain—focused on randomness, artistry, and psychological agony—would elevate The Rookie to a new level of complexity and danger.
- Moral Ambiguity: A villain focused on psychological terror could force the officers into moral grey areas that Monica’s cases only hint at. This would be a genuine test of their core values.
- The Element of Surprise: If a copycat is operating, the unpredictable nature of their crimes would keep the audience—and the characters—on the edge of their seats, far beyond the standard structure of a weekly crime.
- Celebrating the Late Annie Wersching: Bringing back the character’s legacy would be a powerful way to honor the late actress Annie Wersching, whose brilliant portrayal of Rosalind Dyer is widely recognized as one of the show’s best performances. Her impact on the show deserves continued acknowledgment.
While Monica Stevens will undoubtedly cause plenty of havoc in the legal system, Rosalind Dyer’s unique brand of terrifying, deeply personal, and chaotic evil is the kind of threat that truly pushes the LAPD—and the core relationships—to their breaking point. For The Rookie to truly challenge its heroes, it needs to resurrect the ghost of its most psychologically devastating villain. The officers have faced Monica’s legal machinations; now they need to face the true fear that comes from fighting an opponent who doesn’t just want to win, but wants to watch them suffer.
