The finale of The Rookie Season 6, titled “Escape Plan,” aimed to wrap up the shortened season with a bang. Unfortunately, it ended up feeling more like a filler episode than a gripping season conclusion. With the season cut short due to the writers’ and actors’ strikes, viewers were hoping for a finale that would leave them desperate for more. Instead, “Escape Plan” delivered an underwhelming, abrupt ending that didn’t quite hit the mark.
The Premise: A Prison Break and a Dangerous Alliance
In the finale, Monica Stevens (Bridget Regan) orchestrates the escape of career criminal Oscar Hutchinson (Matthew Glave) from prison, with help from Jason Wyler (Steve Kazee), Bailey’s dangerous ex-husband. The pair team up to extract crucial information from a prisoner tied to the nefarious Eric Ramsey (Neil Hopkins), who has been conspiring to kill Monica. Once they secure the information, Oscar and Jason use it as leverage before escaping the prison, disguised as guards. Their final plan? To hunt down Nolan (Nathan Fillion) and Bailey (Jenna Dewan) and exact revenge.
In the final moments, Nolan and Bailey are at home, casually discussing Nolan’s recent gunshot wound when he gets a call from Sgt. Wade Grey (Richard T. Jones), warning him about Oscar and Jason’s escape. And… that’s it. No high-octane chase, no heart-pounding tension, just a phone call. It’s a frustratingly anticlimactic ending to a season that deserved more.
The Problem with Jason and Oscar’s Team-Up
One of the biggest issues with the finale is the reintroduction of Jason Wyler. He hasn’t been seen since Season 4, and his sudden return feels forced, especially since there was no prior setup that Oscar and Jason were even in the same prison. In fact, the show previously hinted at a potential team-up between Oscar and Elijah Stone (Brandon Jay McLaren) in Season 5, but the writers abandoned that thread in favor of this odd pairing.
The setup for Jason and Oscar’s alliance feels rushed and unrealistic. How did these two criminals, with little prior connection, end up in the same prison? Why was Jason chosen as Oscar’s partner in crime, rather than the more logical option of Elijah? The show doesn’t bother to answer these questions, leaving viewers feeling disconnected from the characters’ motivations.
In essence, the pairing of Oscar and Jason seems like a creative shortcut, a way to reunite two villains without a real narrative justification. And given that Jason hasn’t been seen in over two years, his sudden return feels more like a plot device than a compelling character arc.
The Finale’s Lack of Suspense
A season finale should leave the audience on the edge of their seat, desperate to know what happens next. Unfortunately, “Escape Plan” does the opposite. While the reveal of Oscar and Jason’s escape could have been a thrilling moment, it’s delivered with little urgency or suspense. Nolan and Bailey are already aware of the danger, which means there’s no real sense of peril or surprise when the information is revealed.
Imagine if, after receiving the call from Grey, Nolan and Bailey had heard a knock at the door, only to find Jason and Oscar standing outside, ready to make their move. That would have immediately heightened the tension, turning the scene into a true cliffhanger. Instead, the finale ends on a whimper, not a bang.
For a comparison, look back at The Rookie’s Season 2 finale, “The Hunt,” which remains one of the most intense and memorable episodes in the show’s history. In that episode, Nolan discovers that corrupt detective Nick Armstrong (Harold Perrineau) has set him up, leading to a nail-biting finale where Nolan frantically searches his house for evidence before the police arrive. The suspense and emotional weight of that finale are palpable, leaving the audience desperate to see what happens next. By contrast, the Season 6 finale feels like a mere placeholder, lacking that same tension and drama.
Can Season 7 Redeem This Missed Opportunity?
Fortunately, The Rookie has already been renewed for a seventh season, and there’s hope that the events of Season 6 can be redeemed. Showrunner Alexi Hawley has teased that Jason will be a significant threat moving forward, which could offer the opportunity to build on the unresolved tension of the Season 6 finale. Ideally, Nolan and Bailey will be forced into a high-stakes game of cat and mouse, with the authorities already closing in on the escaped criminals.
While the Season 6 finale faltered in its execution, there’s potential for the show to course-correct in Season 7. Hawley’s comments suggest that the writers are aiming for a more grounded approach moving forward, which could restore the show’s balance between compelling character drama and high-octane action.
The Road Ahead: A Dangerous New Threat
As for Jason, he’s been teased as the “most immediate problem” for the characters in the upcoming season. If the writers can build on his character and his vendetta against Nolan and Bailey, there’s potential for the kind of high-stakes, emotional drama that the Season 6 finale sorely lacked. But there’s also a risk that Jason could become just another over-the-top villain in a show that’s struggled with maintaining a consistent tone.
For now, all we can do is wait and see how The Rookie handles this potential redemption arc in Season 7. With the right focus on character development and suspenseful storytelling, the show could bounce back from a disappointing finale and bring back the edge-of-your-seat thrills that fans expect.
Let’s hope that when Nolan and Bailey face off against Jason and Oscar, it’s not just another disappointing episode — but a true showdown that lives up to the show’s best moments.
