When The Rookie began, it was the perfect mix of personal drama and policing. Nathan Fillion’s introduction as the LAPD’s oldest rookie was a careful balancing act of character discovery and intense action combined with day-to-day police work. It was thrilling, entertaining, and heartfelt. While the series remains a measure of that to a certain degree, its shift from police procedural to over-the-top character drama has been an unfortunate turn.
‘The Rookie’ Is a Series Caught up in Its Own Drama
While The Rookie has taken on some interesting situations over the years, it appears that, lately, nothing compares to the hype of its own drama. Whole story arcs are crafted around the personal lives of the characters and are explored and pushed to the forefront over several episodes. While this may seem like a winning prospect, giving viewers more of what they love, this approach has decidedly left the actual ‘procedural’ aspect of this police procedural to be neglected. Without the typical, grounded police work, The Rookie no longer has the grip it once had.
Season 7 was consumed with the task of finding Bailey’s (Jenna Dewan) abusive ex-husband, Jason Wyler. A convict who escaped from prison at the end of the sixth season, alongside the much more sinister Oscar Hutchinson, Jason loomed over the season, and his capture offered no real show of policing. There were a few doors broken in, and an odd comment was made about a search that occurred off-screen.
However, the majority of actual police work that goes into capturing him is near non-existent. Instead, there are heart-wrenching conversations about what a threat he is. And still, there is no actual police work done to resolve the greatest threat of the season. Instead, it is an emotional ride with only implied danger and little to no action from the main characters, resulting in astonishingly little payoff.
‘The Rookie’ Needs To Return To Grounded Police Work
For a Few Episodes, at Least
