In keeping with the name of the show, Season 7 of The Rookie opened with the introduction of two new rookies: Miles Penn (Deric Augustine) and Seth Ridley (Patrick Keleher). Initially, it seemed like their Teaching Officers, Tim (Eric Winter) and Lucy (Melissa O’Neil), had their work cut out for them (which, of course, they bet on). It’s still unclear whether Seth will stick around and whether there is a purpose to The Rookie overdoing it with his multiple tragic backstories. As of this week’s episode, though, The Rookie has made some interesting strides with Miles’ character.
In the Season 7 premiere, Miles was introduced as an arrogant and obnoxious guy who seemed to think he had it all figured out. At the end of the episode, though, The Rookie revealed that Miles was unhoused and living out of his car. The show wasted no time in resolving this storyline, as Tim finds out about Miles’ living situation in the very next episode. Although Tim’s reaction is less than ideal, it leads to a fantastic resolution with a callback all the way back to Season 2.
Tim Gives Miles an Ultimatum in ‘The Rookie’s Latest Episode
Tim has never been a warm and fuzzy T.O., but his methods work, particularly compared to Nolan’s (Nathan Fillion) much more passive way of teaching. That being said, when Tim learns that Miles is living out of his car, his reaction is unnecessarily harsh. He lectures Miles about the legality of his living situation and tells him that he will be fired if he doesn’t find new housing in the next twenty-four hours. It’s a disappointing regression for Tim, particularly after what he saw Tamara (Dylan Conrique) go through several seasons back.
Tim’s chat with Miles reveals Miles’ backstory, which is much more compelling and nuanced than Seth’s underdeveloped tragic backstory. Miles was a star athlete with the whole world ahead of him who overspent money that he didn’t yet have, and then he got a career-ending injury after jumping off a roof at a frat party. Miles’ flaws make him a much more sympathetic character, which makes it all the more disappointing when he can’t find housing. The next evening, though, Celina (Lisseth Chavez) offers Miles a solution: to move into Smitty’s (Brent Huff) lot of trailers.
The Answer to Miles’ Housing Offers a Hilarious Callback to ‘The Rookie’ Season 2
In Season 2, Episode 2, “The Night General,” Jackson West (Titus Makin Jr.) lost his housing due to his landlord’s criminal activity. Before Jackson eventually moved in with Lucy, he considered another housing option: living with Smitty. It was revealed that Smitty had a parking lot full of trailers where a number of Milwilshire cops lived alongside him. Jackson couldn’t even last a night there, and it was absolutely hilarious. Now, five seasons later, The Rookie calls back to this storyline in a fun way.
Since Jackson’s devastating death in the Season 4 premiere, The Rookie almost never mentions him. The only consistent reference to his character is through the name of Angela (Alyssa Diaz) and Wesley’s (Shawn Ashmore) son. Although this episode doesn’t mention Jackson by name, it is really nice to see the show remember that he was once a significant part of it by calling back to one of his funniest storylines. Smitty, for his part, hasn’t changed at all in the past five years and is as goofy and kind as ever while offering his home up to yet another Mid-Wilshire rookie.
It seemed like The Rookie would choose a more sentimental route to resolve Miles’ housing, but it ended on a fun note, once again finding a way to tie Smitty into a main plotline. Smitty is The Rookie‘s funniest and most under-utilized character, so it is a delight to see him help Miles out and make a surprise appearance on Miles’ Facetime call with a baffled Tim. The Rookie is at its best when it doesn’t take itself too seriously and weaves comedy into its main storylines, so this was ultimately a great way for the show to give Miles housing.
The Rookie airs Tuesday nights on ABC and is available to stream the next day on Hulu.
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