The Rookie’s Season 3 Mystery: Which Character Deserves a Comeback?

The Rookie Season 7 revisits a character who viewers had not seen since Season 2, with Rachel Hall (Jasmine Mathews), the ex-girlfriend of Tim Bradford (Eric Winter). However, there is another more interesting character introduced in Season 3, who is overdue for a return to the series. That character is none other than Officer Bradford’s short-lived rookie recruit, Katie Barnes (Katy O’Brian). Officer Barnes stands out as one of the more intriguing one-off guest characters of the hit ABC series. The writers should seriously consider bringing her back in Season 8 because the character warrants further exploration.

Katie Barnes Was One of ‘The Rookie’s Best One-Off Characters

Katie Barnes appears in the Season 3 episode, “New Blood.” She joined the Los Angeles Police Department fresh out of a stint in the U.S. Army, where she performed advance team and combat patrol work. In contrast to Lucy Chen’s (Melissa O’Neil) time as Bradford’s rookie recruit, Barnes was a quick study and hit the ground running very quickly. Her military background provided a quick readiness and alertness that Bradford admired right off the bat. It’s especially humorous to see Officer Bradford so impressed with a rookie recruit because he’s normally so dour, strict, and grumpy. Bradford is not an easy man to please, but Katie’s military experience provided her with the necessary tools for an easier start with her new field training officer.

Unfortunately, Barnes quickly dropped out of the training program after only two shifts, realizing that she was still stuck in the military combat mindset. Barnes demonstrated an admirable level of self-awareness by understanding that she was not a good fit for police field work at that time. She was so used to being in combat zones that survival mode was second-nature to her, and she believed that would make her a liability as an officer. Although Bradford thought Barnes would adjust to these circumstances in time, Barnes disagreed. Sadly, this ended the short stint of Katie Barnes after one episode.

Seeing Barnes leave the show so quickly is disappointing, as she possessed all the makings of a great character for a multi-episode arc. Additionally, her honesty and self-awareness stood out as impressive character traits. It’s impressive that Barnes recognized her transition from the army to the LAPD could become problematic in the long term, as well as the necessity to get readjusted to life at home rather than a combat zone. That said, it was sad to see Bradford being despondent over losing one of his more promising students.

Tim Bradford Showed a Different, More Nurturing Side to Katie Barnes

Prior to “New Blood,” The Rookie viewers had mainly seen Bradford as an ultra-strict, dutiful, militant, and authoritarian officer. He seldom smiles and rarely makes jokes or compliments others. As the training officer for Lucy Chen, Lucy endures a grueling training regimen, along with Tim’s special “Tim Tests” to make it through her training. Interestingly, Tim takes a completely different approach to Barnes’ training. Like Barnes, Tim is a military veteran with combat experience. However, Tim recognizes that Barnes needed a different training method than what he used for Lucy. Tim believed that Lucy required more discipline for her training, and understood that Katie needed a softer style, and he worked diligently to help Barnes overcome the feeling that LA is a combat zone and everyone in the city is a potential enemy. In an amazing scene, Tim escorts Barnes to take a view of the city, and it’s the first time Barnes has truly felt at peace since returning to the U.S.

Through Barnes, The Rookie finally depicts a softer, more understanding side of Tim Bradford. The episode proves that Bradford is a versatile training officer who is capable of tailoring his style to the needs of his recruits. That emphasizes why it’s so unfortunate that Barnes left the show after only one episode. It would have been interesting to see their relationship evolve over multiple episodes, and whether Tim could help Barnes further along in adjusting to police work for the LAPD. Also, it was hilarious to watch Lucy’s jealousy, seeing how Barnes got the nicer treatment from Tim, while Lucy went through a much tougher training process.

‘New Blood’ Seeded a Way To Reintroduce Barnes

Considering how The Rookie has recently been bringing guest characters back into the fold, Katie Barnes should receive that treatment next. Interestingly, another guest character and recruit from the “New Blood” episode joined the LAPD at the same time as Barnes, Larry Macer (Greg Grunberg). Officer Macer flunked out of Mid-Wilshire on his first day of training after accidentally setting off his gun at the station. Later, Macer made a shocking return in the Season 4 episode, “Backstabbers.” Macer managed to get a job working for the State Coast Freight Police after undergoing re-training, working his way up to sergeant. He even helped John Nolan (Nathan Fillion) and Nyla Harper (Mekia Cox) pull off a big arrest. It was great to see Macer back in the series, offering some much-needed closure for his character, but now it’s time for Officer Barnes to get her turn. Her previous appearance set up the perfect way to pull that off.

Notably, when Barnes reveals her decision to Bradford, Bradford informs her that he plans to check up on her later and lets her know that her Peace Officer Standards and Training certificate (POST) is good for three years. That provides a hint that Barnes could return to the job at some point if she changes her mind. That said, at the end of the episode, Barnes feels ready to leave a life of violence behind and desires to change course. Regardless, the episode sets up a plausible way for Barnes to return. Bradford could check in to see her, or maybe she decides she wants to return to the LAPD. Even though “New Blood” aired over four years ago, let’s be frank. The Rookie plays incredibly fast and loose with its continuity, as evidenced by Season 7 and the completely out-of-whack timeline shown in “Mad About Murder.”

It would be fantastic if the writers could figure out a way for Barnes to make another appearance in The Rookie. Katy O’Brian is a highly in-demand acting talent right now. She recently appeared in huge blockbusters, such as Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Twisters, and the just-released Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. Her availability might be an issue, but hopefully, a decision to bring back the Barnes character is made by the time Season 8 starts filming later this year.

Fans of The Rookie can check out the excellent episode, “New Blood,” with every episode available to stream now on Hulu in the U.S.

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