While showrunner Alexi Hawley teased the season 7 finale as “a big action movie,” The Rookie often feels like the perfect blend of action and comedy. Since the series premiered on ABC in 2018, the story has explored John Nolan’s (Nathan Fillion) second chapter as a rookie cop with the LAPD, although fans are just as invested in the other wise and charming characters. Most scenes are infused with humor, whether Nolan’s corny jokes or the banter between Lucy Chen (Melissa O’Neil) and Tim Bradford (Eric Winter). But at its core, the show follows a quick pace and the characters always find themselves in dramatic situations.
While fans never want to miss an episode of The Rookie, they’ve been critical of some elements of the show, from the documentary-style episodes to frustration surrounding the 2026 mid-season premiere. Viewers have also been talking about one part of The Rookie for several years, and a YouTube star recently made a memorable video about the show that fans won’t want to miss.
Doctor Mike Made A Hilarious YouTube Video About The Rookie’s Unrealistic Medical Scenes
Mike Varshavski, or Doctor Mike, has a great YouTube channel where he shares his medical knowledge, and he has an accessible, relatable, and funny approach to the subject. He also covers pop culture sometimes, especially when fans ask him to talk about something. While he’s made videos about other hospital dramas such as Grey’s Anatomy, Doctor Mike recently made a video about The Rookie’s medical scenes, and it’s an entertaining watch.
One of the most notable scenes is from The Rookie’s pilot episode when a man leaves his young son in a hot car. Doctor Mike notes, “That’s really dangerous” for children and dogs. Doctor Mike notes that Nolan and his team could find the kid much faster in real life. He says:
“I could have been a detective in my spare life ’cause here’s what I would have done. A lot of the parking apps when you disconnect your phone from the car say ‘Parking location saved,’ they would’ve been able to find exactly where the vehicle was.”
When Nolan finds the kid, he doesn’t break the car windows, which Doctor Mike says is a mistake as the kid could be suffering from heat stroke, heat exhaustion, and dehydration. It’s crucial to act immediately as this could lead to a brain injury or an imbalance of electrolytes in the body. Talia Bishop (Afton Williamson) breaks the window, but it’s strange that Nolan doesn’t do that right away.
Doctor Mike also talked about The Rookie season 4, episode 6, “Poetic Justice.” The team tries to stop a man who is holding a bomb, and after they talk to him, he drops it on the ground. Mike said, “That’s not how TNT/ dynamite works” and when it goes off, he joked, “Maybe it is.” Mike noted that it’s a confusing scene as the man doesn’t light the dynamite, so it’s strange that it would go off. However, one part of the scene is somewhat realistic: when Nolan yells instead of speaking because the dynamite was so loud. Mike notes that dynamite affects the hair cells inside the ears, which “could potentially also damage your eardrum.” These types of scenes are definitely common on a police TV drama.
Fans Often Discuss The Confusing Or Unrealistic Medical Scenes On The Rookie
The Rookie fans have noticed for years that the medical scenes on the ABC procedural don’t always make sense, and in fact, some Redditors suggested scenes for Doctor Mike to talk about in his video. Viewers have discussed some of the most confusing moments in various Reddit threads, and many have noted that The Rookie doesn’t always have the most logical medical scenes, but the show is still entertaining.
Redditor @Million-Suns wrote:
“Grace is the sole doctor in the entire Los Angeles area and is an expert in all medical specialties… It’s an enjoyable show, but realism has to take a step back for it to be.”
Redditor @Alpha12653 noted in another thread, “There is more high stakes stuff than any one precinct or small group would get into.”
Of course, Doctor Mike’s video on The Rookie’s medical scenes is so funny and entertaining because everything usually works out on the show. While the characters often find themselves in dire situations, which is the sad reason why Nolan and Bailey Nune (Jenna Dewan) aren’t approved for adoption, they’re usually able to save people or help them. The magic of television is that characters can face wild scenarios every week and still have a happy ending.
If fans are looking for a more grounded depiction of doctors or medical situations, Max’s The Pitt, which recently started production on season 2, is a great show. There’s still so much to love about The Rookie, and fans love catching up with Nolan and his team every week. But it’s a fair point that some of the scenes aren’t as true to life as they could be.
