While some network TV shows have been able to capitalize on having runs that allow for long-running plots and weaving character arcs, others like this ABC series have struggled to keep their focus from season to season. With network TV finally coming back, many have been ready to see what new storylines are coming to their screens this coming season.
Though there are dramas that often allow viewers to get lost in their intricately woven plots, procedurals typically keep their most intense plots to the crime or emergencies happening around them. For police procedurals, the drama often comes from the team having to crack a serious case, while medical shows infuse drama in a case by case basis on screen.
Despite knowing that there are sweeping character arcs throughout most procedurals that impact everything else happening on screen, most procedurals delineate well between serialized and episodic drama. One ABC show has been unfortunately impacted by a slew of tough luck and, despite being an overall success, will continue to struggle unless it makes some genuine change to how it currently stacks its drama.
The Rookie Has Faced Unpredictability Nearly Every Year Its Been On
It’s Never Had A Season Go Completely To Plan
While The Rookie has become one of ABC’s most successful shows in recent years, its early seasons were difficult for the series, and its storytelling style has always been somewhat different than the traditional procedural. The Rookie faced unexpected cast member departures in its early seasons, mixed with an on-the-bubble status, a pandemic, and industry strikes that caused consistent trouble.
Though the show has been able to tackle every problem its faced and come out on top, the series has consistently had to reshape its plans in order to meet whatever conditions it was facing. From changing character arcs because of cast members choosing to leave the series to shifting storylines because of things outside the show’s control, The Rookie has become adept at adaptation.
In that adaptation, however, the show has managed to put itself into a cycle of struggling to push past its plots. In many episodes, The Rookie feels like its simply tackling the meatiest parts of its plots, but stays shallow when it comes to the majority of its characters. Rather than taking apart the complicated inner-lives of their cast, The Rookie stays surface.
The Rookie Needs To Focus On Consistent, Character-Driven Storytelling
Focusing On Dicey Plot Details Doesn’t Do The Show Justice
The most compelling part of The Rookie is rarely baked within its criminals and their plots, but within the characters the show has been working with for the past seven years. Watching rookies like John Nolan (Nathan Fillion) and Lucy Chen (Melissa O’Neil) move through their careers has been fascinating, especially when the interpersonal parts of their lives have only become more complex.
Rather than the show continuing to focus on big bads and their morally compromised decisions, The Rookie should continue building its foundation within the characters viewers have come to love. Focusing on character-driven stories rather than fast-paced plots would allow viewers to finally feel like they’re watching their favorite characters on The Rookie grow, change, and get ahead.
