‘The Rookie’ Finally Brought Back One of Its Best Characters
The eighth episode of The Rookie Season 6, “Punch Card,” featured one of the show’s most exciting returns in recent memory: Kojo the dog. After disappearing into obscurity for over two years, with his last appearance before now being in the Season 4 episode “Heart Beat,” Kojo is finally back! However, it’s odd that it took this long for the series to reintroduce him, considering his absence throughout Season 5 and Season 6 when Tim Bradford (Eric Winter) and Lucy Chen (Melissa O’Neil) were dating. The Rookie has been far too inconsistent with Kojo’s existence over the course of the series, and it’s time for that to change.
Kojo Belonged to Lucy Chen First in ‘The Rookie’
Kojo made his debut on The Rookie in the Season 2 episode, “Casualties,” when Lucy decided to foster a dog to help with the recovery of her trauma from her kidnapping by Caleb Wright (Michael Cassidy), a protégé of the serial killer, Rosalind Dyer (the late, great Annie Wersching). At the time Kojo made his first appearance, Lucy was still living with fellow officer Jackson West (Titus Makin Jr.) as her roommate. While Lucy wanted to keep Kojo, she realized that it wasn’t fair to Jackson to keep the dog there, and she found a new home for Kojo with Tim, who adopted Kojo and has been his dutiful doggie parent for the last several years.
Kojo’s most recent appearance before Season 6 was in the Season 4 episode, “Heart Beat,” while Tim was dating lifeguard Ashley McGrady (Helena Mattson). Ashley had a fear of dogs and was frightened by Kojo, which made things awkward for Tim. By the end of the episode, the issue was resolved thanks to Tim’s instruction, teaching Ashley how to act around Kojo. After that, Kojo all but disappeared from the show. Tim and Ashley later break up in Season 5, opening the door for Tim and Lucy to start dating, yet Kojo was still weirdly absent.
Kojo Didn’t Appear Once While Tim and Lucy Were Dating on ‘The Rookie’
Kojo was mysteriously MIA throughout the entirety of Tim and Lucy’s relationship while they were dating, something the show had been building up to since The Rookie first began back in 2018. The fact that Kojo was absent from the series while Tim and Lucy dated was strange — in part because he belongs to Tim, but, not only that, Kojo was Lucy’s dog first before Tim adopted him! It was equally frustrating that the poor pooch was effectively written out of the show, with no interactions with Kojo, Tim, and Lucy playing out before their breakup.
It’s possible that Kojo didn’t appear because Tim and Lucy always noticeably hung out at Lucy’s apartment while they were dating. However, the two never kept their relationship a secret after Tim removed himself from Lucy’s chain of command, and there weren’t any issues with them pursuing a romance. Yet, Tim owns his own house, where he lives with Kojo. So why was Tim always seen in Lucy’s two-bedroom apartment, rather than his nice home with lots of space and a dog Lucy already knows?
Nevertheless, it’s great to see Kojo again, and it’s nice that the writers finally remembered that Kojo exists. Moreover, the reunion between Kojo and Lucy is a great one. While it’s likely that Lucy might have been seeing Kojo off-screen for a while, the scene proved as poignant for the viewers as it was for Lucy to have a moment with the dog she has a soft spot for. When Tim tells Kojo to deliver a birthday card to Lucy, the ensuing moment is heartwarming and emotional, indicating that Tim still cares for Lucy even though they aren’t together right now. Lucy also expresses how much she misses Kojo, providing one of the best moments of the season so far, which the show badly needed after breaking up Chenford to begin with.
‘The Rookie’ Shouldn’t Wait So Long To Bring Kojo Back
While Season 6 of The Rookie is almost over, the show has already been renewed for Season 7. That said, the main takeaway is that the series should be more consistent with bringing Kojo back for future seasons. Now that Kojo is back in play, it would be nice to see him as a bigger presence in Tim’s life, especially after Tim’s breakup with Lucy, not to mention the corruption ring Tim’s facing involving his department psychiatrist Dr. Blair London (Danielle Campbell). If anyone could use a little emotional support from a four-legged friend right now, it’s Tim.
On a character level, Kojo also improves who Tim is as a person. Far too often, Tim comes off like a strict, disciplined machine, who rarely shows his emotional side. Caring for a dog allows the more affectionate and compassionate side of his personality to emerge, as well as the endearing fact that he cares about animals. Before Season 6, Kojo’s last appearance in “Heart Beat” portrays Tim as a caring, doting doggie dad, making his pet a decadent breakfast of salmon with eggs. Not only is Kojo lovable, but he also makes Tim a more likable character. It’s time for The Rookie to upgrade Kojo to a series regular instead of an intermittent presence.
