There have been a lot of different partnerships on ABC’s The Rookie, as the police officers change up who they’re riding with from one season to the next. Whether it is a training officer with a new rookie or a new romantic interest for John Nolan (Nathan Fillion), the series has shown that pairing up different characters brings a fresh energy to the story. One of these pairings, the much-talked about Chenford, has received lots of interest from fans who love to ship a couple. But there’s one partnership that hasn’t gotten as much buzz but that still brings an exciting dynamic to the series. With the seventh season about to premiere, one alliance will hopefully show up in plenty more episodes in the future.
Nyla and Angela Make a Great Team on ‘The Rookie’
Angela Lopez (Alyssa Diaz) and Nyla Harper (Mekia Cox) have both proven to be dedicated and effective officers of the Mid-Wilshire Police Department. They’ve put in their time as Field Training Officers and have successfully mentored several of the rookie cops, including Nolan, Jackson West (Titus Makin Jr.), and Aaron Thorsen (Tru Valentino). Angela and Nyla have also spent some time undercover, demonstrating they have the skills necessary to bring down some serious bad guys. Both of the women are no-nonsense in their approach to life; they don’t have time to deal with any petty drama, since that will only get in their way of solving crimes (and staying safe on the job). They are fierce in their dedication to the LAPD, but they’re also wonderful mothers who are committed to providing their children with the best possible life. They strike the perfect balance between putting in extra hours to nab a criminal but still being there for their families and friends. They’ve also both found supportive husbands who know that being a detective is their life’s purpose.
Because they share all of these similarities, Nyla and Angela have shown they’re a team that works organically within the show. They work well together because they know how incredibly difficult it is to be a female detective (not to mention a person of color), so they understand each other’s drive and ambition. Female detectives have to work twice as hard as men to earn respect, so Nyla and Angela exist within that challenging framework. When they collaborate to solve cases, the women can illustrate the difficulties of being a working mother and a female cop, but they do it with a sense of humor and with grace and grit. Because they’ve been in each other’s shoes, they don’t have to spend time getting to know one another better or having to explain backstories. They inherently understand the sacrifices and hard work it’s taken to rise the ranks to detective. The only real conflict with the duo so far has been when they fought for the same nanny (a true battlefield in Los Angeles), but even their squabbling is thrilling to watch.
This ‘Rookie’ Partnership Is an Important Part of the Series
As the two women switched from training officers, who passed down their hard-earned knowledge to the rookies, to detectives, they became even more integral to the Mid-Wilshire Department. They consistently put their lives in danger to solve cases, meaning there are plenty of nail-biting moments, but their partnership is just plain fun to watch. In the third episode of Season 6, Angela and Nyla are tasked with flying to Bailey (Jenna Dewan) and Nolan’s honeymoon locale when a dead body washes ashore. Seeing the duo in a location far from home helps highlight that Nyla and Angela are entertaining no matter what situation they’re thrown into. This episode (and every time they share a scene) illustrates how both detectives’ wry and sarcastic sense of humor provides The Rookie with a sassy, often more lighthearted energy. And because the pair-up between the two detectives is fairly new, there is a surplus of storylines that can be explored going forward that play up this chemistry.
Even though Chenford might elicit lots of watercooler gossip for fans, it’s obvious that Nyla and Angela are quickly becoming way more noteworthy of a partnership. In a short time, they’ve already proven a vital part of The Rookie, with their incredible crime-solving skills and their badass take-downs. There is never a lack of bad guys to chase in Los Angeles, so it’s a good thing this partnership is so adept at using their intelligence and years of experience to come out victorious. Angela and Nyla might not be in a romantic partnership, but their bond is definitely one worth tuning in for.
