Even in Season 7, The Rookie is a series still trying to find a balance between its unique premise and what viewers expect from police procedurals. After two consecutive episodes focused on street-level stories about cops on patrol, “Darkness Falling” starts a multi-part story with a high body count. On a more subtle level, the episode examines morality, guilt and the rights of the accused, with little new to say on the matter.
When the series began, episodes followed rookie officers John Nolan, Lucy Chen and Jackson West as they began arduous on-the-job training. Early episodes felt like a series of vignettes highlighting how the stories of “beat cops” were different from other police shows. In Season 5, The Rookie abandoned this premise when two characters became detectives. On one hand, this change allowed for cohesive narratives using the whole ensemble. On the other hand, the series lost the dynamic storytelling that made it special. The approach to Season 7 seems like producers are trying to split the difference. Thus far, it’s working. The problem with “Darkness Falling” isn’t the larger investigative narrative but another common, problematic trope.
Nolan Is Struggling to Handle the Threat to Bailey Posed by Jason Wyler
The Rookie Season 7 Continues to Highlight His Fear and Uncertainty
While not the central focus of the episode, Nolan and his wife, Bailey Nune, are still dealing with the fallout from the Season 6 finale cliffhanger. Jason Wyler, Bailey’s abusive and criminal ex-husband, is a fugitive after escaping from prison. Nolan locked him up after Bailey rejected him after his first appearance in Season 4. Convinced Wyler is coming for revenge, Nolan is so terrified he’s almost treating his wife like “a damsel in distress.”
Jenna Dewan was absent from the first few episodes of The Rookie Season 7 because she was on maternity leave.
For the past three weeks, Bailey deployed on her annual training as an Army Reservist apparently doing “tactical military training in Germany.” Also, lest fans forget, she helped Nolan take down a Russian spy when they were dating. They’ve faced life-and-death situations together. Beyond just being overprotective, Nolan scolds her for leaving Lucy Chen’s apartment where she was hiding out. This behavior could almost seem out of character, especially since Jason was easily taken down last time.
The Rookie hosts a number of Arrowverse actors in its ranks, but Harold Perrineau is the most obscure connection because of Constantine’s canon status
This subplot could either be fantastic or an extension of the “infallible cops” trope The Rookie fell into with the episode’s larger story. Many fans found Bailey Nune annoying at first, and the previous episodes with Jason gave her much-needed depth. Nolan’s fear for his wife’s well-being might actually be emotional fallout from the trauma he’s experienced since becoming a cop. This could allow Bailey to be the “strong” one as he reconciles with how his late-in-life- career change has affected him. Unfortunately, it could also be ham-fisted foreshadowing that Jason is going to do something terrible (but avoidable) to Bailey.
A Multi-Car Pileup Leads to a Massive Serial Killer Mystery
One Suspect Has Ties to Both the District Attorney and Wesley Evers
The big story in “Darkness Falling” stems from a discovery made during an accident involving multiple cars on a Los Angeles freeway. Nolan discovers a badly injured woman in the trunk of a car, suggesting a serial killer is on the loose. The Rookie has a lot of serial killers in its history, so that’s nothing new. What is unique about this one is that the suspect, Harrison Novak, was acquitted of a violent assault thanks to his defense attorney, Wesley Evers.
I don’t like to use that word. ‘Bad.’ It’s so judge-y. Good, bad, right, wrong. They’re all just choices and decisions repressed people use to keep more free-thinking individuals in a box — Harrison Novak to Wesley Evers.
Another change in Season 5 involved Wesley losing his job as a defense attorney, but somehow becoming a prosecutor instead. Previously, Wesley was a voice on The Rookie in support of the rights of the accused. This helped The Rookie avoid the trope that the police are infallible. By becoming a prosecutor, that has fallen by the wayside. Naturally, he feels guilty that his former client graduated from assault to serial killing. However, the implication is that he was “wrong” to provide Novak with the defense every citizen is legally entitled to.
As a defense attorney, Wesley’s relationship with Angela Lopez worked on an interesting level. Elements of that lost charm surfaced when Angela reminds him that he did nothing wrong by doing his job. It was a good moment, especially since The Rookie is trying to create drama in their relationship with a somewhat thin storyline about a work colleague who “has the hots” for her. As part of the episode’s larger examination of morality, these were interesting character moments for Wesley. However, it somewhat undermines the sense of justice for all that allows him to stand apart even from his colleagues in the D.A.’s office.
Lucy Chen Has Suspicions About Her New Rookie’s Behavior
Seth Ridley’s Continued Sob Stories May Hide Something Sinister
Lost in the shuffle of the big, citywide investigation — including The Rookie: Feds characters Brendon Acres and Elena Flores — are the stories about the two new trainee officers. Bradford continues to give his former Texas cop trainee a hard time for taking shortcuts. The scene in which Miles Penn thanked his T.O. for being hard on him didn’t work as well as it could have if they had been more involved in the larger case. More interesting, however, is Lucy Chen’s growing suspicion of her rookie, Seth Ridley.
When The Rookie announced its new cast, Ridley was described as a seemingly “ideal” officer who struggled with confidence in his decision-making. That’s not exactly how the character has been depicted. Ridley is easily the biggest screw-up trainee yet, and he definitely lacks confidence. However, when confronted about his mistakes, he always has a “sob story” ready to go. In “Darkness Falling”, Chen grows suspicious of him, even doubting the accuracy of his background check.
Lucy’s suspicions are a seed for a bigger story later in the season, but she visits Bradford at his home, seeking advice. This scene, however, is less about Ridley and more about doling out crumbs to the “Chenford” fans after their breakup. Lucy and Tim have fallen into their familiar pre-romance pattern. They are pals and even had a wager about their rookies. While the chemistry remains, the storytellers seem to be actively avoiding the heart-wrenching moments that made viewers pine for the couple to pair up.
The Rookie’s Examination of Morality in ‘Darkness Falling’ Gets Muddled by a Bad Trope
The Series Risks Regressing Its Past Improvements In How It Defended Citizens’ Rights
After the past seasons’ tonal and narrative departures, The Rookie seemed poised to return to form in Season 7. For the most part, the writers, directors, cast and crew have delivered on that promise. “Darkness Falling” is a larger-scale story less focused on street-level policing and character, save for Wesley and Bailey, who wrestle with moral dilemmas. Bailey, worried about the threat of her ex-husband, doesn’t tell Nolan she met the hitman contracted to kill Jason. Wesley doubts his commitment to the rights of the accused, which was foundational to his character in the early seasons.
The most regrettable scene in the episode had nothing to do with either of them. Angela and Nyla Harper follow a lead to a mental health treatment facility looking for a second serial killer. While there, a woman relays the incontrovertible fact that those with mental illness or injury are far more likely to suffer harm than commit it. This patients’ rights advocate is treated like an antagonist, and Harper even jokingly threatens to put her in “a different kind of hospital.” In an episode that challenges characters’ morality, this scene undermines that story in a problematic way.
Perhaps that moment would have played differently if the serial killers weren’t so over-the-top evil. The only reason Novak doesn’t twirl his mustache is because he’s clean-shaven. Similarly, the second serial killer, conveniently committing crimes right next door to the mental hospital, appears and disappears like Batman. Both stretch the limits of believability, even for an outlandish show like The Rookie.
