The Rookie’s focus on beat cops rather than detectives gives the ABC show more versatility than most of its peers. The Season 7 premiere, “The Shot,” showcases that versatility as it introduces new characters, advances returning characters’ stories and features explosive action sequences. Unfortunately, the episode also highlights how this ability to do multiple things is both a gift and a curse.
“The Shot” highlights everything The Rookie can do well, but it also reveals the show’s pitfalls. Despite the previous season ending on a cliffhanger, Season 7 jumps forward in time to introduce new characters and situations. Some of this setup is tantalizing, while other parts short-change significant character moments. Similarly, the action set pieces showcase how big and bold the show can be, but the reliance on action deprives the audience of what they come to the show for.
The Rookie Season 7 Premiere Overlooks John Nolan
Season 7, Episode 1 Is Too Much of an Ensemble Show
The Rookie Season 7 presents an entirely different show than it was Season 1, particularly when it comes to the character of John Nolan. The title of the episode refers to the gunshot wound Nolan suffered in the Season 6 finale. The fallout from this latest injury is the basis of Nolan’s larger character arc, as his age may finally become the liability his peers assumed it would be when the show began. Nolan seemingly second-guesses himself near the beginning of the episode — which directly leads to someone being murdered. That’s terrible in general, but resonates more given his status as a training officer, who’s supposed to pass his experience on to others.
John Nolan: I would say the whole benefit of experience is to learn from each incident — both victories and mistakes — so that if the situation ever happens again, it will be a win.
Nolan’s rookie Celina Juarez has improved significantly, and she shows how intuitive and caring she can be in the premiere. During a lull in a stakeout, she asks him about that moment. It’s not Celina’s place to ease Nolan’s self-doubt, but she deftly gets him to say aloud what she can’t. This scene is an example of where the episode is both strong and able to improve. While The Rookie is no longer just Nolan’s story, this hour would have benefited from an increased focus on his personal struggle and emotional state. Nolan’s world is also impacted negatively by the time jump.
The previous season’s cliffhanger centered on two escaped prisoners — one of whom is the ex-husband of Nolan’s wife Bailey Nune. But Bailey isn’t even in the episode because she deployed somewhere with her National Guard unit. Deployments are difficult for couples, and it’s a baffling choice for The Rookie to only address that with a line of dialogue and a single scene near the Season 7 premiere’s ending. Obviously the writers want to explore Nolan’s difficulties, both personally and professionally, across the entire season… but giving them more narrative space would have helped build that tension.
The Rookie Season 7 Introduces Three New Characters
The New Arrivals Work Best When Matched With Established Heroes
The Rookie Season 7 begins with more cast changes. The exit of Tru Valentino is handled in a few lines of dialogue, explaining that his character Aaron Thorsen has gone to North Hollywood. Taking Thorsen’s place are two new rookie officers: the nervous Seth Ridley and the overconfident Miles Penn. Where Nolan’s friendship with his fellow rookies in Season 1 felt natural, Ridley and Penn’s dynamic does not. Their introductory scene is one The Rookie has done much better many times before. Once paired with their training officers, Lucy Chen and Tim Bradford, the new arrivals become significantly more interesting.
Penn worked as a police officer for two years in Texas before coming to Los Angeles, and the best thing about him is that his introduction means the return of a more demanding Bradford. When he trained Army veteran Katie Barnes, he showcased his ability to adjust his style to each rookie. Penn is overconfident and arrogant, which makes Penn and Bradford’s their journey in The Rookie Season 7 the most promising dramatically. Bradford’s former rookie Chen is training Ridley, who lacks confidence in himself. Her soft-touch approach is equally interesting, though there are hints that it may not be what Ridley needs.
The other new character is Detective K. Graham, who’s revealed to have been one of the patients of corrupt counselor Dr. Blair London from The Rookie Season 6. Wesley Evers is reviewing the recordings of London’s sessions with police officers as part of her trial, and he hears Graham saying salacious things about Evers’ wife, Angela Lopez. Later, Wesley sees Graham and Angela talking to each other. This sets up potential trouble in The Rookie’s most solid relationship, based solely on Wesley’s own insecurity. The idea of Graham being a foil to Wesley is appealing, even if Wesley has yet to realize it.
