“The Rookie” has issued a viewer discretion warning ahead of the Tuesday night premiere of its latest episode. The ABC series’ newest installment, titled “Wildfire,” revolves around the outbreak of a wildfire in the city of Los Angeles.
“This episode was filmed before the recent wildfires in the Los Angeles area and contains depictions of wildfires,” the disclaimer, which was posted Tuesday morning without an accompanying caption on the series’ official Instagram page, noted. “Viewer discretion is advised.”
The new episode is premiering at a time when many in L.A. are still struggling to recover from the devastating string of wildfires in January that ravaged sections of the city and its neighboring communities, including the Pacific Palisades and Altadena. Multiple benefit and fundraising events have been held in the aftermath of the fires, which displaced thousands of residents. However, questions about the city’s recovery efforts are still in flux and the collective pain caused by the fires continues to be felt throughout L.A.
“The Rookie” is not, of course, the first show to release a viewer discretion warning in the wake of a recent tragedy. The series venturing into wildfire territory has always been an inevitability as well. It is not only set in Los Angeles, but also filmed in and around the city, which means the realities of living in L.A. are as baked into it as its cop procedural stories. Bailey Nune (Jenna Dewan), the wife of lead John Nolan (Nathan Fillion), is even a lieutenant firefighter.
That does not make the timing of “Wildfire” any less unfortunate. The episode will follow its core group of first responders as their pursuit of a still-active serial killer is complicated and made all the more dangerous by its central wildfire. Those who are still feeling the trauma inflicted by L.A.’s wildfires should know that the episode will contain potentially triggering images and sequences.
