Spoilers ahead for the 100th episode of The Rookie on ABC, called “The Hammer.”
If somebody is getting married on TV, then it’s a safe bet that something is going to go wrong. In the case of The Rookie, just about everything went wrong for Nolan and Bailey on the eve of their nuptials in the 100th episode of ABC’s hit drama. All hands were on deck from their friends to help them get hitched with as few hitches as possible, and it was a fun hour of TV that celebrated the show and its characters. That said, Celina made a move that may continue to bug me, and I hope I’m not the only one who thinks this as the 2024 TV season continues.
Who knew that Nolan and Bailey having to switch venues in the Season 6 premiere (available streaming via Hulu subscription) would just be the beginning of the “curse” to cause problems for their wedding day?
Before long in the 100th episode, the bride and groom discovered that they’d need to spend a lot more money for the new venue, that their DJ had committed so many crimes that Nolan had no choice but to arrest him, Nolan had to go to a deposition and surrender his cell phone, Bailey had to find a way for his son to make it in time for the wedding, they lost all their flowers when the florist couldn’t reach them, and their wedding cake arrived a day early… and was made with coconut cream that would ruin the day for the very allergic groom. Honestly, it’s for the best that they didn’t know that Bailey’s ring had been pawned at the time!
Luckily, Lucy and Tim were on the case of getting the ring back, although he quite literally took a beating from the criminal who had purchased it. Their relationship was on the rocks after the Season 6 premiere Chenford conflict rolled over into the 100th episode, and dropping an “I love you” to each other doesn’t mean that Tim’s issue with her undercover work has been resolved, but they teamed up for the ring and had some very sweet moments. For me, a few less-than-heartwarming Chenford moments didn’t stop “The Hammer” from being a fun episode of The Rookie.
Everybody was pitching in as best they could, whether it was the version of a bachelor party that involved flower arranging or the version of the bachelorette party that involved attempting to bake a replacement wedding cake. The only real police work of the 100th episode was Celina working a drug case under the guidance of Lopez and Harper, and it stung the young officer when she came close but was unable to close the case. And it was the resolution of this story that raised my only problem with “The Hammer.”
I’ll be the first to admit that “The Hammer” was a rough episode for Celina. Working with Harper instead of Nolan, she was already putting a lot of pressure on herself, which wasn’t helped by how she came close but was ultimately unsuccessful in getting the info she needed in the interrogation room. Plus, she was warned that going through trauma together like they did last season might push her and Aaron a little too closely together. Determined not to let that happen, she attempted to solidify some boundaries between them at the wedding, which he misinterpreted, kissed her, and then started downing tequila shots after she turned him down.
So, when Celina got a call on her cell from the man she’d been questioning earlier, asking her to come help him, she decided to leave the wedding alone and pick him up. It took approximately 0.04 seconds to backfire on her after she arrived on the scene. It was a lucky break that she was rescued without being killed or seriously injured, although it did mean Nolan missing his own wedding night.
And while Celina is a rookie herself and the early seasons of the show are full of rookie characters making mistakes, her decision to leave the wedding alone – while dressed to the nines – to head into dangerous territory to pick up a shady man doesn’t work for me after what she and Aaron went through in the bloody Season 5 finale cliffhanger. It also happened very quickly, so there wasn’t time for her to even appear conflicted, which would have helped. She should know better, right?
After all, she and her friend were nearly killed when something seemingly straightforward went sideways, and she hadn’t been drinking at the wedding like Aaron. Even if she wasn’t at her best due to her unclosed case and unwanted advance from her friend, making this move in the 100th episode didn’t ring true for me. I’m not sure if it’ll be better or worse if The Rookie follows up on this mistake for Celina, but only time will tell.
Keep tuning in to ABC on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET for new episodes of The Rookie as it moves past the milestone 100th episode. Spinoff The Rookie: Feds was cancelled after just one season, and it remains to be seen if Niecy Nash will appear on the original show to tie up any loose ends.
