The seventh season of the police procedural drama, The Rookie, has brought with it many memorable episodes and exciting storylines so far. Its latest episode is a testament to that, as the episode drew the procedural’s largest audience of the season so far. Among the other characters that featured in the episode, titled, “Speed,” Assistant District Attorney Wesley Evers (Shawn Ashmore) and his wife, Angela Lopez (Alyssa Diaz), worked together to resolve a particularly difficult case. Theirs has been a relationship which began in the show’s first season, and has morphed as the seasons roll by. It is an evolution that Ashmore has discussed recently. Wesley and Angela met in Season 1 while the former still worked as a defense attorney. Unsurprisingly, the pair were at odds given that they were often on opposing sides early on, despite the undeniable attraction.
However, since Wesley’s career shift, which sees him currently serving as Assistant DA, there have been calmer waters in that regard with the pair now working together, as seen in last week’s episode. Speaking to Screen Rant in a recent interview concerning the episode, Ashmore discusses the couple’s relationship evolution and how their opposing viewpoints on social commentary made for well-rounded characters. “I really enjoyed that slight social commentary too,” Ashmore revealed. “I think it gave the show a nice balance, and I think that Alexi and the writers have done a good job with challenging some of the things that are happening in the world and that officers and policing have to deal with. I think Wesley was that character that was pushing back sometimes, as James is asking the questions with Nyla and challenging some of those views.”
But as with most things in life, change is constant and evolution is necessary. An inability to adapt could leave one broken and tossed aside. So, Ashmore is glad that the show moved the characters away from their fervent clashes, with Wesley opting to no longer practice as a defense attorney. He adds:
“I think that’s very healthy, and I think that’s an important part of the show. However, characters have to continue to grow to be interesting. And obviously, we’re on season 7, and hopefully we get to continue doing it. And I think that if Wesley had stayed defense attorney, that conflict between them might’ve started to feel old.”
‘The Rookie’s Wesley Evers Seeks To Effect Change in The System From Within
There is a saying that crime pays, and defending criminals can be quite lucrative. Wesley has defended criminals. Now, he prosecutes them. Ashmore explains his character’s reasoning behind changing his path, revealing that the drive to change the system from within is one of the core drivers for ADA Wesley. Ashmore adds:
“I like the transition that he’s made to be like, “I want to try to affect the change that I wanted to do from inside the system.” And I think that’s what makes him a great district attorney, is that he’s been on the outside, so he’s not just trying to climb the ladder and become a powerful member of the law enforcement team there. He legitimately has a perspective of what it was like to defend criminals. So I think that’s a cool storyline for him.”
