Typically, when The Rookie introduces a new character out of the blue and gives them a significant amount of screen time, the character turns out to be a villain. This has been the case more than once with characters like Caleb (Michael Cassidy), Detective Armstrong (Harold Perrineau), and, most recently, Dr. London (Danielle Campbell). Because of this, when the show does introduce a new character, it takes a while to believe that the character can be trusted — or that they will actually stick around.
Perhaps no recurring character on The Rookie had a more disastrous introduction than Tamara Collins (Dylan Conrique). Initially introduced as the thief of Lucy Chen’s (Melissa O’Neil) car, Tamara became integral to the show as Lucy’s eventual close friend and roommate. This unlikely close friendship became The Rookie’s best storyline, thanks to its strong buildup and development. Season 6 sees Tamara moving out of Lucy’s apartment and trying to become more independent, and it is amazing to look back at how far this character has come since her first scene.
Tamara Had a Rough Start on ‘The Rookie’
In Season 3, Episode 2, “In Justice,” Lucy is upset because her car was stolen. Nobody else understands why she is upset; her car is an old, barely functioning heap of junk. As Lucy tells Tim (Eric Winter), though, she has had that car for many years and stages of her life, and her car was the only place where she felt safe after Caleb kidnapped her. On the quest to get her car back, Lucy ends up tracking down the thief, and Tamara is initially introduced as a thief.
Lucy arrests Tamara, but quickly decides not to press charges when she realizes that Tamara is a seventeen-year-old orphan who is living out of Lucy’s car. Lucy makes it her mission to help Tamara by finding her a place to live, giving Tamara her car, and making Tamara check in with her every day so that she can look out for her.
This could have been a throwaway and predictable storyline where Lucy helps Tamara, “saves her,” and then sends her on her way, but The Rookie sidestepped that trap and ended up turning that dynamic into a really lovely friendship. Tamara keeps coming back to the show, and gradually, her role shifts from that of Lucy’s “puppy” to that of her close friend and roommate, who has a moving and dynamic story arc of her own.
Lucy and Tamara’s Friendship Is the Best Storyline in ‘The Rookie’
Before Tamara, Lucy’s only storylines were either related to the station or her parents. It was so nice to see Lucy take a risk with Tamara and see that turn into a genuine friendship. While the relationship starts with Lucy looking out for Tamara, it becomes more balanced. Lucy helps Tamara work through her past, and Tamara is there to support Lucy through Jackson’s (Titus Makin Jr.) shocking and sudden death and Rosalind’s (Annie Wersching) trial. Tamara often provides much-needed comic relief to the show and frequently acts as a sounding board for Lucy.
Season 6 sees Tamara make the decision to move out of Lucy’s apartment to live with some friends of hers. While it’s sad to see her go, and Lucy takes it very hard, this is a major moment of growth for Tamara. Through her friendship with Lucy, they both were able to grow as people and came out of it better off. The Rookie often makes the mistake of abandoning characters without properly ending their arcs once their storylines are no longer relevant to the main characters. Possibly the worst example of this is Rachel (Jasmine Matthews), who never even got a proper breakup with Tim. It would be a huge mistake if the show did this with Tamara.
Going into Season 7, The Rookie needs to keep Tamara around, even though she and Lucy aren’t roommates anymore. She is an incredibly compelling character with a background and story arc unlike anyone else on the show, and she is Lucy’s closest living friend. Particularly in light of Lucy and Tim’s breakup, this friendship needs to be a significant part of Season 7. Additionally, Tamara is a fully-fledged character outside of Lucy, and the show should continue to follow her arc and honor its best friendship.
