The Rookie Season 1 Episode 3: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly Review

If you would like to read my review of last episode of The Rookie, click here.

Synopsis: Nolan and Talia lose control of a crime scene, and then debate whether people are fundamentally good or bad and what that means for a police officer. Meanwhile, Lucy is concerned Tim is enabling his wife’s destructive behavior and not taking care of himself. (TVGuide)

Writers: Liz Alper and Ally Seibert

Director: Greg Beeman

Rating: TV-14

Running Time: 43mins

Airs: Tuesdays at 10pm on CTV (Canada)/ABC (United States)

“The Good, The Bad and The Ugly”starts off with Nolan and Bishop chasing down two bank robbers dressed as zombies on a subway train. They are able to take them down, but another guy steals the bag and flees the scene. The rookies take a scenic walk on the beach as Chen questions if she’s ready for Bradford to return and Nolan reassures her. Grey clears Bradford and tells him to be wary of jumping too quickly back into work because getting shot takes its toll. The precinct applauds his return as the focus turns onto Nolan’s poor performance with the robbery and the missing money. The Captain comes in with information about the robbers and a special assignment to babysit a job termination which Grey gifts to a volunteering Nolan.

Bishop explains to Nolan that anyone is capable of crime if they are pushed far enough. They enter the building where Nolan has some small talk during their elevator ride, but unfortunately he wasn’t aware that this woman was the same one they are supposed to remove from the building after her termination. They escort her down to the garage and Nolan does not see why this was a police matter until they witness her beating her boss’ car. Bishop and Nolan report to the house of the man who ran with the money. They have to apprehend him and place his kid with child protective services. While Nolan feels for the guy’s situation, he does his job.

Nolan asks Bishop if separating a family ever gets easier and she says no, it’s part of the job. The next call involves dealing with two idiot vloggers who are doing dumb car stunts. As they confront one of them, the other enters the vehicle from Bishop’s unlocked door. They quickly diffuse the situation, but Bishop knows she messed up. The Captain and Grey reveal that the two remaining robbers look to be trying to escape the city and that makes them priority for patrol. Grey criticizes Nolan for leaving his door unlocked and he takes the fall for Bishop, but she intervenes and is disciplined. She asks why he did that and he explains that one bad choice doesn’t make a bad person, obviously relating it back to the man from earlier.

Chen and Bradford answer a call at a bank where a repairman is trapped in a wall behind an ATM. With no time, Bradford starts to pickaxe the wall, but his injury starts to act up and his makes Chen finishes the job and making a breathing hole for him. With the job done, Chen goes for a quick bathroom break, but someone steals her belt and gun. Bradford chastises her for it when he receives a call. He quickly gives Chen back her belt, showing it was a test, before racing off. They arrive at the hospital where they find Bradford’s wife who had overdosed. As she storms off, Bradford punches through the wall.

They are called into biker bar where they see it’s an ambush against them for newbies to earn their stripes. Bradford offers them a one-time freebie if they can beat him and one of them takes him up on the offer, but Bradford is able to subdue him and blow off some steam. Chen pulls Nolan aside to discuss her worries about Bradford’s health, but she doesn’t want to report him to Grey. Nolan suggests she talk to him and what other choice does she have. Chen confronts Bradford about bringing fentanyl to his wife to enable her drug habit and protect her. Chen makes Bradford send her instead and she learns that his wife was a narcotics officer. She advises her to tell Bradford to never come back because they have no future.

Lopez and West arrive at a call for a disturbance at a diner that has turned into an armed robbery. As the robber exits, she is surprised by them and flees on foot. West is able to apprehend her, but upon removing her mask Lopez recognizes her as a former NCWAA and questions why she dropped out of basketball. Her change in profession has Lopez asking about West’s Plan B in case being a cop doesn’t work out. He, however, has never thought of being anything else and says he’s right where he’s supposed to be.

Onto the joint case of the week, nailing the remaining robbers. They learn that one of them has quite the wrap sheet while the other is a former marine so be on high alert. SWAT rolls out onto the streets while patrol sets up perimeter watch. They discuss Plan Bs when shots are fired and they secure the perimeter. Bishop and Nolan run into the two robbers and engage in a firefight, but they flee on foot. They jump in their car and are able to surround them with Chen and Bradford, but the robbers split up leaving one for each pair.

Nolan and Bishop chase theirs on foot into a hospital while Chen and Bradford slowly approach the other suspect who starts firing back. Bradford suggests he jump on top of a trailer and take the suspect by surprise, but Chen intervenes to avoid him further injuring himself. She manages to surprise the suspect and they are able to apprehend him. Back at the hospital, they search for her when Nolan realizes where she went. The former chopper gunner took the emergency hospital helicopter to escape the building. Except she didn’t and catches Nolan by surprise, putting her gun to his head.

Nolan tries to diffuse the situation by chatting with her and claiming this woman is a hero who was forced into a terrible life. He believes that if she crossed the line she can still make the right choice because she is a good person. Luckily all this talking let Bishop sneak up behind and taze her. Back at the precinct, Bishop reveals to Nolan in front of the Captain that she released the man from earlier so he could be with his son showing how he is rubbing off on her. Bradford prepares to leave when he’s confronted from Grey. He learns that Grey was shot too and his partner died during the same gunfight. The episode ends as the rookies sit down for a beer on the beach and contemplate which of them won’t make it through the year when Nolan proclaims that he plans for them to beat the odds.

Captain’s Log

• Will Nolan and Chen continue their secret relationship or will Bishop’s advice get in the middle of them?
• Will Bradford become a more sympathetic person after his surgery?
• Will West get over his stage fright?
• What is Bradford’s wife’s story?
• Will Grey and Nolan become reluctant friends?
• Which rookie won’t make it the year?

Overall, this was a good episode. With each week, the characters are slowly developed more and more making their dynamic personalities shine through the problems and calls they have to face. The continued format of individual cases for the first half and the joint case in the second proves to be a well-paced structure for this show’s blend of episodic and serialized narratives. There are so many possibilities for where this show can go and it seems it has only scratched the surface.

Score: 8.5/10

What did you think of “The Good, The Bad and The Ugly”? Let me know in the comments below!

If you liked this, check out my other reviews here and my website! Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter and like me on Facebook.

Dylan Phillips