If you would like to read my review of last episode of The Rookie, click here.
Synopsis: Officer Nolan and Officer Bishop respond to a silent alarm call at a local convenience store where two men are attempting to rob the place. Officer Nolan pursues one of the suspects on foot and is forced to make a split-second decision that will affect both of their lives. Meanwhile, Officer Bishop helps coordinate a drug bust that hits a little too close to home for Officer Bradford. (TVGuide)
Writer: Brynn Malone
Director: Mike Goi
Rating: TV-14
Running Time: 43mins
Airs: Tuesdays at 10pm on CTV (Canada)/ABC (United States)
“Time of Death”starts off with Nolan and Bishop chasing a suspect through an office building, but upon catching him they get stuck in an escape room and have to work together with him to solve the puzzle. In training, Nolan and Chen are practicing takedowns and getting close while the Captain advises that Bishop sign up for the detective’s exam. She discusses the tap with Lopez and Bradford before they notice Isabel being returned to the station. She took a deal and plans to be an informant even though Bradford knows that puts her in the crosshairs.
Nolan and Bishop receive a call for a silent alarm at a convenience store where the owner has the suspects at gunpoint. While Bishop is able to subdue her suspect, Nolan chases the other down the road and into a house. He tells the man to drop the weapon, but as he prepares to fire Nolan shoots first and kills him. Bishop decides to preserve the scene of the homicide as Nolan is the suspect in this case. He’s questioned by Grey followed by the Captain, who asks which officer he wants to guide him through the process and Nolan instantly replies with Grey. Grey brings him through the process and advises him to make a written statement with his lawyer.
Lopez and West head out onto the street and pick up a high woman riding a kiddie ride who happens to have a severed foot fall off her. As they return to the precinct, they see that all the suspects are being removed from the building because of the shooting. Chen, West and the TOs are brought in to speak on Nolan’s character and if he was dealing with any personal issues, which triggers Chen. Bishop can’t think of going home and is assigned to a big case with some detectives to get her feet wet.
Nolan is told to call his ex-wife Sarah and inform her that everything is going to be fine before it gets out on the news. He’s brought into a room with a bunch of various union reps, lawyers and other civil service workers including the head of Internal Affairs, West’s father. Nolan is obviously not coping well as he’s dissociating and forced to answer serious questions about the shooting.
Lopez, Chen and West discuss the situation at hand and how Lopez dealt with a similar situation with a former recruit, but they were unable to handle it and quit soon after. Chen comes to Nolan before he leaves and asks if he needs her, but he’s quickly escorted out by Grey to his house. Grey asks why Nolan chose him as his companion officer and he said Grey wouldn’t sugarcoat if Nolan made the right call. Grey reassures him that he would have done the same thing.
Meanwhile, Bishop is brought into the detective’s case which just so happens to be the one involving Isabel. Bishop and the detective pull over Isabel’s junkie boyfriend and bring him in so that Isabel can convince him to send her to a drop in his place. At lunch, Bishop pulls Bradford aside to update him on the drug deal where Isabel is going to wear a wire. This enrages him and he takes that straight to the Captain. She tells him that this is the way it’s going to be and he leaves in acceptance.
At the bust, Lopez drops in on Bradford to make sure he’s doing alright and won’t do anything stupid. Isabel heads to the motel and convinces the supplier to bring her an extra kilo to move, but with the op going long Bradford becomes antsy. The supplier questions how he might know Isabel and grabs her, cutting her video feed. The teams converge on the motel, but the suppliers and Isabel are gone.
The next day, Nolan goes to the Captain and asks to see his body cam footage. She advises him not to watch it and relates to his situation with one of her own, but he needs to see it. She plays the footage and Nolan questions if he could have talked him down, but the Captain assures him that he did everything by the book. As he heads out, the Captain informs Nolan that the robber’s brother says Nolan killed him in cold blood, but the department supports him. Chen goes to Nolan and wants to be his safety blanket, but he questions whether or not he can continue the job. He goes to leave, but Chen suggests he come with her.
West asks his dad for any updates on the investigation then to go to dinner, but his mom wants nothing to do with him. Chen takes Nolan to the house where it happened to show him the still living family that he saved to show he did something good. She brings him home and they share a long, comforting embrace before succumbing to their innate attraction to one another. Nolan suggests their encounter wasn’t a mistake, but when going to make food he notices his front door is ajar. He heads back into the house, but he’s hit by a baseball bat and dragged to the hallway by the disgruntled brother. As Chen gets out of the shower and approaches the commotion, a light from a gunshot is seen.
Captain’s Log
- Will Nolan and Chen get back together at some point?
- Will the TOs and Rookies continue to go after big fish?
- What is the family drama in the West house?
- Where is Isabel?
- Will Grey and Nolan become reluctant friends?
- Which rookie won’t make it the year?
- What happened at Nolan’s house?
Overall, this was a phenomenal episode. The twist of the situation at hand was completely unexpected and the way it was handled was so gritty and real. Nolan’s dissociation and PTSD is handled perfectly showing the traumatic side of the job and the humanity it affects. The other characters take a bit of a back seat in this one, but with the seriousness of this story, it was well worth it. The question is how much will this affect him and the other officers going forward and the juicy cliffhanger makes for a long, grueling winter break.
Score: 9.5/10
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