The Rookie (2×11) Day of Death Review

For our review of the last episode of The Rookie, click here.

After an incredibly long hiatus, The Rookie is back and things are not looking good for Officer Chen. She awakes drugged and bound to a table getting her Day of Death number tattoo’d onto her side. The next morning, Jackson believes that Chen didn’t come home due to her date going well and Lopez decides to stay home to take care of Wes while he’s dealing with stuff. Here’s what went down in “Day of Death.”

A cop abducted by a serial killer is one of the most used scenarios from police procedurals so it needs to find a unique angle to make the story feel fresh. Luckily the Rookie does that through its ongoing narratives and the abductee herself. With everyone focused on saving Lucy, it pushes these characters to work together and forget about their own problems. Wes and Lopez help to push him away from his depressed state and feel like a team once again as he is forced to focus on someone else’s grim situation.

However, it is within Nolan and Bradford’s concerns that these two characters are pushed beyond anything we have seen before. Nolan cares deeply for Chen and will do anything to protect her, but he never lets his emotions take over and destroy his judgment. Meanwhile, Bradford breaks down and blames himself for the entire situation which he certainly wont forgive himself for any time soon. Luckily, Lopez is able to pull him back from that ledge and be the confidant he needs in this situation.

Where this episode manages to excel beyond the scenario is with Chen’s ordeal and how she manages to work through it. She never gives in to her captor and even taunts him most of the time which is probably the opposite of what his other victims did. She uses all of her training and years of childhood experiences under her psychologist parents to work against her captor which is better than any of the rookies have done in the past.

It also helps that this episode is a lot more somber and Zodiac-esque than other typical over-hyperbolized narratives. The visual cues for thematic importance are artistic decisions that help bring a terrifying atmosphere to this story. This is all highlighted by Chen’s singing while she is trapped underground as a montage of her colleague’s searching for her is shown. Putting her all alone with nothing but her song adds to the claustrophobic sense of dread that perfectly sets the tone for this thrilling return to The Rookie.

Captain’s Log

• Will Bradford forgive himself?
• How will Wes deal with his issues?
• Will Armstrong take the lifeline that Grey gave him?

What did you think of “Day of Death”? Let me know in the comments below!

If you liked this, check out my YouTube channel The Film Fanatic, my other reviews and my website!

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook.

Dylan Phillips