- Director
- Bill Roe
- Writers
- Alexi Hawley
- Rating
- TV-14
- Running Time
- 44 minutes
- Airs
- Sundays 10pm
- Channel
- CTV, ABC
Overall Score
Rating Summary
After a long anticipated return, The Rookie is back under new COVID guidelines and a storyline that appears to be pushing towards relevancy in the current landscape of the world. With Armstrong shot, Cole dead and Nolan framed, things are not looking good for the LAPD’s oldest rookie. For our review of last season’s finale, click here.
Starting right at the end of last season, Nolan is pinned in his own house with evidence piling up against him. He immediately calls Wes to represent him while Grey and co enter the house and arrest Nolan. Rather than stay quiet, Nolan and his altruistic nature decide to tell IA Commander West everything about Ambrose, Darien and the set-up job. Meanwhile, Armstrong is recovering from his non-fatal gunshot wound at the hospital and cursing out Nolan’s name.
Nolan, knowing he is backed into a corner, offers to meet with Darien trying to replace Armstrong so that they can rid themselves of this cop killer. Grey and West reluctantly agree and Nolan instantly is able to convince Darien and gets whisked off in a hood. When he arrives at the deserted lot, it is revealed that Armstrong is also there after escaping the hospital with Rosalind’s help. Meanwhile, Lopez finds Armstrong’s go bag and Bradford and Chen find the planted evidence, but it seems too late for Nolan.
Armstrong points his gun and fires, but it was never loaded and quickly Darien’s men open fire on the two cops. They hit Armstrong while Nolan is able to sneak off and take out the henchmen one-by-one John McClane style before catching Darien and calling for backup. With Darien arrested and Armstrong dead, Gray brings in Harper and Nolan for a disciplinary meeting. They both can keep their jobs, but receive reprimands on their file which to a rookie is a career killer. Seems like Nolan will forever be a patrol officer.
The subplot of the episode is much more joyous in that Lopez and Wes have learned that they are expecting! She is obviously terrified at first and wished she could have had the dream wedding, honeymoon and more time to enjoy each other before responsibility, but they seem excited nonetheless. That is until Grey reveals that Lopez received the detective promotion and she instantly clams up about revealing her pregnancy to him, fearful she might lose the job she has been desperately working towards.
The great thing about The Rookie is that it doesn’t always use the fluffy bits of Hollywood dramas. Rather than have Nolan rushed back out onto the streets like nothing happened, he is dealing with real life consequences. Much like in Season 1 when he shot and killed an armed robber, the fallout of any incident takes time and The Rookie makes sure to meticulously show that process. It is no different here as Nolan is framed and forced to go through an Internal Affairs investigation that results in a very serious penalty that will create lifelong repercussions. It is in these realistic moments that this series separates itself from the rest as a truly interesting police drama.
Captain’s Log
- What will the reprimand on Nolan’s file mean for his future?
- How long will Lopez keep her pregnancy a secret?
- Where does the season go from here?
What did you think of “Consequences”? Was it a strong premiere? 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!
Please read our other reviews here and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter, follow us on Instagram, and also like us on Facebook.
