Officer Nolan and the squad at the LAPD face their biggest challenges yet as they solve complex crimes involving their own team.
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Community reviews for The Rookie, shown here with its season details.
Wow wow wow thats all I can say I watched the premeire of this show and it was a all out blast this is not a show that takes itsself too seriously or jokes too much it's kinda in the middle just rhe way I love it hilarious and also kick-ass the guy from castle is upbeat and charming. As well I love love loved this show it was fantastic no doubt one of the falls best
What a great show! No propaganda, agenda or any political BS. Characters are very well developed. You care about them, you love them. I really can't say anything bad about this show. It's great. Definitely deserves 10/10!
**Score: 7/10 — A Fun, Flawed, and Unapologetically Idealistic Procedural** *The Rookie* succeeds because of [not in spite of] its well crafted contradictions... It is a show that is at once deeply entertaining and profoundly naive, a character-driven workplace drama wrapped in the glossy, sun-drenched packaging of a police recruitment ad. For what it sets out to do—provide optimistic, weekly escapism with a beloved cast—it earns its keep, even as its disconnect from reality grows more pronounced with each passing season. **What Works (Why We Keep Watching):** The show’s undeniable engine is its **character development and chemistry.** Nathan Fillion’s John Nolan, the titular “oldest rookie,” provides a charming, moral anchor, and the ensemble around him (Melissa O’Neil’s Lucy Chen, Eric Winter’s Tim Bradford, etc.) has evolved into a genuinely beloved television family. Their personal and professional arcs—the romances, the friendships, the triumphs—are scripted with a sincerity that makes you invest deeply. As you noted, you **keep interested in the characters**, and that investment has carried the show through its more outlandish plots for **eight fun-to-watch seasons.** **The Central Critique: The Propaganda Paradox** The show’s most significant flaw and [perhaps] its purpose; **This is, in essence, a masterclass in soft police propaganda.** In an era of documented systemic issues, widespread public distrust, and justified scrutiny of U.S. law enforcement, *The Rookie* presents a pristine, parallel universe. Here, every officer is **inherently good, honest, and intolerant of corruption.** Problems are caused by individual “bad apples,” always external to the system, and are solved through camaraderie and sheer moral fortitude. The **plots and storylines are so far from reality** that they often stretch believability to its breaking point, presenting policing as a series of heartwarming interventions and Hollywood style heroics devoid of the complex grey-area tensions that define the real world. **The Verdict:** *The Rookie* is not a police drama; it is a police *fantasy*. It’s the procedural equivalent of comfort food; reliable, warm, and intentionally lacking in challenging nutrients. It earns a **solid 7/10** for executing this fantasy with consistent charm, excellent pacing, and a cast you can’t help but root for. It started strong, embraced a **bit of silliness** to keep the formula fresh, and has maintained its watchability through sheer force of likability. Enjoy it for what it is: a well-crafted, idealistic fable about good people doing good things in a uniformly supportive system. Just don’t mistake its sunny Los Angeles for the one that exists off-screen. It’s a fun watch, but it’s a carefully constructed dream, not a reflection of a waking world. **Watch if:** You love character-centric procedurals, Nathan Fillion’s charm, and undemanding, optimistic television. **Skip if:** You seek gritty, realistic cop dramas, nuanced social commentary, or are frustrated by narratives that sidestep systemic critique in favour of individual heroism.
Episode 1
Officer Nolan and the entire team race against the clock to locate Lopez after she is kidnapped on her wedding day, not only to save her life but her unborn child’s.
Episode 2
Officer Nolan and Officer Chen’s run-in with an infamous thief tips them off to a potentially big heist surrounding the Getty’s big gala event. Meanwhile, Nolan works up the courage to ask Bailey out on a date.
Episode 3
Officer Nolan and officer Chen report to a structure fire and suspect that there is more to the situation than meets the eye. Meanwhile, after witnessing a sniper shooting, the team searches for the shooter and discovers that the perpetrator has a connection to one of their own.
Episode 4
Officer Nolan and Officer Chen search for a missing person who may have international ties that puts everyone’s lives in danger. Meanwhile, Harper continues the search for a serial arsonist after responding to a report of an injured cyclist, and Wesley must overcome an impossible task.
Episode 5
When a new designer drug hits LA streets, it turns users into “zombies,” and Officer Nolan and the team have a Halloween they won’t soon forget. Back at home, Lucy questions whether her apartment building might be haunted.
Episode 6
Officer Nolan and team are on a hunt to retrieve a buried stash of gold before any treasure seekers get hurt. Meanwhile, Bradford is tasked with encouraging the oldest cop at the station to retire and invites him to ride with him.
Episode 7
In the aftermath of Fred’s house explosion, Officer Nolan and Bailey discover there’s more to Fred’s death than meets the eye. Meanwhile, Officer Chen and Officer Bradford demand a treasure hunt rematch and enlist Sgt. Grey to help set the terms to a new bet, all while they arrest a series of wealthy female criminals. Elsewhere, Wesley struggles to keep it together under the pressure of his debt to Elijah.
Episode 8
The team goes on a city-wide hunt for an individual who is threatening a mass casualty event. Meanwhile, Tim’s sister Genny shows up unannounced with some surprising news, and Lopez continues her inner struggle over Wesley’s deal with Elijah and tries to come up with a plan to get them out of it.
Episode 9
Desperate to break free from his connection to Elijah, Wesley tries to plant a listening device in his office to incriminate him; Officer Bradford and his sister, Genny, learn an unsettling truth about their father.
Episode 10
Now that John Nolan knows about Bailey’s past, he must decide if they still have a future. Meanwhile, when a plane crashes in the middle of the city the team races to find out why.
Episode 11
The team must rely on a criminal for his expertise to help take down an even bigger threat. Meanwhile, Officers Chen and Bradford investigate the murder of an unhoused teenager who used to be friends with Tamara.
Episode 12
The team responds to the report of a severed hand washing up on the beach and are on the hunt to find its owner. Meanwhile, Tim attempts to prove he isn’t a control freak to Lucy and invites her on a double date with him and Ashley.
Episode 13
Officers John Nolan and Lucy Chen must fulfill three quests if they want to get a stolen police helicopter back safely from a teenage thief. Meanwhile, Detective Nyla Harper and Officer Aaron Thorsen must guard a convicted cop killer in the hospital following a prison riot.
Episode 14
Officer Nolan and Detective Harper help Skip Tracer Randy on his first bounty hunter case. Meanwhile, Officer Chen and Sergeant Bradford are on the hunt for a perpetrator on a citywide crime spree.
Episode 15
Officer Harper puts Officer Aaron through “Plain Clothes Day,” but the exercise is interrupted by an unsuspected visitor. After two witnesses for an upcoming grand jury case are murdered, the team must track down the killers before it’s too late.
Episode 16
Desperate to reset the way the world sees him, Officer Thorsen reluctantly decides to be a part of a reality show to help rebrand his image, only to be thrust back into yet another deadly situation. With cameras rolling, the show’s producer is found murdered and the team must investigate before Aaron is made suspect number one.
Episode 17
Officer John Nolan and the team feel they must negotiate with a distraught man who is holding a hospital hostage to ensure his wife receives a lifesaving surgery.
Episode 18
After the robbery of a train filled with valuable auction items turns deadly, the team is called to investigate. Meanwhile, Officer Chen has doubts about being Sergeant Bradford’s aide and is upset when he doesn’t give her the recognition she deserves. Elsewhere, Officer Harper takes matters into her own hands and makes a life-changing decision about her personal life.
Episode 19
Officer Nolan and the LA division of the FBI enlist the help of FBI trainee Simone Clark when one of her former students is suspected of terrorism following an explosion at a local power station.
Episode 20
The team alongside the LA Division of the FBI are in a race to stop bombs that have been scattered throughout the city by a suspected terrorist. Meanwhile, the joint task force is suspicious of the CIA’s involvement in the situation.
Episode 21
Sergeant Grey supports Officer Nolan’s desire to become a training officer and offers to ride with him for the day to get him ready. Meanwhile, Tim and Lucy must manage expectations in their respective relationships as they decide on their plans for Mother’s Day and a romantic vacation.
Episode 22
Officer John Nolan is forced to spend a week in solitary confinement in a quiet border town with a young local officer who is in need of some training. Meanwhile, Sergeant Bradford and Officer Chen discover that looks are deceiving and go undercover together in a possible drug trafficking case.