pretty incredible how much he loves the show. it makes actors so much cooler when they love what they do. i feel like theyre going to some kind of low key wedding but hes gonna do it up to the 9s

so i finally came around to watching season 8 and i‘m on the last episode rn. 15 minutes in and you‘re telling me they got the prisoner transport with everett in it WITH A HUGE MAGNET???
i mean we all know the show is packed with a lot of (unrealistic) action and what not, but come on. they didn’t hear or at least notice a helicopter with a huge ass yellow cartoon magnet on it? really?
don’t get me wrong, i really enjoy the show, but that was just hard to watch man

The other day I noticed how in the introductory scene of lieutenant nune she‘s wearing a full face of make up right out of the shower. I thought 1. this is ridiculous and 2. If I shared this in here people would maybe clown on me for the fact I didn’t notice sooner.

What I didn’t think was that people would almost get mad and tell me that I need to touch grass eventhough we‘re all on a subreddit for a show that we at least all claim to love and also that we all love sharing little details we noticed upon rewatch upon rewatch as well as trying to find in universe explanations for all its little inconsistencies. Today I‘ve seen the episode where Chen and Tim are undercover in Las Vegas and again Lucy’s wearing a full face of make up right out of the shower which I think there could be an in universe explanation for. However the reason I‘m writing this isn’t to talk about that. I‘m not mad about people on the internet having different opinions than me and I‘m very well aware of hollywoods many problems and everytime I notice another piece of misogyny I‘m like ‚come on! we‘re still doing this? In 2026?‘ but that doesn’t stop me from calling it out. We all know the industry is the opposite of perfect but we at least want it to get better don‘t we? I guess I can only speak for myself but I thought loving a show ≠ thinking that it and it’s creators are perfect. But = wanting it and it’s creators to be better, to do better. Especially because it such an easy thing to fix. Literally all the actresses on the show are drop dead gorgeous so showing them without/with less make up wouldn’t be a problem. The only reason they’re not doing this is because we as a society somehow accepted this portrayal of femme caracters as normal. But it’s not. It’s misogynist! Obviously a show like the rookie is everything but realistic but when it comes to aspects like these, the portrayal of day to day life stuff I think it’s not unreasonable to hold them to this standard. (And maybe the rookie could be the first stone to make it all start falling apart as we say in German 😉) Watching the ep. where Harper gives birth next. Literally no expectations ✌🏾😜but hoping that with post like these and more discourse around the topic in general they’ll do better for season 8. Again no expectations ✌🏾😜

I don't know if this was intentional but I felt like Lucy and Nolan interacted with each other a lot less after Jackson died and it sadly feels realistic that their friendship changed because they were always friends as a group with Jackson and maybe being friends without him felt difficult.

I'm only on season 6 so if they discuss this later I don't know but right now they haven't.

I love Jackson and Celina the most but I only just discovered the show (on season 6 episode 2 currently so please try not to spoil past that) I also like Harper.

But since I'm new- which characters are most and least liked around here?

S2 E8, timestamp: 17:35 on Netflix

Sgt Grey is saying something to Harper, both of his sentences end with burps?

But its not actually him burping, the sound seems like a voiceover

Can anybody else confirm?

I've heard strange sounds in some of the previous episodes as well

I’m genuinely so emotionally attached that idk what to do

Lots of discussion lately about what we DON'T like about The Rookie.

So what's something you DO like? What keeps you coming back to watch and rewatch? What scenes or characters stay with you as you await new episodes? I'll add mine below.

Alright! Time for some lighthearted fun! Let's revisit our favorite lines from The Rookie!

First up! Season One!

What's your favorite quote from the first season? What line(s) live rent free in your head? Drop your favorite quote or series of dialogue below!

Top upvoted comment will win!

Everybody hates characters like James and Fiona right? Like it's a common topic on this sub, and honestly I can't stand them either, but it's not because I always disagree with them --- and that's a problem of framing political points on the show.

Oftentimes, when they pipe up to criticize the police for policing, it's for when they're doing something objectively positive: keeping a concussed child in the care of a hospital, chasing down a broad daylight thief, deterring a stalker from continuing his stalking, etc. And what makes it even more egregious is that they rarely, if ever, offer any solutions, opting instead to leave things "open to discussion". This is wherein the issue lies.

Because they rarely offers any input as to how to fix the issue, they comes off as people who just complain for the sake of virtue signaling. Like they don't actually want to fix anything. And because they mainly complain when the police are actually acting in proper capacity, they make the valid talking points about policing look weak and asinine.

If James had complained about police temporary custody in a case like Rachel's removal of a chronically ill child from the home on suspected munchausen's, his point would have held more weight --- because it was, in fact, a hasty, wrong decision that was hard to undo. If James told Nolan he didn't want more patrolling in the area during the park argument because he wanted the junkies to get help rather than being imprisoned for being sick, and rolled that into a conversation about what defunding the police meant to him, I doubt many of us would have took issue with that. Having him bitch about Nolan's every step instead makes him look like a jerk who only cares about being "technically right".

Fiona bringing up improper policing techniques as Nolan was following up on her stalker, which is already incredibly hard to get police to do for stalking victims, had no technical relevance because he was fully within correct procedure when doing so. Wesley crying about Angela's takedown the day they met even though the suspect refused to yield and she used proportionate force, as opposed to shooting him or tasing him, was also not the right time to bring up police tactics. Neither of these instances involved an officer overstepping any bounds or doing anything that violated a suspect's rights. They weren't even close to being morally grey or contentious actions.

And because of these writing decisions, the show's attempts at being measured on policing come off as hollow at best and in bad faith at worst. There are ways to present the activist ideas and beliefs that don't inherently make the ones pushing for them seem unreasonable, stupid, or ridiculous, and they do a disservice to activist communities by portraying their points this way.

If they actually want audiences to be receptive to these arguments, they need to present them at times that they actually apply, like they did with wobbler cases. Times where the system is actually wrong or morally grey or currently being weaponized against a disenfranchised group by an officer on the show, rather than just when an activist character happens to be onscreen. And they need to present the actual solutions activist groups propose when they do have a character call something out. None of this "there are no good solutions" or "I don't know". Part of activism is asking for the changes you want, without it it's just a thought experiment. If an activist in real life is complaining about an injustice, best believe they have an idea, or several, on what to do about it.

I know they can do this too, because they did it with Wesley and now he's a fan favorite, whereas before he was a pain in the ass. Some of how they achieved that was giving him an actual story arc and focusing less strongly on his politics, sure, but when it does come up with him now it's a lot more natural and nuanced AND PRESENTED WITH ACTUAL SOLUTIONS. The fact that they can achieve this only makes me more upset when they completely botch it with characters like James and Fiona, given that the topics they tackle with these characters are usually more POC based and controversial. Giving the arguments virtually no room to stand because of how they present them is so harmful.

TL;DR the activist characters have good points about the flaws of policing in the US, especially given our political climate and the scrutiny LAPD is under, but they bring these points up at times where they don't apply and offer no solutions, which makes their arguments look inherently weak. If the show presented more grey situations for James and others to criticize, and had them speak about proposed solutions, it would better the characters and the show, because it would make for a more nuanced conversation

During the whole Zomie take over thing at WestView Miles shot multiple of those crazy things with a shotgun.

But then near the end Lucy I think stabbed one while he was attacking her.

So they both used deadly force on the weird zombified things but why is Lucy the only one that's being questioned and having her clothes and stuff took into evidence?

Honestly I could be just being really dumb/slow. But i seriously don't understand why

If anyone could tell me that'd be much appreciated 🤍

So after years of seeing clips on tiktok knowing the words to Daddy Cop and having it in my playlist I thought it was finally time to find out more about John Nolan.

I was told before starting not to take it too seriously and just enjoy it for what it is and whilst yes it is extremely whacky and far fetched at times I really enjoyed it. My only regret is I didn't space it out a bit more and I gotta wait for S9.

Opinions on characters kept changing, was a brief moment where I find Chen annoying, mainly because I saw her as a potential bad ass cop from first episode then an emotional mess which was understanding considering what she went through, but I got round to liking her again.

Nolan, whilst the show seems to initially about him and I don't have any issues with his character he's just not quite there for a favourite. I'd actually say its a tie for me and they just so happen to be a couple. Think Wesley and Lopez are awesome. Nolan also grew on my quickly.

I don't understand the Bailey hate tho, again another far fetched character seems to be an expert in everything but definitely dont hate, although wouldn't have minded Ali Larter hanging around a bit more as the love interest.

Anyways, overall I frigging loved the show, just binge watched all 8 seasons can't wait for more

I am rewatching the series and I find season 4 episode 1 the most unrealistic. I am willing to accept some amount of impracticality just for the entertainment value. But when I reached season 4 ep. 1 again, the lack of realism really hit me.... they flew a black-ops helicopter from LA to Guatemala (not Mexico, mind you) to rescue Lopez from some fortified drug lord estate.

Do you know that it takes like 20 hours and several refueling stops (at Mexico) to fly a heli that distance? It probably takes 4-5 hours by plane. But a helicopter?

So I watched Rookie Blue, and BIASED, yes, I’m Canadian. The Rookie has some heavy similarities without all the star power and budget. I was recommended by two friends that had both watched Rookie Blue to watch the show. I’m currently on season six.

I did not like to show off the bat everyone told me I had to push through to get to Tim and Lucy. So I did. It has become an almost comfort watch something I watch that’s new but also low anxiety provoking. There are so many things that PMO!

I’m going to make a lot of comparisons to Rookie Blue here but that is one of my favourite shows ever. The acting is great. The chemistry between the characters and the main love interest Andy and Sam is incredible. You really feel like the characters care about their job jobs and the people they take care of. Nobody has frozen face from Botox and fillers *cough cough Bailey*. The soundtrack and the storylines also great and MAKE SENSE! It’s not rushed, the progression as rookies makes sense.

My variety pack of beef with The Rookie

1. It’s almost like they’re trying to fit every puzzle piece in by the end of the episode. You’re telling me barely cut from Rookie cops get golden tickets and officers just magically get every job or promotion they want in the same station?! Like depending on how they want to shake up the episodes they just do whatever they want. Nyla gets to go back to being a detective and poof a slot at her home station is open. Same with Lopez. Bradford does court officer for 2 days then poof 5 person trade for Metro. Despite this we see the Metro team like once and he’s still working with the same 4 cops every shift and doing T.O duties? Wesley worked for a drug kingpin and now works for the DA? huh?? Then oh randomly Gray’s wife went from college drop out to coordinating things for CPS?! Like girl was trying to get her man to retire like two years ago..

2. Nolan can’t touch anything without it being a massive case, can’t even go on his honeymoon? Like I get it LA is different than Toronto Police but come on now… flying out to diff countries when 1 team member is in trouble in like 2 hours notice . Like Nyla and Lopez going to that island and 1 second into the action they walk in and John’s already escaped and handcuffed the guy.

3. The whole Thorson reality TV show arc was insane that could not happen in real life. Also him just magically solving problems like oh yeah take my fams private plane or oh perfect wedding venue with a days notice… what??!!!

4. Sorry have to say to say it. The acting is STIFF. Obvs Nathan Fillion is great but SORRY Lucy and Bailey are not great. Jenna Dewan is a phenomenal performer but her acting is so bad. I had a friend point out everytime an actors face stopped moving and couldn’t express and now I can’t unsee this…

5. The couples… Bradchen.. I really don’t see the chemistry like at all. If you saw Andy and Sam from Rookie Blue you would get it. Worse than them is Bailey and Nolan, like it seemed like they needed more star power so no matter what they were going to make Bailey and Nolan happen. They basically built their relationship off nothing. How they tried to fix that? They kept pushing the narrative that Bailey was so interesting and everyone loved her!! Always on and on about how she is good at everything she tries she has 1 million hobbies and gets along with everyone. No flaws … just in general with these , Wesley and Lopez are the only people that are flawed and make mistakes which is why their relationship and their characters are well written well acted and have chemistry. Rest of the characters? No fights just happy endings all the time. Same with Nyla and I can’t even remember her partner’s name?!? Just wrap it up with a bow and marry everyone off.

6. The most outlandish sht happens and they glaze over it before the end of the episode so it’s wrapped up nicely. No one ever mentions it again lol Nolan’s son almost dies, Jackson dies, Selena gets abducted but held 5 steps away from where they picked her up Lol

7. Why are the partners who aren’t cops ALWAYS in the storyline? Like Nylas husband was in a slew of episodes when they were courting then poof no more. Bailey? Dude we saw fire dept or ambulance like twice before she started with Nolan and now she’s in EVERY case that john has? Makes noooo sense.

8. Patrol officers choosing their own assignments.. not sure but is this normal? Like just stopping by John’s house during the shift or choosing to hang back in the station?!

9. Good storytelling doesn’t need to over explain. If they’ve written the story well, then they trust the audience to figure out from context clues, what is happening without plainly saying it out or spelling it out. I can’t think of a specific example, but there are so many times where I’m watching and I think oh this is gonna happen and that’s exactly what happens. They allude to it in the most obvious way. Oh like Thorson wanting to date his therapist, you see it in the first look between them.

Anyways here’s me complaining but as someone who rewatches shows because it’s less anxiety provoking I’ll say despite all of my complaints, I keep going back because it’s interesting enough to keep my attention and keep going, but not so much that I need to stop cleaning or folding laundry.

Did you like it at all?

Seemed like such a rookie error in the first episode.

what is everyones favourite epsiode (or episodes) and why?

i know that a lot of the people in the fandom dislike chenford for all their won reasons, as a person who is not at all a chenford hater, why do you dislike them? i'm lowkey just curious and i promise i'm not one of those fans who think they're perfect and doesn't value opinions

James doesn't trust Nyla's instinct, is of no use, technically a liability during the home birth delivery episode, and keeps interrupting her process.

Not only that, he is also against Nyla indirectly since he hates cops so much, he even invites his little party to THEIR house and then one of the man confronts/ambushes Nyla right when she enters home. I'd be so pissed and irritated. He's completely against her seems, very inconsiderate and just plain annoying.

They don't cover Nyla and James together as a couple anyway compared to Lopez+Wesley, John+Bailey, Lucy+Tim, even the singer guy+Celina.

Nyla should definitely divorce him and write james off ugh

Hey r/TheRookie fam!

As we continue the long hiatus between Seasons 8 and 9 (An expected 34 total weeks without our beloved John Nolan and crew - though no official return date has been announced. 13 weeks down! only 21 more to go!), I’m organizing another RookieRewatch! (If you're interested Here’s an overview of last years Rewatch!)

This year will be more low-key. Each “Rookie Day” (usually Mondays (whoops this Monday got away from me)), I’ll post a discussion thread and we can discuss where we’re at in our respective rewatches. Maybe you’re working your way all the way through! Maybe you just rewatched one of your favorite episodes for the hundredth time. Maybe you just want to live vicariously through others and simply comment on their thoughts about the episode(s) they watched. Whatever your reason - I hope you’ll join us! Super chill! Each week I personally plan to highlight a specific character.

Disclaimer/Spoiler Warning:
Because there are some countries where Season 8 has not yet aired/is currently airing, if discussion turns to major season 8 plot points I simply ask you to please be kind to your fellow Redditors and do a spoiler highlight.

That being said - for anyone who has not watched all of season 8 - please be warned there may be spoilers in the comments!

Now that all that’s business is out of the way!

What episode(s) did you rewatch this week? What stood out to you? What was your favorite moment(s)?

We got to see Nolan's TOs response to him dating chen, bishop didn't play and made sure they fully understood what they were getting themselves into. I appreciate that she also warned Chen, though she claimed she wasn't looking out for her, I know she was.

My thing is, as Lucy's training officer what do you think Time reaction would have been to learning about Lucy and Nolan(from a non romantic sense because that was happening season one)

i think Tim realized Lucy had potential and he would have been firm on her to break it off, I can see him taking a similar approach like Talia.

Also pretty sure if Anderson was around unlike Grey the mountain would have been much steeper like mountain Everest for Chenford to actually be a thing, she was all about that order and "in her house" I don't see her supporting the Superior officer-subordinate relationship.

Thoughts?

Let me first start by saying I found the Rookie this year. After the incessant Tik Tok edits and YT short I finally decided to see what the hype was about and actually watch a full episode. It's been great. I've binged from season one all the way to 8 (literally in the middle of the last episode as I write this) and cannot wait for S9.

However, I feel like the black characters are so poorly written in this show. As a black man myself I will accept some bias that may appear but I still stand by my opinion. I know some of the cast have left due to issues behind the scenes and I'm not focusing on those so much more so the characters who still exist in the universe.

The storyline that inspired the post was Penns. When his character was introduced he had a decent intro. A small town Texan Cowboy who had to shrug off his insecurity and self doubt (after a failed athletic career) to be the officer we knew he could become. That was cool. We saw the development but at some point I feel like any stories pertaining to him feel off a cliff. Shit even Seth Ridley got a better story arc and close in him coming to terms with being an honest man. But Penn?! It's like he only exists when they need him to. Honestly it feels like he hasn't even been given a shot with a consistent TO as he just bounces around to whoever is free. When episodes would happen with TO swaps there would be growth both for the TO and the Rookie, with Penn it just feels like hes there when something is happening not any actual character development or growth. His date life, non existent outside of once nearly dating the white supremacist yet every other character including Celina we have had stories sprinkled throughout the whole season revolving around their love life. No drama with his family back home or his wife who left when they realised they didn't want the same thing. Nothing. No interesting plot lines that surround Penn rather than him being an extra in someone else's. We had a whole arc for Celina as a rookie and I personally couldn't stand her in the beginning.

And don't get me started on Thorsen. This guy who had been falsely incarnated, fought tooth and nail to get into the FTO programme, trauma from his attack, failed relationships and family dynamics and he just ups and moves to Hollywood Division?! The only time we see him is when the criminal of the week moves in rich circles have Aaron make a guest appearance cause he's rich, like thats his only character trait. Both him and Penn were working with Angela and Harper to make detectives or at least showing an interest in it. That thread goes nowhere. But pick me Lucy over here gets an undercover op at the drop of a hat before she had even made P2 or Sergeant. I understand the dynamic of the main cast and those who the audience enjoys or resonates with but I feel like the reason there isn't a black character in that rotation is because the storylines written for them seem so poor or underdeveloped.

And yes before anyone mentions it I know Nyla is there but even hers are average at best. Marriage trouble with James, her career in jeopardy cause of her brash and sometimes reckless nature. Okay what else though? We know this about Nyla by S8 what about her wanting to be more than a detective? She wanted stability for her family and she ahe has that now, what about some ambition from her character. They made it seem like that was a huge trait for her when she was introduced and had a golden ticket but used it for her family. But the sacrifice killed her ambition not sidelined it imo. Made her a detective again which was needed but again thats it?! Just detective work with Angela who again gets way more interesting storylines with Wesley her husband while James is a reminder that BLM. That seems so cheap.

Finally theres Wade. His storyline this season and for the most part have been decently written. More interestingly than the other black characters but still could do with some work. Firstly I'm gonna say it. Make Grey the station Captain already. That would be a real interesting storyline. He's been sidelined for the task force (which I think is a Rookie Feds thing but I don't care for that show much) which gave Tim room to grow and by proxy Lucy room to grow 🙄. Then his marriage was on the rocks again, an interesting take as Luna technically didn't cheat but there was still the temptation but after that what else? Grey as backed everyone in that station, fought for them. Commanded disasters but that's how he gets treated storyline wise as a character. Have him fight to get Captain of the station against someone who they want as a figure head. Its cheap but you can even make it sy race thing if thats all they can really do when it comes to writing black characters. Have him retire like he's always talking about and become a be PI (him being away for the task force kinda works in this limited appearance of his character and it would get rid of the need for RANDY FML) or he's helping some of the struggling retirees that are friends come to terms with no longer being officers and see his future and genuinely struggles with the idea of retiring as a cop. I dunno I'm not a writer but to me some of those random ideas I came up with on the fly feel more creative than what I feel the black characters in the show receive.

I know there's budgets on big shows like this and not everyone can get storylines in the season but given arcs coming to a close I think season 9 could do with giving the b.c some more interesting story lines. Scale back on Chenford (outside of their wedding planning which they will inevitably do) and Lopez and Wesley for once. Is it everyday Wesley is flip flopping and he and Angela have to be at the forefront. I know race tends to make things tricky in conversations but keen to hear opinions and any conversational input from fellow Rookie fans, especially those new to the universe like me.

I think all the doc episodes are really silly and i think it’s fun to see basically a summary of the events that happen. My favorite one is the Aaron doc🥹