The Rookie: Feds Season 1 Episode 15 Review: Dead Again
Denis Kimathi
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A conviction in a court of law can profoundly affect someone's life in ways never thought possible.
A false conviction and its effect was a storyline in the show's early episodes, but The Rookie: Feds Season 1 Episode 15 introduces a new case that showcases how devastating it can be.
Even after his divorce, Carter was still pulled into his ex-wife's world, threatening to ruin his new relationship even before it started.
Lacking a creative outlet, Brendon imbued himself into Antoinette's little project, threatening their relationship.
The team dealt with a curious case of a man thought dead for over six years only to turn up dead again a few hours prior.
Something that stood out was Vanessa's story.
As early as the first episode, the show touched on the impacts of a wrongful conviction on an individual and those who love them. Cutty had spent years in prison for a crime he hadn't committed. That was the root cause of his dislike of the police.
Citizens lay a lot of trust in law enforcement and the government. They expect they will be protected and, at the same time, lawbreakers brought to justice. A wrongful conviction is not only devastating, but it also ruins someone's life.
Imagine being convicted of something you had no part in doing. First, it just feels surreal. Give it time. These are professional lawyers and police detectives. They'll find the truth. Then it dawns on you. They want to close the case. They want to move on.
Vanessa
It creates a sense of insecurity and distrust that one can never fix.
The social repercussions are even bigger. After someone is convicted, pretty much everyone thinks they did it. It leads to losing friends, and family one thought they would have forever.
I have no family or friends anymore. They all deserted me a long time ago. I don't know what to do.
Vanessa
Relatives scramble to protect children, and someone loses everything they held dear to their heart.
The pain Vanessa was in could be heard every time she spoke. For six years, she had been rotting in prison for a crime she didn't commit, which is a long time for anyone to be alone with their thoughts.
It was rational for the team to think the bitterness had gotten the best of her, and she had decided to murder Paul once she was out.
Having lost everything, it can be hard to restart your life even after you are free.
That was why an initiative like Cutty's is great and deserves all the support. Every day, innocent people are thrown in prison. These people get broken by the system and can easily fall through the cracks if not paid attention to.
But at least when my dad was incarcerated, I had my mama. She held the family together.
Simone
Cutty was lucky to have his wife in his corner, even in prison, to see him through it. Vanessa had nothing. I can't begin thinking about the state of mind she had been in.
After his divorce, Carter hoped this would end constant arguments with his ex-wife, but it's never that easy when children are involved.
It becomes even more complicated when the next person you date also has a child. Any decent person puts their child before everything else. This can kill new relationships.
I don't know what's worse: dating someone who has a child, too, and the child interferes with your plans, or someone without a child and can't understand why your child comes first.
Carter and the nurse were great together, and it would have been a bummer if the relationship didn't get far. No one can make him smile like a little girl as she does.
Creative people can relate to the bug that every creative person has that never quite dies, even if you find the most mundane job ever.
Brendon had spent most of his formative years sharpening his acting and directing skills, and one can admit working for the FBI is not the most creatively challenging job ever.
Brendon: Antoinette, you're not a laboratory technician.
Antoinette: Yes, I am.
Brendon: No, not in my film. You're not. You're an avatar for the victims. You speak for the dead. You're the tip of the spear, solving unsolvable crimes. That's it. That's who you are.
Antoinette: But that's not what the video is about. And frankly, I'm becoming quite frustrated.
Brendon: Good. Use that, just like that. Okay, let's get rolling. And action!
The way he clung to Antoinette's little demonstration video was his attempt to do something creative again.
Since this never goes away, he could use an outlet, and I'm not confident painting will quite do it. Antonitte's efforts to keep her man happy are laudable, but those are two different creative outlets. He should do something like joining a TV writers' room as a consultant on a show.
'Dead Again' was a great episode, especially concerning comedy. The mortician's interview was easily one of the funniest things I've seen all week, and I watch a lot of comedy.
Can we take a moment to respect the spirit of the hustle? Talk about making lemonade.
Being a mortician is not most people's dream job, but he found a way to make it work. It's a scary job with possibly measly pay, but selling dead people's identities is an excellent secondary income source.
Sometimes in these procedural shows, the show can feel disintegrated as we jump from one case to another, and it loses its initial charm sometimes even before the first season.
The relationship between Cutty and Vanessa's experience was another great aspect of "Dead Again." It felt like the proper connective tissue, making a stronger narrative and a much deeper show.
As I always say, the little things separate a good show from a shallow one.
This was a solid episode that balanced good storytelling, comedy, and action to deliver an entertaining hour of television.
Scenes between Simone and Cutty have evened out and are not the confrontation they used to be; that's good. I have started enjoying them much more.
Can any amount of money make up for what Vanessa lost?
Did you anticipate that twist with the second wife, or were you caught unawares?
We always love hearing your thoughts, so don't hesitate to comment.
It is yours to watch The Rookie: Feds online anytime you want, right here on TV Fanatic.
Denis Kimathi was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. He has watched more dramas and comedies than he cares to remember. Catch him on social media obsessing over [excellent] past, current, and upcoming shows or going off about the politics of representation on TV. Follow him on X.
