The Rookie Season 1 Episode 3 Review: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Christine Orlando
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Will good people do the right thing when it matters or are we all just one bad day away from committing a crime?
Do these questions even matter when we've got Nolan offering hugs, Bishop's epic eye roll, and a shirtless scene with Officer Bradford on The Rookie Season 1 Episode 3?
Those three things are just a few of the reasons why The Rookie is our new favorite police drama.
This show somehow manages to weave together a conversation about what it means to be a cop with action, drama, and just enough chuckles to make sure we aren't overwhelmed.
Not to mention those gorgeous southern California sunsets. I'm considering packing my bags right now.
But back to the actual job of policing...
In what other profession can you be chasing zombies on a train, have to cut a guy out of an ATM, and then have a gun held to your head on a rooftop?
But it's certainly not for everybody as Officer Lopez pointed out in this The Rookie quote:
One out of three rookies washes out, so odds are either you, Chen, or Nolan won’t be here in a year.
Officer Lopez
Will Nolan, Chen, and West all survive to the end of The Rookie Season 1? They're all indeed determined to beat the odds.
Sgt. Grey still has his reservations about our 40-year-old rookie, but John Nolan has found a certain equilibrium with Grey that seems to work for him.
Sgt. Grey: Babysitting a termination. Patrol officers' favorite assignment. So, who should I bless with it? [Officer Nolan raises his hand.] Officer Nolan are you volunteering?
Officer Nolan: Just embracing the inevitable.
Sgt. Grey: Smart man.
Bishop thinks Nolan is too trusting, and I can't say she's wrong. Nolan wants to believe in the good in people, but he has to be able to balance that with watching his back.
That employer asked the police to be there when he terminated that woman because he knew she was a little crazy, and although I appreciate that Nolan is a gentleman and offered to carry her box, what if she'd had a gun in the car? What if she began firing instead of vandalizing someone's vehicle?
The father who stole the bag of money was a heartbreaker. How many of us, especially when reduced to playing for tips on a train, could walk past a bag of money?
Officer Nolan: How could you possibly know he was going to take the money?
Officer Bishop: Because everyone’s an opportunist. Guy who plays the guitar for change, he sees a bag of money, he’s going to steal it ten times out of ten.
Of course stealing the money, literally in front of two police officers, wasn't his smartest move. I can only imagine that arresting someone while watching their kids cry out for them has to be one of the most difficult parts of the job.
Related: A Million Little Things and The Rookie Get Additional Script Orders at ABC
I can't imagine that Bishop bails out every hard luck case; she'd go broke. I wonder if she did it because she really felt for the guy, or if Nolan having her back with the unlocked door fiasco influenced her decision.
Officer Nolan: I want to give you a hug.
Officer Bishop: Do you want to get tazed?
Officer Nolan: Pass.
Elsewhere, Officer Chen was back with Officer Bradford, for better or worse.
Bradford was struggling with the horrible combination of trying to prove he was ready to take on the job after being shot and dealing with his drug-addicted wife who wouldn't allow him to help.
He was evidently physically fit for the job if he was able to beat down that prospect outside the biker bar. (And I give full credit to watching seven seasons of Sons of Anarchy for being able to pick out the prospects before Bradford explained it to Chen.)
Tim Bradford seems like the type of guy who not only enjoys the adrenaline rush that comes with being a cop but also likes to be able to swoop in and save the day.
Not being able to save the woman he loves must be killing him little by little every day.
Nolan was right when he advised Chen that her only real option was to talk to Bradford. Going behind his back to Sgt. Grey would have broken all trust. Not only wouldn't Bradford have wanted to continue to ride with her but probably no other Training Officer would want to partner with her either.
I was as shocked as Chen to learn that Isabel was once a police officer working Narcotics. There's a lot more to this story, and I can't wait to see it.
But one of my favorite moments was when Chen had her gun belt stolen from the ladies room.
Related: 8 Captivating Cast Members of ABC's The Rookie
I knew Bradford had to be the one who stole it to teach her a lesson because he was far too calm about it. But do police officers have to map out every secure bathroom within their patrol area? Now I have questions and no one I can ask.
Finally, Officer Lopez and Sgt. Grey pushed Officer West to have a plan B in case he washed out of the LAPD.
Having a plan B doesn’t mean you’re not committed, it means you’re a realist.
Sgt. Grey
Jackson West might not want a plan B, but sometimes life doesn't give you a choice.
Do you think any of our rookies will need a plan B?
Check back for my review of The Rookie Season 1 Episode 4 when the rookies and the training officers switch things up!
Until then you can watch The Rookie online here at TV Fanatic.
C. Orlando was a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. Follow her on Twitter.
