The Rookie Season 1 Episode 10 Review: Flesh and Blood
Christine Orlando
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It was a strange day on The Rookie Season 1 Episode 10 as everyone, except Officers West and Lopez traded partners.
As much as I love the regular pairings, it's always fun to see how characters react when things are changed up, and while some acted the way I'd expected, others surprised me.
There was no doubt that Grey was going to ride with Nolan, even with Jackson waving his hand in the air like the proverbial teacher's pet.
Officer Nolan: Sgt. Grey, I’d be honored if you rode with Officer West today.
Sgt. Grey: That’s cute, Officer Nolan, but you know my heart belongs to you.
Officer Nolan: Lucky me.
Although Grey appears to respect Nolan more than he did on The Rookie Season 1 Episode 1, he still wasn't cutting the oldest rookie any slack, but Nolan getting kicked in the balls by one tough granny did seem to earn him sympathy points.
They almost, kind of, bonded over their kids, but perhaps more importantly, their kids bonded over having fathers who are police officers.
Related: The Rookie: Sarah Shahi Cops Recurring Role
This is all new for Henry, but this has been Dominique's life. Hearing about how Sgt. Grey was shot while Dominique was still in middle school was an eye opener for Henry.
Henry hadn't grown up worrying that his father would never come home safe at the end of the day, but now that's a real concern.
I appreciated that these two teens, one a freshman in college and the other a senior in high school, weren't portrayed as dumb kids but as smart, caring young adults who were concerned about their parents...while still trying to hide a bad grade in biology.
Both fathers handled those concerns well. They didn't try to downplay the dangers because they realize their kids are smarter than that and they respect them.
Nolan even went so far as to offer to step away from his new career if it upset Henry that much, which speaks to how much he loves his son. In turn, Henry loves his father enough not to ask him to quit the job he loves.
The only thing that disappointed me about Henry's visit was that we didn't get more of it. I want to see him spend more time with Nolan and interact with the other rookies more than mentioning that they follow each other on social media.
I was also really hoping to see how Henry and Lucy interacted in a more social setting. I know that John and Lucy have broken up, and Henry has no idea they were in a relationship, but I still wouldn't mind seeing what the two think of one another.
And I wanted to hear the story about the turducken and what happened to the cat.
It wasn't just Sgt. Grey out on patrol, Captain Andersen was out there too.
Learning more about the Captain was a treat. The woman is smart, steady, calm, and a total badass even if most of the people under her command don't realize it.
Andersen never lost her cool, even when Officer Chen lost control of the husband, and he ran for his gun and shot himself; even when a suspect punched her in the face.
She also made it clear why she choose to ride with Officer Chen in this The Rookie quote...
Captain Andersen: Do you know why I chose to ride with you today?
Officer Chen: No, ma’am.
Captain Andersen: Because you impress me. Don’t get me wrong, you’ve got a lot to learn but I’m proud to have you under my command.
I get the feeling that Lucy hasn't been given such compliments about something she cares about this much or by someone she respects as much as she does the Captain. I think this meant a lot and can only help boost her confidence on the job.
The third odd pairing was Officers Bradford and Bishop. These two did nothing but rile one another, and that surprised me, but perhaps it shouldn't.
Bradford and Bishop are two alphas used to being in control. Having to play second fiddle doesn't suit either of them.
Related: 8 Captivating Cast Members of ABC's The Rookie
Then there was the fact that Bishop had once been Bradford's boot for a whopping two weeks. It was something Bradford couldn't forget, and something Bishop overcompensated for by trying to prove she could be top dog at every turn.
Thankfully, the only trouble all of this folly got them was getting sprayed by a skunk, which although highly unpleasant, is not life-threatening.
The only regular pairing of the night was Officers Lopez and West.
Officer Lopez: Did the Captain ask for backup?
Officer West: No, but…
Officer Lopez: But nothing. She’s not a damsel in distress. If that were Grey would you have insisted we ride in like the cavalry?
I loved that Lopez called West out on running to the Captain's rescue. Captain Andersen certainly didn't need the backup, an official call went out saying as much, and Jackson running in as though she did was insulting.
Elsewhere, the moment Lopez and that attorney began bickering, I knew that he was going to be her date to her brother's wedding. I only hope we get to see at least some part of it because I think these two could be a lot of fun.
So TV Fanatics, what did you think of Henry's visit and the Captain and Sergeant hitting the streets?
Check back for my review of The Rookie Season 1 Episode 11, and if you want to catch up, you can always watch The Rookie online any time here at TV Fanatic.
C. Orlando was a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. Follow her on Twitter.
