What kind of cop do you want to be?

That was a question that came up multiple times during The Rookie Season 1 Episode 19, but for some, it might not have mattered if they didn't check a box on a list.

Leave it to the reactionary bureaucracy to institute a rule change two days before one of the most important exams of their short careers.

Nolan got lucky as Officer Bishop had already had him working as the primary officer on all of the cases he needed.

That left me wondering if she does that with all of her rookies or if she saw something special in Nolan.

We all know the type of cop Officer Nolan is. John Nolan has a basic need to help people as Ben pointed out in this The Rookie quote:

Ben: That’s your problem, you know?
Nolan: Oh good, I was hoping we could make this about my inadequacies.
Ben: No, I’m serious. You have a pathological need to fix things for people even when you know there’s nothing you can do.
Nolan: Okay, look, I simply refuse to believe that there’s never not a solution.
Ben: That’s like a triple negative.

Permalink: That’s like a triple negative.

I was impressed by how honest Nolan was with Ben about the trauma he suffered after that bank robbery that drove him to become a cop.

He opened up about his nightmares to the crying jag he had in the drive-thru of the Dairy Queen.

It's a testament to how honest Nolan is and what a good friend he can be.

He was also feeling protective of Ben which was why it was so difficult to see the guy who assaulted him get to walk away after making a deal.

I'm sure there was a part of Nolan that wanted to beat the crap out of the guy, especially after seeing the man's bruised knuckles, but he didn't.

Was it because Detective Wolfe was there or because that's not the type of cop Nolan wants to be?

The entire incident reminded me of Captain Andersen's advice from The Rookie Season 1 Episode 2.

It is not your job to punish that man for what he did, do you understand? Overcoming that impulse could be the hardest thing you do on the job.
Captain

Permalink: It is not your job to punish that man for what he did, do you understand? Overcoming that...

But sometimes Nolan goes rushing in even when he doesn't know all the facts

A good example of that is when he burst into the Chief's office to plead Bishop's case.

I respect Nolan for standing up for a friend and colleague, but I wish he would have asked a few more questions before bursting into that office and risking making things worse.

Even Bishop will have to decide on what type of cope she'll be as her career hangs in the balance.

Sgt. Grey was correct to tell her to be honest with the Chief.

If she named all of her other foster siblings and only left her brother off the list because of his criminal record, there was little way to hide that now. Honesty was her only defense.

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But the offer from Internal Affairs leaves her in an unenviable position.

It's one thing to have everyone know you're working with Internal Affairs.

Although most cops don't like IA, they are an essential part of making sure the police don't cross the line from being the law to breaking it.

However, being a secret informer for Internal Affairs has a sinister feel to it.

Even if her colleagues won't know it, Bishop will never feel like one of them again.

But if she turns down IA's offer, is her career over?

Officer West was still spiraling over his doubts about his father, and it manifested itself in both silly and almost tragic ways.

Officer Lopez: New shades?
Officer West: I can hear your mockery.
Officer Lopez: Then I said it right.

Permalink: Then I said it right.

Jackson did look ridiculous in those sunglasses but was it the glasses or his attitude?

If he called one more person "Bro", I wanted to give Lopez special permission to smack him.

The most disturbing moment with Jackson wasn't when he almost ran down a mother with her baby in a stroller, although that was pretty scary.

It was when he was willing to arrest a man for having an empty baggie in his vehicle that more than likely wasn't his.

If Lopez hadn't been there to stop him, Jackson would have willingly destroyed a man's life just to get the checkmark he needed in that box.

I found that frightening and I can only hope that Jackson did too.

Lucy held up much better under the pressure even though her list was more than twice as long as Jackson's, making her consider giving up when time ran short.

I’m not training a quitter, Boot. We fight until the bell rings, there’s no other way.
Officer Bradford

Permalink: I’m not training a quitter, Boot. We fight until the bell rings, there’s no other way.

I loved Bradford's attitude. If it's important, you keep fighting as long as you can, even when things appear bleak.

Officer Chen could have gotten an easy check off of her list by giving that distraught, desperate woman a summons, but she knew that was the kind of cop she wants to be.

Kudos to her for figuring that out and being willing to sacrifice something of herself because of it.

Bradford was her cheering section and partner the entire time, even getting overtime approved to make sure she could finish off her list to take the test for which he knew she was ready.