The Rookie Season 2 Episode 15 Review: Hand-Off
Christine Orlando
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There were several weighty stories going on during The Rookie Season 2 Episode 15.
The parole hearing for the man who murdered Sgt. Grey's partner and Nolan's job being on the line when someone stole his identity and wiped out his son's college tuition to name two.
But the entire installment left me wrestling with one very important question.
Should Tim be with Rachel or Lucy?
Fans who had been shipping Tim and Lucy pushed it into high gear after he pulled her out of that barrel and saved her from being buried alive by a serial killer and who can blame them?
As far as drama goes, you couldn't get much more intense.
It almost made some of us forget Rachel, you know, Tim's girlfriend, not to mention Lucy's long-time friend.
Not having heard Tim mention her name over the last few episodes made it easy to dismiss her, but Rachel's now back in a big way.
I can't imagine that Bradford would agree to meeting Rachel's father if he didn't have serious feelings for her.
Bradford: He’s gonna love me. Colin was a sheriff for 30 years.
Lucy: Yeah, in a town with two stoplights.
Bradford: LA or Mayberry, a cop’s a cop.
Lucy: No, he’s from Sweethome, not Mayberry.
Bradford: No, I know. Mayberry, like the TV show.
Lucy: What TV show?
On a side note, there are certain classic TV shows that should be mandatory viewing and The Andy Griffith Show is one of them, but I digress.
Colin wasn't cutting Bradford any breaks and at first I thought he was just putting Tim through his paces as his daughter's new boyfriend.
Unfortunately, it was more than good natured ribbing.
Colin: You know back in Sweethome a good street cop would know every crook on his beat. We called it beat integrity.
Bradford: Well, much easier in a town with nine criminals.
Colin had no right to tell Bradford that Rachel might be a carrier for Huntington's disease any more than he had to right to try to scare Bradford off--and no, I don't believe he just accidentally let it slip.
I know Rachel is his daughter but she's also a grown woman who can make her own decisions and she should have been allowed to tell Bradford in her own time.
I was proud of Tim when he stood up to Colin. I expect nothing less...
I don’t know where Rachel and I are headed but I want to find out and if you really care about your daughter you won’t get in the way of her happiness.
Bradford
Having said all of that, I also understand that a lot of fans won't be happy. They've seen the chemistry and caring between Lucy and Tim and they want this potential couple together now!
All I can say is that some things are worth the wait. As much as I see the possibilities, I think Bradford and Chen are a long way off from finding romance, and that's okay.
Rachel is the first serious relationship that Tim has had since his divorce. I like them as a casual couple but I don't foresee them making a long-term commitment, although it wouldn't surprise me if they get close to that before one or both of them backs off.
In the meantime, I'm hoping that The Rookie gives us a satisfying story arc that eventually makes good on Tim and Lucy's promising future.
Now back to the heavier topics...
If Officer Lopez could handle watching a fellow officer die in her arms on her first day on the job, she can handle anything.
It's no wonder that Grey asked for her to be assigned to him when he had the opportunity.
Both Lopez and Grey thought they knew the whole story about that fateful day. Grey thought his partner had remained sober after rehab and Lopez assumed Grey knew he had been drinking on the job before he was killed.
For Grey, it changed his perspective when Russell explained how much he regretted his actions as a heroin addict and was desperate to show his son a different path.
Ten years wasn't enough time for taking a man's life but that Grey could foresee a time when Russell could deserve that second chance said a lot.
Then there was Nolan...
You'd think that as a cop Nolan would know to check his accounts often, especially in this day and age when the hacking of online finances is so prevalent.
Come on, Officer Nolan, I expect better from you because when you only check on things once every few months, bad things happen.
I can’t believe this. I started working when I was 19-years-old. It took me 20 years but I built a business, a family, a life and now here I am starting over with literally less than nothing.
Nolan
Guest star Seth Green as Jordan was the perfect greedy, low-life hacker who surrounded himself with high-end things he bought with other people's stolen funds.
Jordan's utter disbelief that John had saved his life even though he had stolen every penny the man had made was his one saving grace.
Jordan: You’re some kind of nut job. I steal your identity and make your life a living hell and then you save my life.
Nolan: That’s my job.
Well, that and being willing to give him back Henry's college fund.
Also, special kudos to Det. Summerland who hit just the right notes as a man who does his best work stuck in a tiny office that looked more like a closet.
I'm hoping we might get to see him again in the future.
Finally, we get to Jackson's assignment and how he stumbled across an unsolved case.
I had to laugh when Smitty told Jackson to put that file back behind the cabinet where he found it. I have no doubt that Smitty would have done just that had no one been around to stop him.
If we can’t obey every rule then how can we expect that from citizens?
Harper
But Jackson felt horrible that any case, even one as simple as vandalism hadn't been followed up on in over a year.
What did bother me was how Jackson got the confession. Having Tony just jump up and shout his confession to the two-way mirror because Jackson had turned up the heat, literally, was silly.
I know it was probably meant to add a little humor in order to offset some of the more serious stories but it only made me roll my eyes more in annoyance than amusement.
So what did you think TV Fanatics?
Are you glad Tim is still with Rachel or do you want him with Lucy sooner rather than later?
Did Rachel's dad really let that information slip or did he plan to tell Bradford about her possible diagnosis?
Were you surprised that Grey felt any leniency towards his partner's killer?
And was Nolan a fool to not check his online accounts for months at a time?
Hit that big, blue, SHOW COMMENTS button down below and let me know what you think. Then check back in for my review of The Rookie Season 2 Episode 16 and until then, you can watch The Rookie online.
C. Orlando was a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. Follow her on Twitter.
