The Rookie returned with all cylinders firing!

If The Rookie Season 4 Episode 17 wasn't anything else, it was eventful with the hospital held hostage, a cyber ransom, the resolution of a kidnapping, and Lucy reliving her trauma.

And it made for an incredibly strong hour, which is the perfect celebration for the series' renewal!

The opening moments of the hour were heartbreaking as Nolan arrived at a scene, and we saw Riley die before our eyes. It was devastating, and it speaks to the situation that you felt so attached to this woman in such a short time.

The honor walk was a nice moment, however brief. Still, it evolved into something heartrending when the momentary elation over young Piper receiving the heart she had wanted got taken away because of Jonah.

Nolan: You need to tell your husband to stop.
Meredith: I don't want to die.

• Permalink: You need to tell your husband to stop.

It was a nice way to show the double-edged sword of life and death. But what was a story about Jonah's devotion and love to his wife, Meredith, felt like good old-fashioned entitlement.

Jonah held the entire hospital hostage, shutting down portions of it bit by bit and demanding that Riley's heart should go in Meredith instead of Piper.

It's terrifying when a hospital is held hostage because of all the lives on the line. It's a minor miracle that more people didn't die outside of that poor man whose ventilation failed because of the power outage.

And that's where Jonah left you scratching your head and wondering if he thought all of this through. If he succeeded and the hospital and police gave in to his whim and demands, Meredith would get the heart, but she'd get shipped to prison as an accessory.

They both would serve prison time for the hostage situation, or perhaps some form of terrorism even. And they'd be on the hook for that patient dying, too! What good would it be if Meredith got a healthy heart if she'd spend the rest of her days in prison because of Jonah's antics and her willingness to overlook them?

The whole ordeal was stomach-turning but so engrossing from the hour's start to the end. You were invested in the outcome of all of this, and you hoped for the best.

As an aside, it's always so good to see Jeffery Owens, and you couldn't blame the man for reasoning that if he attacked and killed Meredith, his daughter would get the heart she was supposed to in the first place.

Can you imagine how that man must've felt?

Nolan: What are you thinking?
Piper's father: If she dies, my daughter doesn't.

• Permalink: If she dies, my daughter doesn't.

He did everything right. He was a hardworking, loving father who took care of his daughter and did everything he was supposed to do, and she was next on the list.

And the hospital director went from proclaiming that she wouldn't submit to the demands of a man holding the hospital hostage to suddenly giving him everything he desired.

Piper was going to be the sacrifice for the sake of everyone else at that hospital, and it was disturbing how easily and callously some of the characters reacted to the potential loss of this young woman.

It's often so much discourse about protecting certain subsections of women and how those women, typically women of color, fall through the cracks. Even without intending it, that's what happened to Piper.

They would've given her a death sentence -- because we all know that she was next in line for that heart because of how dire her condition and need was -- and Jonah didn't care if it meant his wife survived, and as guilt-ridden as the medical director may have been, Piper's life for the lives of many was "worth it."

And Piper's father was supposed to sit there and accept the news that because this man was loud and violent enough and opted for illegal means, he got rewarded for it in a surreal manner.

You couldn't blame Angela for slipping the family Wesley's number. Wesley shouldn't be practicing law or giving legal advice when he's suspended, right? Is his suspension over?

 Setting that aside, it was nice that this poor family had someone willing to advocate for them in this awful situation.

The reality of the matter made it more depressing. Wesley could fight the hospital in court for millions of dollars if they went through with reneging on the heart Piper should've gotten, but by the time all of that took place, the poor girl would've died.

Jonah knew his wife was a compassionate person, and that's probably when he didn't tell her his intentions, and she had no idea what was happening until they got there.

He also knew that she'd feel guilty enough to back out if she talked to Piper or saw the girl. And thankfully, that's what happened when they got to video chat.

Piper was such a wonderful, sympathetic, graceful girl who understood what Meredith was going through and how they got in this position. She had the task of pleading her case, for her life, for a heart that she was supposed to have, and she opted to bond and commiserate with Meredith.

At least Meredith was able to put some end to things on their end with Jonah, but then they hit us with that twist!

By now, the hospital cyber ransom storylines are a dime a dozen. Almost every series imaginable has done its rendition of one within the past couple of years. However, The Rookie was probably one of the best executed and most enjoyable.

I didn't see the ransom portion of it coming, and it was exciting when Nolan and Bradford teamed up to locate the other members and take them down.

And it could've easily been the only thing the hour focused on. Still, they expertly managed to give us a compelling arc with Lucy facing her trauma, and Harper and James got pulled into a kidnapping cold case without ever leaving the hospital room.

Harper's pregnancy is stressful as heck. Every time you turn around, something is happening to give us a little scare. They need to put Harper in a bubble for her and the baby's well-being and our mental sanity.

Rory's situation was interesting because of how it started as something that Harper and James would disagree on and clash over.

It was frustrating when Rory's "parents" claimed that they wouldn't get his brain bleed checked out because it went against their religious beliefs.

Kids don't choose their religious beliefs, and it sucks that they're subjected to things pertaining to their health that cause them harm until they're old enough to choose their path.

Both the mother and cop in Harper had her using the law to her advantage to protect Rory. But James will always find ways to challenge Harper and her status as an officer.

He had his reasons for calling her out on using the law to get involved and the history of people of color having their kids taken from them, but it felt like an ill-placed argument.

It'll be interesting to see how James reacts to things when their child is born, and he starts thinking like a father. We at least see often how he could be a good one whenever he's interacting with the kids he helps.

And he was so good with "Rory." The downside to Rory's storyline was that we didn't get to see him reunite with the parents who have been looking for him since he was three.

He had some understandable reservations about all of these changes, too. Suddenly, the only parents he's ever known got arrested for kidnapping him, he has biological parents he doesn't remember coming to retrieve him, and his name isn't his name.

Do you think they'll revisit this storyline?

The hour also chose to revisit Lucy's kidnapping, and it was an emotional ordeal.

It was odd that she felt she should come in to do some trial prep to speak about it in court. But everything became uncomfortable when Chris was the person who wanted to go over everything so that she could prepare for the trial.

He knew about what happened to her, but Chris got to learn of these things with a clinical approach as a lawyer at the D.A's office poring over the case.

It's different than Lucy confiding in him in a way she feels comfortable on her terms.

I'm glad Tamara showed up to support her, although it seemed the only purpose was for her to meet and go out with the intern.

The situation was more about Lucy facing the footage of her singing in that drum and working through some of that trauma from her horrific experience. And there's nothing wrong with her managing to do all of that independently.

I survived that. I don't have anything to prove.

Lucy

• Permalink: I survived that. I don't have anything to prove.

Once upon a time, Bradford told her to look at that tattoo as a sign of her survival. By the end of the hour, Lucy walked out of the office, acknowledging that she doesn't have to go to court to prove to people what happened to her; she's a survivor.

She didn't have an easy path to that realization, though. Under most circumstances, it would've been ideal if she postponed the trial prep until someone other than Chris could give it to her.

It was uncomfortable to watch her try to get through all of that with the man she's dating when it's evident that they haven't reached certain points in their relationship.

Chris unthinkingly humming "Dream a Little Dream of Me," without thinking about how it could trigger her was a challenging moment.

You know he didn't do it intentionally, but it still felt unprofessional. Melissa O'Neil's facial expressions during that scene were fantastic.

Her entire performance as Lucy relived that day was beautifully nuanced, and the only shame is that we didn't spend a bit more on this storyline.

Lucy watching that footage of herself was enough to have you holding your breath. But she did it by herself, and it was a milestone for her in her healing journey. I wish there were some more followthrough with it, though.

It seemed like much of that process happened internally and offscreen, and by the time she stepped into the bullpen, she was "okay." After something so triggering for her, the tone of her laughing, setting Tamara up on a date, and joking around with Chris felt a bit jarring.

I would've loved to have seen more moments of Lucy processing all of this. Maybe it's something they'll continue to show moving forward.

Is it wrong to imply that some of the random Bailey moments the series delivers could've gotten used to focusing on that more?

Seriously, no shade against Dewan, but if there isn't already a The Rookie drinking game on how many times and ways they shoehorn Bailey into scenes, there should be. Cheers, mates!

Over to you, Rookie Fanatics?

Was this a fantastic return? Did you appreciate them revisiting Lucy's kidnapping? Sound off below.

You can watch The Rookie online here via TV Fanatic.

Jasmine Blu is a senior staff writer for TV Fanatic. She is an insomniac who spends late nights and early mornings binge-watching way too many shows and binge-drinking way too much tea. Her eclectic taste makes her an unpredictable viewer with an appreciation for complex characters, diverse representation, dynamic duos, compelling stories, and guilty pleasures. You'll definitely find her obsessively live-tweeting, waxing poetic, and chatting up fellow Fanatics and readers. Follow her on X.