The Rookie Round Table: What's the Problem With Bailey?
Christine Orlando
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It appears our round table team has a problem with one character on The Rookie Season 5 Episode 7. Can you guess who that is?
Our TV Fanatics, Jasmine and Christine, are joined by The Rookie fan, Kate, to debate Lucy's undercover op, Thorsen calling out Tim, Wesley's apology tour, and just what the problem is with Bailey.
Was Thorsen right? Was Tim holding back on pulling the teen out of the party because having him there helped Lucy?
Jasmine: I thought Thorsen was right the whole episode. He was right about pulling the kid but slightly off about the reasoning Tim was holding back.
I think it was less about helping Lucy regarding her career (which was implied) and more about trying to protect Lucy's cover and minimize risks to her.
Christine: I thought Tim didn't want to risk blowing Lucy's cover, but it's clear that Thorsen has picked up on the personal connection between Tim and Lucy.
I liked that Thorsen was willing to call Tim out to protect the kid. Also, it shows that Tim and Lucy haven't been as covert in their feelings as they think they've been, even if they barely admit those feelings to themselves.
Kate: Tim and Lucy's judgments are a little clouded because of everything going on in their relationship. While I love that Thorsen is willing to call Tim out, as Tim shouldn't have left the kid out for so long, I can't see how Thorsen thought that would go over well.
Most likely, Thorsen and Tim were both tense and on edge at that moment, but I think it was pivotal for them and will help their partnership progress overall.
Did Bailey and Nolan's "off-center" storyline make sense? Did you enjoy it?
Jasmine: No. That's it. That's all I got.
Christine: What was that? So, Bailey feels "off-center" living in Nolan's home. (And when did they move in together?) She misses her comfy chair. But when Nolan brings the chair over, she really hates it and loves his style. Huh?
I'm one of the few fans who actually likes Bailey, and even I thought this whole thing was an annoying waste of time. Also, it gave me flashbacks to Castle and Beckett arguing over Castle's decor when Beckett moved in.
If the best they can do for Nolan and Bailey is this subpar retread of a filler storyline, then they need to end this couple.
Kate: What was that storyline? Every time I see Bailey, I start zoning out, but generally, I can deal. This was just…bad.
They keep giving Bailey any personality trait they can think of to see what works best. First, she's trying to be Nyla or Lopez. Next, a weird version of Celina? The Rookie writers are good at what they do, but they always seem lacking here.
Okay, TV Fanatics. You tell us. How do you feel about Bailey?
Do you consider Tamara to be Lucy's puppy?
Jasmine: She started off as a puppy, yes, but she became so much more. Now, they're sisters. They're family, and Tamara has supported and added just as much value to Lucy's life as she did to hers. Tamara was a puppy, no doubt, but she's since surpassed that.
Christine: Not anymore. Lucy is still a mentor to Tamara, but they're friends now. However, I found Tim's reference cute, given the circumstances.
Kate: It definitely started out that way, but now they're family. I love the idea that every rookie has a puppy, though, but that begs the question… who was/is Tim's puppy?
There are multiple correct answers to the question, which leads me to a whole other train of thought on Tim's policing experience. I love Tim as a character, but I also miss learning about his past because he's obviously been through a lot.
Should Wesley publicly have apologized to Elijah? Was he intimidated by the threats made to his friends, or do you think there's a plan at play here?
Jasmine: Oh boy! I thought Wesley really jumped the gun with this apology, and I don't think it helped nearly as much as he may think.
I think he was intimidated by the threats against everyone. Suppose there is a larger plan at play that consists of publicly apologizing to a man and essentially copping to a laundry list of career-ruining behavior just to nail Elijah to the wall later. In that case, it will actually look like it's some bigoted or obsessive vendetta.
Yeah, I don't know about this. I'm not exactly enthused with this storyline, but we shall see.
Christine: What the hell was that? Not only have they dropped the charges against the drug lord, but they're apologizing and giving him a payoff.
And why did Angela have to stand next to Wesley while he did it? As a detective, wouldn't she want to stay away from the media?
I hope there's a larger plan in play here because if there isn't, this doesn't make a lot of sense.
Kate: It was disappointing but somewhat expected. Wesley is not good under pressure, and it shows.
Also, what was Lopez's stand on all of this? I can't see her agreeing with what Wesley did here, yet there she was, standing next to him for all to see.
Should Lucy have blown her cover and intervened during the arrest?
Jasmine: I'm still trying to understand why she did. I can only guess that her and Tim's feelings for each other are lowkey affecting their judgment in little ways. But no, she shouldn't have broken her cover.
Christine: No! There was no reason for her to run up there. Tim and Thorsen were handling it. I don't see what additional help Lucy could have given.
That said, I will admit that Lucy will likely have to testify in court to the confession she heard, which will blow her cover, but why do it sooner than necessary?
Kate: Why did she do that? It was so random.
I suppose they just wanted a way to say, 'Oh look, she left her cover because the op ended,' but if they wanted to go that route, just let Lucy have a line at the end, possibly while cuffing the sister. Anything would've been better than her just standing off to the side there.
What, if anything, disappointed or annoyed you in this week's episode?
Jasmine: Are you guys getting tired of me saying Bailey? I just thought the whole storyline was stupid.
Fine. In my appreciation for Thorsen, I can still admit that Bradford seemed, hmm, "off his game" to make Thorsen shine. It was very weird.
Christine: I hate to jump on the Bailey bandwagon, but it feels like they're throwing all kinds of things at this character just to see what sticks.
It's as though Nolan and Bailey are the comic relief for each episode. Only it's not working because I wish to see less of them instead of more.
Kate: Bailey, obviously.
But, aside from that, Thorsen and Tim felt slightly forced in this episode. Don't get me wrong; normally, I love them. So this could get chalked up to them both being tense about the OP. However, I loved their little fist bump at the end. Overall I was very happy with this episode.
What was your favorite moment from this installment of The Rookie?
Jasmine: I LOVE when Lucy goes undercover. She's just so damn confident when she steps into the role of someone else. I love Melissa O'Neil's versatility on display. No undercover role feels the same. It was literally the best part of the episode, hands down, for me.
Christine: I have to agree. Lucy is a rock star when she's undercover, and she single-handedly saved this episode for me. She transforms into someone else. And I wish someone would have asked her where she learned to drive like that.
Kate: Lucy going undercover!! She's always so awesome when she's undercover, and I love the preparation and build-up behind the ops as well.
Hit that SHOW COMMENTS button below to tell us what you thought of The Rookie. Don't forget to check out Jasmine's The Rookie Season 5 Episode 7 review here at TV Fanatic.
Remember, you can watch The Rookie online right here via TV Fanatic.
C. Orlando was a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. Follow her on Twitter.
