The Rookie: Feds Season 1 Episode 17 Review: Payback
Denis Kimathi
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We are a product of our past experiences, but some of them are better left there.
Abril set her sights on avenging her father's murder on The Rookie: Feds Season 1 Episode 17 while Simone and Carter tried to let go of old grudges.
Mark's visit turned sour when he demanded that Laura define their relationship, or he would walk away.
Cutty's false incarceration did not affect him only. Simone missed having her father in the most formative years of her life, and such a loss sticks with someone forever.
As hard as it was for Cutty to be holed up in prison over something he didn't do, those outside also carried hardships. The biggest one is loss. It's the missed milestones, like birthdays, in someone's life that accentuate the loss.
Cutty: You know, Reynolds reached out to me the other day. He's in hospice now.
Simone: Good. Can't wait for him to die.
Cutty: Come on, no, no, no.
Simone: Reynolds. That crooked cop who framed you? Had you incarcerated for most of my childhood?
Then one has to deal with the rest of the world, which is usually not understanding. I can't imagine how many times Simone had to tell the other kids that her dad was innocent, but they didn't believe her. That's the second hardship. Not being believed.
All these things could have been avoided if the cop had not lied. There was someone to blame, and Simone was right in blaming the cop. And for that reason, it was justified that she was unwilling to forgive him.
Forgiveness has a certain kind of power. There's nothing mystical to it; it's just that it is freeing in a way one would never understand. Being his age, Cutty has come to terms with the fact that something horrible happened to him and that it should never happen again.
But there is no use in carrying the baggage associated with hating someone. Not when you are an older man, and the person who wronged you is on their deathbed.
I was torn about how I would approach this if I were in their shoes because the rationality in me knows that forgiveness is essential, yet my emotions would not let me.
I believe there is no wrong decision regarding something this personal. Whatever someone chooses is what's right because it is their honest decision.
Forgiveness is for the forgiver.
Cutty
Forgiveness is not owed.
Laura was confronted with a decision to make when Mark visited and wanted to know where they stood.
Being in an undefined relationship is horrible because it denies you the right to lay the ground rules and expectations. You send flowers and gifts as Mark did on Valentine's Day, yet you don't know they were received.
Mark: So, things good between you and Antoinette?
Brendon: Yeah.
Mark: Nice, nice. You guys exclusive, like boyfriend and girlfriend?
Brendon: I don't know. We haven't really talked about it. Maybe we should.
Laura: Maybe you shouldn't. Antoinette might not like labels.
Mark: That would be a shame. Labels are great. Lets you know what to expect. Where you stand.
People have been known to think they are in a relationship with someone, but it turns out the other person introduces them to their friends as a roommate.
Someone once learned that their boyfriend introduced them to his friends as his house help, and all the while, she thought they were in a relationship. True story!
While we live in a time when the current generation doesn't want to label things, labels are not outdated. A label helps you get exactly what you want and need.
That was something Laura came to realize was important to Mark.
Laura: Now you know I hate labels, but it's important to you. So, Mark, will you be my boyfriend? ...too much? ...too little? ...too late?
Mark: It's perfect. Absolutely perfect. Answer's yes.
Her hesitation stemmed from being in a labeled relationship before; her "fiancee" cheated on her with her best friend.
Laura realized that it was petty to lose something as good as what they shared over something as mundane as calling Mark her boyfriend.
Amidst all this, we were concluding Abril's case that carried over from The Rookie Season 5 Episode 17.
While Simone and Carter might be forgiving, Abril is not, and she sought revenge on anyone who had anything to do with her father's death over two decades prior.
As a villain, she was formidable but felt all over the place.
It was hard to track what she was doing because she was killing a priest one moment, and the next, she was murdering Elijah's people.
It was unbelievable how she used the FBI to find the man responsible for her father's death.
It didn't feel particularly urgent or as if anything significant was at stake because we didn't know who her father was, and we couldn't care less.
Extra thoughts.
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I'm willing to bet that Brendon was one of those actors who cry with their fans over a ship. He was so dedicated to making sure Mark and Laura came to an understanding that would not end up affecting his and Mark's bromance.
If they had decided to call it quits, he would have had to side with his training agent, hence no Mark.
First lovers quarrel. Nice.
Brendon
- Why did Elena and her date sit so far apart? And facing the huge window directly? It felt so odd as if production was on a clock, and they needed to get that done as soon as possible. It was a cute date; they didn't need to make it awkward and odd.
- Carter's grudge was so-so. The guy you thought you would make it out with left, leaving you in the middle of an awful situation. He should have congratulated himself for making it by himself. Seeing him relive the pain of being passed over for multiple promotions was sad, though.
"Payback" was a lesson on some healthy methods of dealing with stuff from your past. It failed as a thrilling procedural despite being served a great villain.
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Denis Kimathi was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. He has watched more dramas and comedies than he cares to remember. Catch him on social media obsessing over [excellent] past, current, and upcoming shows or going off about the politics of representation on TV. Follow him on X.
