The Rookie may be a television show, but dang if it isn’t an interesting way to experience how life throws us curve-balls. This week it comes in the form of how family, and life is a constant surprise.
Last week was a look at our characters finding their new normal. Normal showed up tonight, in the form of a half-brother Nolan never knew about, whose face might be familiar to fans of SNL.
The cherry on top was Wesley’s mom landing in jail right in front of Angela. But I’m getting ahead of myself, so why don’t we dive into “Follow-Up Day.”
If it’s not one thing, it’s another right?
When it comes to relationships, whether it’s friends or family, they can be tricky to navigate.
Our favorite crew found that out in multiple ways that were hard, and frankly eye-opening. Literally, it’s a day to wake up, and in the course of it, find out your dad is dead, you have a half-brother, and he’s slightly nuts.
Nolan, you know how to roll with the punches.
I would have thought stealing an inheritance was strange enough, but I commend our oldest rookie for attempting to reach out to his brother long past when I wouldn’t have.
I mean, his heart is the size of Pooh Bear’s to accept him as family quick enough to forgive him for stealing the car. As easily that he could have listened to Harper about him being DNA, I am glad he went the other way.
His brother went his way, with Chastity the friendly stripper and his stolen inheritance. Man, this show is weird.
Wesley, on his side of family drama, woke up to his mom getting arrested for having an unregistered gun.
Nice suburban ladies get arrested, and guess who’s guilty? The freaking tennis instructor — who committed an armed robbery, and got close with the wealthy widow.
As awkward as the family dinner was, it also cleared the air in a way Wesley and his mom sorely needed. Family might (does) get on your nerves, but being there for them is something all the money in the world can’t buy.
On the romance side of things, Nolan nervously asked Grace, my new favorite doctor, out on a first date. Well sort of, it’s been twenty years I think it counts.
Nolan got some fresh advice from Chastity, who pointed out that men can be a lot more honest with strangers than people they care about. Man, isn’t that hitting the nail on the head?
Luckily despite the night starting by picking up his stolen car (the first time ha), the evening ended with a nice kiss. I mean whew, John Nolan, you still got it. Keep going with that honesty bit; it will get you far in life whether it’s with your lady or your half-brother.
Crime doesn’t pay in cash, or lottery tickets
In between all the family/relationship drama, our rookies and officers were up to their necks in all sorts of (dormant) crime tonight.
First, a statue shaped like a giant turd was stolen, and man, I was with the wife on that one. Who wants something like that on their front lawn?
On the serious side, I didn’t envy any of our officers tonight going toe to toe with a murderer or getting around a gang member’s smug Shakespearean attitude. The good news was that it opened their eyes to how much they’re learning on the job.
Nolan talked down the murderer using nothing but what he truly believed, and succeeded.
Chen wouldn’t let Bradford give up on finding a way to help a guy stay on the straight path, even if it meant finding a new way to do it.
I know it doesn’t always work out in real life, but the relief of knowing that baby was safe, and that Nevin could stay out of gang life was a breath of fresh air I desperately needed.
That’s one of the things this show excels at, finding light in the unexpected spots of normal life. Because honestly, that’s what you hope to find every day you wake up.
Final Thoughts
I need to give Tim Bradford a huge high five for kicking a** on the sergeant’s exam! Lucy cheering him on was so cute, I love how supportive she is of him.
The second Sgt. Grey offered him almost an immediate spot, though, his hesitation made me wonder for a minute. Thankfully my Chenford loving heart was not disappointed as he revealed he wasn’t done training Lucy.
The amount of smiling between the two of them afterward had me squealing like the shameless fangirl I am.
Running from the police is never a good idea, but good lord, it’s even worse when you think you can escape in a freaking garbage can. I’d take the handcuffs over that smell never coming off in a jail cell.
Only this show can make splitting a dead parent’s ashes between a can and a hotel icebox a touching gesture.
The Rookie airs on Sundays at 10/9c on ABC.