Created by Alexi Hawley, The Rookie, is an American crime drama that premiered on October 16th, 2018. The series is about a middle-aged man who becomes the oldest newbie in the Los Angeles Police Department. The show released its fifth season on September 25th, 2022.
The Rookie is inspired by the real-life story of Officer William Norcross, who got into the Los Angeles Police Department in his mid-40s. The show has Nathan Fillion as John Nolan, a man who, after some significant life-changing events, decided to join the Los Angeles Police Department.
Angela Lopez is also cast in the show as Alyssa Diaz, a training officer and detective at the same police department as John. Eric Winter plays the role of a stuck-up officer with an army background, Tim Bradford. Actor Richard T. Jones plays Wade Grey, a sergeant who doubts John’s motivation for joining the police force.
Over the five seasons, the series has found a vast cast of talented actors for the supporting and guest roles. The show has received overall positive reviews from the viewers and is available on Prime Videos for streaming purposes.
The Rookie Season 5 Episode 17 Storyline
The show, The Rookie, is about John Nolan, a man in his mid-forties, freshly divorced, and how after helping a few policemen solve a robbery case in Pennsylvania, he finds himself with a new dream, to join the Los Angeles Police Department. Throughout the seasons, we see how Nolan, despite the judgments and challenges, manages to find his way into the police department.
With season five, John Nolan has gone from being a civilian to a recognized officer in the department. His colleagues, especially Wade Grey, who had thought he was here probably because of a mid-life existential crisis, also recognize his potential. In the previous episode, we saw the team dealing with a possible explosive truck somewhere among civilian cars, all the while looking for people with ebola disease.
In episode seventeen of the season, the mafia lord Elijah’s story sees a possible end. His lawyer Monica, who had betrayed him previously, convinces him not to kill her and instead lets her pretend to work with the police so she can get him inside information. He agrees to do so, but Monica ends up betraying him again.
She works with the police and lets them know his location. Angela gets her hands on him, and after a brief fight, Elijah gets arrested and sent to jail. Though the police do not capture Monica, Nyla warns her not to repeat this because she will be arrested the next time.
Monica tries to warn Abril about the Feds beings after her. Nolan is helping Celina solve her sister’s case and lets her listen to the witness investigation. The case had some discrepancies, and Edmund, the witness, had proof that Carla, Celina’s mother, had not been home. Carla was addicted to drugs and was out trying to get her hands on some, while Celina and her baby sister, Blanca, were left all alone to fend for themselves.
The case is reopened as Celina struggles to cope with how her mother had lied to her for so long and how she had been blaming herself for Blanca’s disappearance and death. All the while, Tim is forced to sign up to spend a day with a kid named Jordy for a Make-A-Dream activity.
The kid had different motives for being at the police station and soon slipped away from Lucy and Tim’s sight. While Tim and Lucy discuss how difficult it will be to manage their kids, Aaron finds and bring Jordy to them. He slips away once again, but this time, upon getting found, he tells the officers why he was there.
His father sent him to delete his fine tickets from the computer in return for a bicycle. The father is called to the station, where he tells them his situation, and after some persuasion from Lucy, Tim agrees to send the father-son duo home. The episode ends with Lucy and Tim discussing how soft he has turned and then joking about their future kids.
The Rookie Season 5 Episode 17 Review
The ABC Network police drama was released in 2018 and was created by Alexi Hawley. With Nathan Fillion as the main guy for the show, it has aired for the past six years and will release its fifth season in 2022. The show follows the story of named John Nolan, played by Nathan Fillion, who, in his forties, decides to join the police force.
The Rookie is a show that has everything good in it; it is not easy to pinpoint many bad things about the series. The show plays safe with its characters, plotlines, and story. The actors forming the cast of The Rookie do a good job at their roles, and the story arcs are nothing too over the top or nonsensical.
The show follows the same old format and does not take many risks. Everything fits in so perfectly that there is no surprise factor left. It is a good cop show, but how is it any different from the rest? The show is new in that a middle-aged man with no trained background is trying to be a cop. We do not see that happen very often.
But the show does not explore much of the internal dialogue of John Nolan while on his journey. His side of the story, his thoughts and inner turmoil, the reason why he wants to change occupations after forty-something years of being a common man, all of these themes could be explored more to give more depth to the show and Nathan Fillion’s character.
The show’s recent episode had a lot going on, with Elijah’s story coming to a possible end, Monica’s undercover police agent stealing, a little introduction to Abril’s appearance in the show, and, lastly, Tim and Lucy’s mission.
The way the makers of the show decided to send Elijah to jail when Angela caught him after the fight felt a bit sudden and abrupt. Elijah is a drug lord and an intelligent man; it is unbelievable that this is how his story ends. His end did not feel gratifying, and we can probably expect his comeback sometime soon.
Monica’s morally grey character was interesting to see. The episode had us constantly guessing whether she had fully turned her back to Elijah until the end. She takes on big risks, sometimes putting her life on the line, but her fickle-mindedness and traitor-like behavior keep the episode going.
She carried the entire episode, and even after Nyla’s warnings, she did not stop her dirty ways, showing that she would continue being in the show for a long time. The woman lives for risks, unlike the makers of the show. Another thing interesting about her character that was noticeable in this episode was that just because the bad guy she was working with becomes threatening towards her does not mean she will turn to the good guys for help.
She is badass because she always finds a way out for herself. The episode also explored Celina’s story some more but ended all too quickly and felt rushed. It was her family’s story, but it felt like her feelings and thoughts remained unexplored and dark.
Tim and Lucy were the comedic relief this episode needed. The entire story of Jordy and his father sending him to the police station to do shady stuff felt like a setup to get Tim and Lucy’s story in the future. The two will be great parents, and their scenes made it clear.
Our Verdict
It was wholesome to see Tim be the strict father, whereas Lucy is the soft puppy faced mother. The two bicker about kids and how they will deal with them in the future, which is adorable. Nathan Fillion as John Nolan, a cop guy, is surprising but somehow fitting. He carried the show on his back in the early seasons.
The show may lack the risk factor, but it still finds a balance between action, mystery, drama, and comedy. The show has few bad qualities and is an entertaining watch. It is a well-written show with an interesting premise. The recent episode is the prime example of what the show is about: a perfect mix of badass characters, wholesome humor, and tear-jerking emotional drama.
Our Rating: ⭐ (4.2/5).
Also Read: The Rookie Season 5 Episode 18: Release Date, Recap & Where To Watch
