Critic’s Rating: 4.3 / 5.0
4.3
Some of the most compelling cases on cop shows are when a character finds themself quietly thinking, “That could’ve been me.”
Lucy’s motivation to pursue this case on The Rookie Season 8 Episode 7 stemmed from a personal connection to the victims, driving her determination to find whoever was responsible for killing two young women who lived in a van.
The hour also saw Miles facing some serious consequences for his reckless actions, but that arc came with some frustrations.
(Disney/Mike Taing)
When they opened with that gruesome scene, it was easy to understand why Lucy would feel as strongly as she did about this case.
It was horrific enough that one of the victims was dead in the van, but having to actually watch the other die, as she was trying to save her friend, was awful.
Lucy’s passion over this case was the strongest part of this hour. We got so much insight into her life and the years before she was a cop.
And knowing that really rounds her out as a character more. One of the greatest things about having a series like this on for so long is that there are always little surprises and new layers to explore with characters.
People contain multitudes. You can know someone for years and still never fully know all there is to know about them.
(Disney/Mike Taing)
And you can have dynamics with people and still get to explore whole other layers of them under different circumstances.
Lucy and Nyla posing as a happy couple living the van life was such a lovely plot point because it allowed both of them to talk and confide in each other in ways that we don’t normally see.
Typically, Nyla turns to Angela for things. Sometimes, we’ll get some great moments with her and Nolan, too.
And Lucy is an interesting character because, while she has a new closeness with Celina and is happy and great at communicating with Tim, she hasn’t had that close, tight-knit friend to talk to in some time.
Tamara was the closest example recently.
Lucy and Nyla’s unique one-on-one conversations always stand out. Nyla taught Lucy to be a female cop—not just a cop—using her strengths and compensating for her weaknesses.
(Disney/Mike Taing)
Sometimes they felt imbalanced, but this was a great case that let them tap into the dynamic they have as equals, partners, and friends, and it was genuinely sweet.
It makes sense that Nyla can’t exactly confide in Angela about the Glasser situation as she normally would because of the Wesley aspect.
And James doesn’t always understand her perspective as a cop. But Lucy does, and her vulnerability and getting to express some of her concerns and fears about this I.A. investigation felt really organic.
But it was Lucy who did most of the sharing. We learned so much about this period of her life when she didn’t know what she wanted to be, but wanted to escape her parents’ expectations and the looming idea of becoming a doctor.
She did some things that weren’t exactly kosher around that time period, too, and she potentially faced some rough situations.
(Disney/Mike Taing)
Basically, the only thing that separated her from those victims was that she was simply lucky enough not to end up in the clutches of someone who could lead to her demise.
Lucy’s advocacy for this case stood out because it was deeply personal. Her pursuit of justice was driven not just by procedural duty, but by a genuine passion for helping those she deeply related to.
Rather than aiming for bigger victories or complex cases, Lucy focused on delivering justice for these two women, reinforcing the episode’s central theme.
Admittedly, I was worried about her opting to close the case and catch everyone there. I still am, and wonder whether that’ll play into a later plot point or jeopardize a much larger case down the road.
We’ll have to see if getting justice now won’t be an issue later.
(Disney/Mike Taing)
One of the best moments of the hour was the emotion Lucy couldn’t contain after closing the case, and the killer finally admitted to what he did.
Nyla standing beside her as they stared at the ocean, reminding her that it’s okay to feel her feelings, was such a soft, sweet, emotional moment.
Lucy is fantastic at undercover work, and we know Nyla is the best of the best, and it felt like a genuine callback to how much of a mentor Nyla was in that regard.
The Glasser case is still looming over Nyla and stressing me out, and Lucy had a tough time reflecting on her past, but they were truly bonded in a way that was nice to see.
What was less nice, however, was this whole thing with Miles.
(Disney/Mike Taing)
My frustration with this storyline is that it felt like a character regression for the sake of the plot.
We’ve had Miles for a while now, and he’s mostly worked through these feelings of displacement and doing random things because of how he used to do things back in Texas.
Miles is earnest, no doubt, but the whole thing with this case, staking out in his off-time, chasing someone into a car wash instead of just meeting them on the other side, nearly getting himself and Seth killed — it was all so stupid and reckless.
And Miles is not stupid.
I’m just trying to make sense of this point he’s reached, where he’s not getting sleep and going on unauthorized stakeouts in his off time for the sake of “proving” himself or whatever.
(Disney/Mike Taing)
What more does he have to prove? We’ve seen him earn his keep and go through his growing pains. It’s like this is a plot that should’ve happened when he first arrived, not now.
Its sole purpose is to extend his rookie status for longer.
Even Tim firing him on the spot, in the heat of the moment, felt jarring. Sure, he took it back later because St. Nolan advocated for him, but Tim’s decision seemed rash, and then they walked it back not even two minutes later.
It also seemed like a deliberate way to endear viewers to Seth again.
They’re slow rolling his way back into the series, and part of me just doesn’t understand why or the point.
Did Seth really need to come back? No.
(Disney/Mike Taing)
They gave him that ridiculously stupid storyline about him lying about everything, and now, it’s like they’re trying erase that from our minds and relaunch the character because they squandered the actor’s talent on a stupid storyline.
I don’t think Seth needs to come back, and I certainly am not fond of the idea of tampering with Miles’ characterization and journey on the show just to do it.
However, I will say this version of Seth is at least more tolerable, and if he returns to the series on a more permanent basis, I won’t mind.
He was the one telling Miles that his actions weren’t the best, but he also had his back through and through, however he could.
This version of Seth is proving that he’s capable of being a great partner and friend and that he’s rational and reasonable, too.
(Disney/Mike Taing)
The irony of Miles thinking he’d have the sway to get Seth back into the fray, but Seth instead proving to be the one with the cop instincts and full custody of the shared brain cell during this hour, wasn’t lost on me.
Again, if Seth is coming back, whatever, call me indifferent.
But where I draw the line is that it is negatively affecting Miles’ characterization, growth, evolution, and screentime.
Hell, maybe the bigger issue here is that Miles was a solid rookie under Bradford but randomly sucks under Nolan.
Stakeout Chatter:
(Disney/Mike Taing)
- I never tire of a good stakeout sequence, so I found the boy rotating between eating and sleeping amusing.
- I’m so loving that Elena is guest-starring so much, and she’s so great at her job and fun. I loved her with Celina and Miles at the end.
- The FBI backdrafting that entire history on social media for Harper and Lucy was impressive. I actually could buy that they were loving, adventurous girlfriends.
- Seriously, give me more of them undercover!
- Bradford in that uniform, like he was Pop’s from Riverdale, had me cackling, and I love that Angela had to get her picture.
- Harper’s daughter is so precious! I love that Mekia Cox’s daughter actually plays her daughter. She’s such a precious little mini-me.
- Lucy’s impassioned plea to Grey was so good.
- So, Bailey’s gone, but she’s still on our screens a lot, and she and Nolan are making things work. And he’s having a hard time sleeping alone. I guess we needed all of those updates, and that she’s putting in effort with him.
- So, folks really do smuggle Ozempic across the board, huh? Sheesh!
- Nolan calling Miles “Bubbles” was hilarious.
Over to you, The Rookie Fanatics. What are your thoughts about this episode?
We sustain ourselves on caffeine and input, so give us the best you got!
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