The Rookie

8.5
2018

Production

Logo for ABC Studios
Logo for Entertainment One
Logo for Lionsgate Television
Logo for ABC Signature

Starting over isn't easy, especially for small-town guy John Nolan who, after a life-altering incident, is pursuing his dream of being an LAPD officer. As the force's oldest rookie, he’s met with skepticism from some higher-ups who see him as just a walking midlife crisis.

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Trailers & Videos

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Trailer

Seasons

20 Episodes • Premiered 2018

A life-changing incident pushes a 45-year-old man to chase his dream of becoming a cop. But he must prove himself to his LAPD superiors to make the cut.

Still image for The Rookie season 1 episode 1: Pilot

1. Pilot

8.5

Starting over isn't easy, especially for small-town guy John Nolan who, after a life-altering incident, is pursuing his dream of being a police officer. As the force's oldest rookie, he’s met with skepticism from some higher-ups who see him as just a walking midlife crisis. Throw in a workplace romance, a hostage situation, and some tough love from their new training officers, and the latest Los Angeles police rookie class has an uphill battle ahead of them.

Still image for The Rookie season 1 episode 2: Crash Course

2. Crash Course

7.9

Talia forces Nolan to confront his personal moral instincts in order to be a good cop after he encounters a kidnapping victim. Lucy is temporarily placed with a new training officer who tests her patience. Jackson must confront his failures head-on if he wants to be an officer.

Still image for The Rookie season 1 episode 3: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

3. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

7.6

After Nolan and Talia lose control of a crime scene, they begin to debate whether people are fundamentally good or bad and what that means for a police officer. Lucy is concerned Tim is enabling his wife’s destructive behavior and not taking care of himself.

Still image for The Rookie season 1 episode 4: The Switch

4. The Switch

7.4

The rookies are temporarily paired with new training officers, and Nolan is paired with Lopez. When Nolan and Lopez track down an escaped criminal, they discover a little kindness goes a long way. Jackson is forced to face his fears when he is partnered with Officer Bradford. Chen and Nolan must face a hard truth.

Still image for The Rookie season 1 episode 5: The Roundup

5. The Roundup

7.6

Nolan, the rookies and their training officers get involved in a competition that pits them against each other. Chen notices Bradford is obsessed with winning at all costs.

Still image for The Rookie season 1 episode 6: The Hawke

6. The Hawke

8.2

Nolan and the team must help capture a cop and his former mentor from the academy after he becomes a fugitive following an assault. Bradford needs Chen to learn to predict the moves of criminals in order to capture them.

Still image for The Rookie season 1 episode 7: The Ride Along

7. The Ride Along

7.9

Grey informs Nolan and Bishop that they are going to have a movie director as a ride-along during their patrol after a fun afternoon granting the wish of a Make-a-Wish kid as an honorary police officer. Bradford is tested once again after he learns that his wife has been arrested for drug possession.

Still image for The Rookie season 1 episode 8: Time of Death

8. Time of Death

8.4

Nolan and Bishop respond to a silent alarm call at a local convenience store where two men are attempting to rob the place. Bishop helps coordinate a drug bust that hits a little too close to home for Bradford.

Still image for The Rookie season 1 episode 9: Standoff

9. Standoff

8.6

Officer Bradford’s wife, Isabel, is found shot but alive and he vows to track down the man responsible. Meanwhile, Officer Nolan must protect his home and the truth after a home invasion attack.

Still image for The Rookie season 1 episode 10: Flesh and Blood

10. Flesh and Blood

8.2

On Captain Andersen’s orders, Officer Nolan and Sergeant Grey are paired up for the day on patrol. Additionally, Nolan’s son and Grey’s daughter visit their dads on the job and see them in action. Meanwhile, Officer Chen is paired up with Captain Andersen, and Officer Bradford tells Chen to protect her at all costs.

Still image for The Rookie season 1 episode 11: Redwood

11. Redwood

7.7

An unscheduled visit by the vice president of the United States puts the station on high alert. The secret service tasks Officer Nolan and Officer Bishop with checking out a possible threat to the vice president while the rest of the team try to keep the streets clear and safe for his visit.

Still image for The Rookie season 1 episode 12: Heartbreak

12. Heartbreak

7.2

The most dangerous day of the year – Valentine’s Day – has the team on high alert, and Officer Nolan invites everyone over for a party now that he is single.

Still image for The Rookie season 1 episode 13: Caught Stealing

13. Caught Stealing

7.8

The rookies become the prime suspects after it is discovered a large sum of money used in a drug bust has gone missing.

Still image for The Rookie season 1 episode 14: Plain Clothes Day

14. Plain Clothes Day

8.5

The rookies are really put to the test when their training officers accompany them out of uniform for Plain Clothes Day, which forces them to make all the decisions while on patrol. Meanwhile, Officer Nolan tries to prove he has been progressing faster than the other rookies to justify his desire of becoming a detective within five years.

Still image for The Rookie season 1 episode 15: Manhunt

15. Manhunt

8.1

When a prison bus crashes, all units must respond as some inmates face severe injuries while others seek an opportunity to flee. In the wake of the accident, Officer Nolan tries to impress an FBI hostage negotiator while tracking down an escaped convict.

Still image for The Rookie season 1 episode 16: Greenlight

16. Greenlight

9.2

Officer Nolan gets a lesson in respect after his arrest of a gang member leads to a free-for-all on his life. Meanwhile, Officer Chen and Officer Bradford pull over Mario Lopez, who thinks he can talk his way out of a traffic violation.

Still image for The Rookie season 1 episode 17: The Shake Up

17. The Shake Up

8.0

A massive earthquake rocks the city and throws everyone’s patrols and its citizens into chaos. Meanwhile, agent Russo recommends Officer Nolan for a protective detail of Brad Hayes, a man whose dealings have put a target on his head.

Still image for The Rookie season 1 episode 18: Homefront

18. Homefront

7.7

When one of their colleagues is arrested by Internal Affairs for lying on the witness stand, it leads to the release of three felons whose cases he worked on and the team being asked to check in on them now that they are free. Meanwhile, Officer Nolan finds out he is being sued by a man who claims he used excessive force which led to an injury.

Still image for The Rookie season 1 episode 19: The Checklist

19. The Checklist

8.0

Sergeant Gray informs the rookies that they must track down a specific set of crimes in a 48-hour period in order to qualify for their final exam. Meanwhile, Officer Nolan and Officer Bishop answer a silent alarm call at will.i.am’s house.

Still image for The Rookie season 1 episode 20: Free Fall

20. Free Fall

8.1

As the rookies prepare for a big exam to see who moves on to the next stage of training, Officer Nolan and Officer Bishop are called to the scene of a murder and learn that the victim may be tied to a potential terrorist attack on the city of Los Angeles.

Cast

Photo of Nathan Fillion

Nathan Fillion

John Nolan

Photo of Alyssa Diaz

Alyssa Diaz

Angela Lopez

Photo of Eric Winter

Eric Winter

Tim Bradford

Photo of Mekia Cox

Mekia Cox

Nyla Harper

Photo of Shawn Ashmore

Shawn Ashmore

Wesley Evers

Photo of Jenna Dewan

Jenna Dewan

Bailey Nune

Photo of Lisseth Chavez

Lisseth Chavez

Celina Juarez

More Like This

Reviews

S

superbro

10/10

Wow wow wow thats all I can say I watched the premeire of this show and it was a all out blast this is not a show that takes itsself too seriously or jokes too much it's kinda in the middle just rhe way I love it hilarious and also kick-ass the guy from castle is upbeat and charming. As well I love love loved this show it was fantastic no doubt one of the falls best

D

Dean

10/10

What a great show! No propaganda, agenda or any political BS. Characters are very well developed. You care about them, you love them. I really can't say anything bad about this show. It's great. Definitely deserves 10/10!

M

misubisu

7/10

I loved this show in the first couple of seasons, and then it started going a bit silly. But I kept watching it as the character development has been such you are keep interested in the characters.

I strongly believe that this is a propaganda show set up to change peoples perception of the police force (in the US).

Watching world events/news and US citizens hate the police. And they reasons are perfectly justified (to an outsider of the US).
BUT you love these people [police] they are so inherently good and honest and never stand for any corruption. The plots and storylines are so far from reality that it (at times) is totally unbelievable. But none the less, fun to watch.

R

ephraimk

9/10

Really good. Like really good.

The way it navigated through the drama following George Floyd's death was really good. A balance between a need for reform and a need for police. Well done.

G

GenerationofSwine

10/10

It started off REALLY good, and I was getting into it. It's one of those shows my wife watches that I would reply with "I liked it more when they called it Hillstreet Blues," and then I would joke that "what are they going to call it in season two or three, they didn't think through the title, did they?" But it started growing on me from the start, and it was only teasing. I was actually getting into it.

And then 2020 happened and it took a HARD left wing turn It fell apart. It took a bit of an ACAB stance, which is awkward in a police drama. It started to do the who leftist lecture thing. The "inappropriate" relationships according to the left broke up. It became crap. So much so that I started calling it "The Wokie."

But then it slowly started to veer back to an actual cop show again. The characters that I was getting into when it started started to return to the same characters and not just the same woke stereo-types. Personalities came back to them, actual individual personalities, which seems to be one of the biggest problems with leftist media, they can't give people personalities, they just give them gender and races and sexualities and mistake that for actual character.

In other words, it redeemed itself. It started being a police drama again. It started to be an ensemble cast of compelling characters again. It even got rid of the worst woke characters they injected and brought the whole thing back to the original cast. The politics vanished, and it became about entertainment again.

It's a GREAT example of how to make fix a show after a heavy injection of politics.

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