The Rookie Season 2 Report Card: Best Episode, Biggest Letdown, Most Popular ‘Ship, & More!
Christine Orlando
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With The Rookie Season 2, the series showcased why it's one of the most entertaining cop dramas on TV.
The season hit the ground running and never looked back as one fan-favorite left, and three new characters got introduced.
On the professional front, the LAPD team dealt with a terrorist plot, a serial killer tag team, and a strange, off-the-books black ops team using counterfeit money.
And in their personal lives, almost everyone had romantic entanglements, including not one, but two breakups for Nolan, an engagement for Lopez, and new love interests for Jackson, Lucy, and Tim.
But none of them was the relationship that fans obsessed over!
So let's dive in and investigate all of the highs and lows of The Rookie Season 2!
Best Episode: "Day of Death"
During The Rookie Season 2 Episode 11, Lucy Chen proved she was a badass, Caleb got the death he deserved, and Rosalind Dyer planted the seeds of doubt concerning Nick Armstrong.
When Caleb abducted her, Lucy didn't scream, she didn't cry, and she didn't beg for mercy.
Caleb: Any last words?
Lucy: Yeah, you’re going to be dead long before I am.
Officer Chen used all of her police training and everything she'd learned from growing up with two psychologists as parents to survive, escape, and leave clues to help her fellow officers save her.
Not once did Lucy let Caleb get in her head, but she worked to get inside his, and it was fascinating to watch.
As Lucy held it together like a pro, Tim berated himself because he had stood three feet from a demented serial killer, and his spidey senses never tingled.
It tore him up because not only had he never suspected a thing, but he pushed Lucy to go out on a date with the guy.
Overall, this was an installment that left us breathless from beginning to end.
Biggest Letdown: "The Bet"
The Rookie Season 2 Episode 3, was one that the fans of Fillion's former series, Castle, eagerly awaited because it included Jon Huertas and Seamus Dever who played detectives and partners on that show.
But fans were bewildered and downright disappointed when the actors turned up in separate storylines! Why?
We would have been over-the-moon to have seen these two as partners on the job or, better yet, partners in crime.
Instead of playing this pairing for all it was worth, The Rookie wasted a brilliant opportunity and left fans of both shows utterly unsatisfied.
Best Use of a Guest Star - Alan Tudyk as Elroy Basso
Even if you never watched an episode of Firefly, you still would have fallen in love with Elroy Basso during The Rookie Season 2 Episode 8.
Elroy was a somewhat shy man whose personal tragedy drove him to know everything there was to know about cleaning up gruesome crime scenes. He was sweet, sincere, amusing, and good at his job.
We're rooting for Elroy and police dispatcher, Nell, to be a couple and would love to see them both back for another guest stint.
Most Realistic Romance: Wesley and Lopez
They fight, they make up. They struggle over house cleaning, and family issues, and PTSD.
In other words, Wesley and Angela look like a real couple.
They love one another and make each other crazy. They learned the art of compromise when they decided to hire someone to come in and do the cleaning instead of continuing to butt heads over it.
Even Wesley's proposal was perfectly imperfect as he ditched the plan to pop the question during a hot air balloon ride and decided to do it before they left on their trip so they could both enjoy themselves.
Wesley: Angela, you’re my best friend and you are the sexiest woman I’ve ever seen. You make me laugh, and cry sometimes. I fell in love with you the second I met you and I have been falling every second since. Will you marry me?
Angela: Yes.
The only thing that's been missing for this couple is Wesley interacting with Lopez's family. Now that's something we hope to see in Season 3!
Most Difficult Breakup: Nolan and Grace
Nolan and Jessica hit the skids early in Season 2 and, although we generally liked Jessica and are a huge fan of actress Sarah Shahi, the couple's eventual breakup wasn't a shock.
But when Grace officially split up with Nolan to go back to the husband, she didn't love for the sake of her son, that hurt!
It also didn't help that Rosalind Dyer was listening in and relishing the heartache as Nolan poured his heart out to Grace only to have her dump him anyway.
To be honest, we knew that Nolan and Grace were on a challenging road when Grace admitted she was only separated from her ex and not officially divorced, and that she felt like a failure.
Grace was carrying around some heavy emotional baggage, and whether she realized it or not, she hadn't closed the book on her marriage.
Nolan and Grace are fun and have great chemistry, so, as horrible as it may sound, we're rooting for Grace's marriage to end for good finally and that she and Nolan might still have a future.
Most Unrealistic Plot Twist
It's a TV show, and to make it entertaining viewers sometimes have to accept that not every moment will not be based on reality, but when a storyline goes too far afield, it can pull us out of the fantasy world we're immersed in for 42 minutes and remind us we're just watching TV.
That's what happened during The Rookie Season 2 Episode 14. How was it that everyone assumed that Jengus would determine that Nolan was the weak link in their team, and how did they know that the man would show up at Nolan's that night to intimidate him?
It was a lot of jumps in logic to allow them to plant that tracking device on Jengus' vehicle.
And does everyone but me have head to toe black outfits, including black beanies in their closet just in case they have to run out for an off-the-books mission?
Also, what was the point of risking their careers and lives to arrest Joe's killer if everyone seemed to agree that without a confession, there wasn't enough evidence to convict him?
Granted, seeing Lopez in the sniper's nest was cool, and we loved that Bradford adopted Lucy's dog, but parts of this plot left us rolling our eyes so hard it hurt.
Best Villain: Rosalind Dyer
Let's face it, Annie Wersching is wonderful in almost any role, but she is a rock star as a serial killer.
She lifts one well-manicured eyebrow, and you believe she's capable of pouring boiling oil down your throat for kicks and giggles.
It's that smirk that convinces us that somehow she's holding all the cards despite being locked behind bars.
Rosalind Dyer's intelligence and ability to play the long game made it impossible not to worry when she taunted Nolan about knowing some horrible secret concerning Detective Nick Armstrong.
Biggest Shock: Det. Nick Armstrong Sets Up Nolan To Look Like a Dirty Cop!
This was not only the most significant shock of the season but also the best season-long story arc because there were so many clues planted along the way to make us wonder, and yet we doubted our suspicions until the two-part finale.
Nick Armstrong was John's friend. Nick gave him advice on love and encouragement on the job. Nick steered him through securing his first CI, warned him about not letting a serial killer get inside his head, and encouraged him to tell Grace how he felt.
When we first got introduced to Nick, he had some words of wisdom for Nolan about being faithful to the job, which seems so ironic now that we know he's been in the back pocket of the Armenian mob all along.
We truly felt for Nick, if not sympathy, then at least empathy, right up until he killed Erin and set up Nolan. Now there really is no going back.
Best New Character: Det. Nyla Harper
We didn't know how we'd get past losing Officer Talia Bishop, and we still miss her, but Nyla Harper stepped into her new role with a golden ticket, and it paid off.
After four years of working an intense undercover assignment, Harper had nothing but hard edges and skepticism, especially concerning Nolan's ability to be successful on the job.
On the upside, that's why Sgt. Grey paired her with Nolan because he knew John could handle it.
Sgt. Grey: She’s spent the last four years neck-deep in paranoia and adrenaline. Lying every time she opened her mouth. Striking out at any sign of aggression. Now don’t get me wrong, I have the utmost respect for her service but transitioning back into a uniform, that’s going to be a bitch.
Nolan: So you made her my T.O.?
Sgt. Grey: I didn’t have much say in that matter. She would eat a 25-year-old recruit alive. At least you stand a chance.
But Nyla Harper was full of contradictions. She's hardcore when she's undercover, and we desperately want to see more of her alter-ego Crystal.
She was tough as nails on both Nolan and Chen, but she ended up offering to be a mentor to Lucy and has begun to trust Nolan as a partner and a friend.
As a bonus, she's a loving mother who has changed her entire career to regain custody of her daughter.
We're thrilled Harper joined this team, have found her character development captivating, and are looking forward to seeing more!
Character Whom We'd Like to See More: Sgt. Wade Grey
Sgt. Grey started as Nolan's nemesis, and although we wouldn't call them friends, Grey has grown to respect his oldest rookie.
We've heard about Grey's wife, met his daughter, and know a little about his past on the job, but we wouldn't mind learning more of both his professional and home life.
And we sincerely hope that any plans for his retirement are far in the future!
Storyline We Wish Hadn't Been Dropped: Abigail Wanting To Be a Cop
We know that Nolan's son, Henry, and his fiancée, Abigail aren't regular characters, and we know that Abigail's past is an obstacle to her joining the LAPD, but eventually, the show is going to need a new class of rookies.
How awesome would it be to see Abigail a part of it?
Abigail is smart and resilient, and she proved she's more than likely up for the challenge. Even if she and Henry break up, we still wouldn't mind seeing her in uniform with Officer John Nolan as a mentor.
Most Popular 'Ship: Lucy Chen and Tim Bradford
The relationship that fans are rooting for the most isn't a romance at all, but many would like it to be.
He's her tough-as-nails training officer, and she's proven more than up for the challenge. He's made her a better cop, and she's pushed him to be more in touch with his emotions.
It's clear that Tim and Lucy have developed a friendship over the last two seasons, but will it ever be more than that?
When Bradford pulled Lucy out of that drum and saved her life during "Day of Death," then brought her her favorite sandwich in the hospital, shipper hearts everywhere swooned.
To be honest, I didn't see this relationship as anything more than professional at first, but once I became aware of the fan chatter, I took another look and found more potential than I expected.
My conclusion is that there's the possibility of something more between Lucy and Tim. Will the show take it there? I hope so, eventually, but with these two, I'm willing to enjoy the slow burn.
Memorable Moment: Lucy Stepping Up to Defend Bradford
During The Rookie Season 2 Episode 8, we were graced with one of Officer Lucy Chen's most endearing characteristics, her willingness to step up and speak out in situations when most people assume she can be intimidated.
She did just that, and with another senior officer no less, to stand up for Bradford.
You’ve got time now. This is important. Officer Bradford is a 12-year veteran, he’s been shot five times in the line of duty. He deserves your respect, not whatever macho crap this is, Sir.
Chen
And finally.
The Best Quote of the Season.
Caleb: You weren’t conscious for your birth but you will feel every second of your death.
Lucy: That’s some greeting card level villainy, not that psychopaths are known for being original thinkers.
The Rookie Season 2 Grade: A-
The Rookie continued to grow and give fans a lot to enjoy in Season 2.
Although there were times it could have been more realistic, the combination of both light-hearted and intense police drama, coupled with engaging personal relationships, left us with a solid second season.
The series manages to make us care about all of these characters while immersing viewers in multiple storylines that keep us absorbed and yearning to know what's going to happen next for this team, both personally and professionally.
Now it's your turn, The Rookie Fanatics. What grade do you give this season?
What were your favorite and least favorite moments? And now that ABC has officially confirmed it, what do you hope to see on The Rookie Season 3?
Hit that BIG, BLUE, SHOW COMMENTS BUTTON down below, and let us hear from you!
You can watch The Rookie online here at TV Fanatic.
C. Orlando was a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. Follow her on Twitter.
