Hey!!
Did you miss me?
It’s been months. I know this. Actually I’m assuming the little of you that was reading is not there anymore and we’re starting from the bottom. Which is okay.
It’s not that I haven’t been writing. I haven’t been writing like I was, but I have written the occasional draft or half draft- I just never published them. I will, perhaps, update and publish those eventually. Time will only tell.
Right now, I have a new show in mind. One so good it brought me back to the keyboard. So, let’s discuss – and join in all the hype – The Rookie.
EDIT: I wrote this post on 11/02/2026, so bare with if it’s outdated in some places, I did my best to update it but it was otherwise complete I just hadn’t published it.
An Introduction
Look, we all know how much I hate these, but as I have caught up – though we will not be discussing much of Season 8 this post – the show is deserving of a Complete Comments, and despite my hatred those posts are supposed to have these.
So, lets do this fast.
The Rookie is an American crime procedural on ABC, created by Alexi Hawley. Set and one assumes shot in Los Angeles. It started in 2018, and is ongoing now airing it’s 8th season, to what has so far been a pretty good reception. It stars amongst it’s many talented cast, Nathan Fillion, who was likely the draw. Like casting Patrick Dempsey as your hot surgeon love interest, though I do not think his reputation has survived the years.
Nathan Fillion maintains his charm as the 40-something-year old rookie John Nolan, who uproots his life in Pennsylvania and moves to LA to join the LAPD following his divorce. The shows entire shtick is that he’s old and a rookie. That’s it. That’s kind of the whole premise actually. It’s rather simple, but it works. As is the nature of a procedural explaining anything else is hard, because the plot is so unpredictable, every episode is different, but the general vibe stays the same. This is the LAPD, these are the lives. The show is largely character led, which definitely works in it’s benefit. Every episode mixes a good amount of humour, drama and action in a well struck balance, and it is truly, very good.
Joining Fillion in the cast roster as rookies is Lucy Chen, played by Melissa O’Neil; and Jackson West played by Titus Makin Jr. Also amongst the early cast are their Training Officers’s (TO’s), Timothy Bradford, Talia Bishop and Angela Lopez, played by Eric Winter, Afton Williamson and Alyssa Diaz respectively. As well as their Watch Commander Sergeant Wade Grey portrayed by Richard T. Jones and Captain Zoe Anderson portrayed by Mercedes Mason.
As is the nature of shows that run this long, the cast has come across changes, with departures and entrances. For the sake of not too many spoilers I’m just gonna list of who joins, and not who goes.
In Season 2 we are joined by Mekia Cox as Nyla Harper and Shawn Ashmore as Wesley Evers, followed by Tru Valentino as Aaron Thorsen in Season 4 and Bailey Nune portrayed by Jenna Dewan. Season 5 sees Celina Juarez join the cast played by Lisseth Chavez. Most recently they have been joined by Miles ‘Texas’ Penn and Seth Ridley, played by Deric Augustine and Patrick Keleher, respectively. As well as a bunch of more of reoccurring guest stars in there that are all wonderful, if I do say so myself, such as Tamara Colins played by Dylan Conrique, Luna Grey portrayed by Angel Parker and James Murray played by Arjay Smith, to name some of the most notable.
You can watch The Rookie on Disney+ (Season 1-4) in the UK, and the rest on NowTV. Season 8 begins airing here on February 17th, and if you live in the US, or just generally not in the UK, Episode 806 airs on Monday.
Editing Ash here: Since writing this The Rookie in the UK is now set to air 804 and 811 in the US.
This was not as fast as I intended, moving on.
Okay! This is your potential SPOILER WARNING.
Go watch it now if you don’t want any.
Damn, This Show Is Good
Look, I’ve started this post and I don’t have anything in particular to say and also so much to say. It’s one of those that as time goes on I will write about it again, in more detail, assuming I write. I’ve been doing this blog enough to know that it’s far easier to write about something and get a whole post out of it when you talk about an event or aspect in particular than when you try to write about generally, and right now I’m trying to write about seven full seasons… that’s a lot… and no one episode is like it’s neighbour while also being exactly the same. It’s very hard to describe a procedural.
As we all know procedurals are kind of my happy place. The first kind of shows that got me into TV and now I’m here. But ya know no one talks about procedurals the same way they talk about… Breaking Bad or whatever… and I don’t not get it. Procedurals are generally easier viewing, despite their topic content, reliable, easy to jump in to. You hope. Some are legitimately quite good in my opinion, but even in a space that I have created for myself, I still feel a sort of shame for admitting to loving them. Even, though, most of these shows including The Rookie have a quite active fanbase. The Rookie, as far as I can tell is swimming in hype right now, which is good for it’s numbers and prospects if it can maintain this. Nevertheless a part of me is like, “but I should be watching something grittier-“, and that’s just not how this shit is supposed to work.
So, do away with the shame. This show brings me so much joy and it has too brought me to many tears because it’s writing is that good. You do not get procedurals of this calibre and quality quite so often anymore. It is on the lighter side of procedurals, which I appreciate, and actually makes it far easier to watch week to week than a show like Criminal Minds, which even after all these years I cannot watch in the dark. I’m grown.
The Rookie is kind of like 9-1-1 reversed, I keep saying, but better. As it is one firefighter (Bailey) to several cops. Bailey’s not even a factor till like Season 4 so… and Athena gets way more attention than this show ever gives Bailey. It is better, though. I love 9-1-1, I think. They were doing so good for a couple years, but every season since I caught up a few years ago has just been getting worse. It is falling off, and I now only keep up out of a sort of morbid curiosity for it’s slow death and Maddie Han.
I’m very glad I caught up to The Rookie when I did, though. It has been going nearly as long as 9-1-1, just one season behind. No, I do not know how it’s one season behind with them both starting in 2018, but here we are. It, however, has not fallen off. Actually, it’s last few seasons have been better than ever, in my opinion, and their switch to a January premiere with an uninterrupted airing seems to be working for them. I am glad I caught up just as the slow burn rekindled and didn’t have to watch Season 7 week by week. That said, I do kind of love a week by week watch as much as I love a binge, and getting to see these new Season 8 episodes week by week with everyone else has been great, even if largely via edits online, and I will engage with it twice as much when it finally airs in the UK. I do believe, that if you have the ability to do so, you should engage with a piece of media as legitimately as possible so those execs that determine whether it gets renewed know it’s worth it.
That said, for the purpose of this post I will not be talking about Season 8 because that is ongoing and will be covered in Catch-Up’s. So, if you have watched this show, just get the happy memories of that season out of your head for a moment, I’m saying this also to myself, and pretend all we’ve seen is up to the Season 7 finale.
Yeah, that doesn’t change anything this show is still so f**king good. So good, it got me here writing a post again for the first time in months. I can’t even describe why I stopped writing, I just know this show was so good I had to write about it. To quote, Lucifer Morningstar, “take that depression!”
So, yeah, I don’t know, just generally speaking go f**king watch it. Won’t be a waste of your time. If you think it’s cringey, you’re wrong. This show is great. Brilliant. Fantastic. Pry it from my cold dead hands type of show. I love it so much. Top 10 easily, if not top 5. Have not loved a show like this in awhile. Go watch it. That’s my endorsement.
I Don’t Have Favourites (they said, lying)
I love all of these characters equally but if I had to pick a favourite it would be Lucy Chen. It is Lucy Chen. She’s f**king awesome, I don’t really know what else to tell you.
I think it helps that I am a bit of a sucker for a slow burn (and romance in general) and she’s at the centre of the shows main one, with Tim Bradford. He’s just okay. I’m kidding, I know he’s loved, and I do like him.
I started this show, I’d seen clips, haven’t we all? And I liked Bailey, a lot, and I do like Bailey now. A lot. She is definitely one of my favourites also, but also, Lucy Chen, my dudes. I can’t really put into reasons right now in this post why I like these characters so much, I just do.
I do like them all, though. It’s rare that happens. Usually there’s at least one character I’m at least indifferent about. Hasn’t been a show that calls me to focus on every scene because I like everyone since like… Agents of SHIELD, which anyone who knows me, and anyone who’s paid attention to what I post, will know is basically the highest compliment I could ever give. As far as I’m concerned AOS is a masterpiece with a stellar cast, and every character as lovable as the next, and The Rookie is on par with that. Settings obviously vastly different, but that’s not the point. They’re both f**king fantastic shows and you should watch them both if you haven’t already. I will keep saying that because I legitimately believe it.
Speaking of Slow-burns
So, let’s discuss Chenford, shall we? That seems like the obvious place to go here. I’ll discuss the rest of the romances in brief as well, because it’s rare I like all the partnerships, and I do truly like all the partnerships in this one… but Chenford is their slow-burn core, as it were, and like part of the reason I finally watched this show. They have so many edits, how can you not know about Chenford? And because they are such a large part of the shows internet presence, it seems worth discussing in this general post. I’m sure I’ll write about them many more times in detail… so…
I adore them.
No, really.
Like, look. I’d heard about them, but I hadn’t watched most of those edits I saw. What was the point? I didn’t know who they were! Now I know who they are, and they’re adorable. I will be watching all those edits. Lucy Chen and Tim Bradford are so dang perfect together.
I finished The Rookie and immediately started watching it again, admittedly at a slower pace because I had more stuff to do on the regular by then but I am still watching it again, while following along to Season 8’s happenings, and now I’m on Season 5 all over again. (Editing Ash: Actually I just caught up again.) Chenford are as cute as I remembered. They have a legitimately satisfying slow-burn, with first dates and slow steps. Some hiccups, but it was necessary for the endgame to be so good.
As an avid lover of some certain lesbian vampires, I know that sometimes a breakup in the main endgame ship is necessary for both characters involved to be both the best version of themselves for each other and themselves. For the ship to be endgame.
It hurts, but they’re everything but together in Season 7 anyways so… *shrug*.
The point is, if you like romance like I do and you like a slow-burn like I do, then if you have no other reason to watch The Rookie Chenford should be it.
Everyone Else, I Guess
They’re all cool too.
Angela and Wesley together is such a sweet relationship. I say they are if “I would kill for you” and “I would die for you” married each other and had two kids. They’re awesome and I like watching the development of their relationship just as much.
Nolan and Bailey are also one of my favourites, I like their competition as flirting dynamic, and I do genuinely think their humour bounces of each other quite well.
My opinion on Nyla and James wavers sometimes, but I otherwise think they’re quite good.
Celina can do better. Though upon second viewing Rodge is growing on me.
I wish any of the characters that have come in since Jackson were also queer. It is possible to have more than one queer character in your main cast, I’m just saying. It was nice that we had one from the get-go, that was a huge bonus to the start of the show, but with him gone I just wish we’d had another one come in after him.
That covers that.
To Conclude
No. I do not really know what this post is or was. It’s not overly long, and it hardly a good overview but it exists as is, and I’m sure you’ll get more in the future sometime. Maybe.
All the usual thanks. I know it’s been awhile and I therefor expect none of you to be there, but leave a comment, discuss and feel free to follow me on the below socials! Thank you so much for reading this once in a blue moon post if you did.
You can follow me on Instagram at: @thebomff or on Threads at: @thebomff
On to the next!
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the images, narratives or characters present or referenced in this post. All rights belong to ABC, Marvel, KindaTV and all other relevant parties.