The Rookie wrapped up its seventh season with “The Good, The Unhealthy and The Oscar,” a finale that had its highs (Lucy in cost! Miles’ chaos date!) and particular lows (Oscar… once more? And do not even get us began on Monica). The episode had the power of a finale, however it additionally confirmed the load of a present beginning to circle the identical drained tracks.
Let’s begin off with the stand-out: Lucy lastly moving into her sergeant position introduced each comedy and consequence. Watching her evening shift group deal with the job like a sleepover till she snapped them to consideration was each humorous and satisfying. She’s sharp, she’s prepared, and he or she’s not right here for video games. The sequence the place she whipped her group into form to save lots of Miles throughout a shootout confirmed precisely why Lucy earned her stripes—and why she’s going to put on them nicely.
Miles had one among his greatest storylines but. What began as a clumsy first date rapidly became a harmful setup tied to a gang, and it gave him room to be greater than comedian aid. Celina taking part in intel assist and Lucy swooping in to save lots of the day? Chef’s kiss. Truthfully, that subplot had extra stress and payoff than the so-called primary occasion.
Which brings us to… Oscar. Once more.
“The Good, The Unhealthy and The Oscar” – THE ROOKIE. Pictured: Jenna Dewan as Bailey and Nathan Fillion as John Nolan. Mike Taing/ Disney ©2025 Community. All Rights Reserved.Oscar exhibiting up (but once more) to mess with Nolan felt extra like déjà vu than drama. The severed arm map, the diamonds within the desert, the villain monologue—it was all so acquainted, so overly dramatized, that it landed with a thud. There’s no actual worry right here anymore, simply fatigue. Nolan’s in a trunk, then digging, then saved by a drone? It is arduous to really feel any stakes after we’ve seen all these strikes earlier than. If this storyline was meant to convey closure, it as an alternative simply dragged issues out previous their expiration date.
And simply if you assume the retread is over, Monica’s again. Due to course she is. In some way, regardless of faking her dying, committing a number of felonies, and exhausting the viewers’s endurance, Monica returns with an immunity deal that forces our core group into her orbit as soon as once more. It seems like a plot pulled out of the recycling bin—been there, completed that. With so many compelling new villains and instructions the present might take, bringing Monica again feels just like the weakest attainable play. She’s not harmful anymore; she’s simply uninteresting.
One other disappointment was Angela’s storyline this episode, which concerned interrogating a lovesick financial institution robber catfished right into a faux relationship by his personal spouse, was one more instance of how underused she’s been all season. The case itself wasn’t dangerous, however it felt like filler, disconnected from the principle arcs driving the finale. This has develop into a sample with Angela. As an alternative of being woven into the central narrative or given significant growth, she’s been sidelined into standalone circumstances that hardly register. For a personality with such robust presence and historical past, it is disappointing to see the writers frequently give her scraps whereas different storylines, nevertheless drained, get the highlight. Angela deserves greater than being the “facet quest” of each episode.
“The Good, The Unhealthy and The Oscar” – THE ROOKIE. Pictured: Eric Winter as Tim Bradford and Melissa O’Neil as Lucy Chen. Mike Taing/ Disney ©2025 Community. All Rights Reserved.
Tim lastly opens his coronary heart to Lucy with probably the most honest confession we’ve ever gotten from him. He’s gone to remedy, he’s grown, he’s prepared—and Lucy? Lifeless asleep on the sofa. It might’ve been humorous if it weren’t so infuriating. After a full season of emotional stress and stalling, followers have been lastly owed an actual dialog. As an alternative, we’re given a rug-pull gag. Once more. Sure, we get it. Lucy’s drained. Night time shift. However followers have been emotionally invested on this relationship for seasons, and the chain of command excuse has formally expired. At this level, it’s not stress—it’s simply cruelty. And never in a enjoyable, slow-burn means. In a “do the writers even need them collectively?” means. The showrunner continues to mishandle Chenford, giving each different couple well timed resolutions whereas dragging them via emotional purgatory.
Lucy’s rise, Miles’ chaos, and a few standout character beats saved this finale from falling flat. However the recycled Oscar plot and the compelled Monica twist dragged it down. And as for Chenford, in the event that they don’t cease baiting us and begin writing them, followers may not be as affected person subsequent season. Season 8 has loads to repair and first on the listing needs to be delivering as an alternative of dodging.
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