Reviewer Rating: 4.1/5.0
4.1
Selena Juarez, that’s the kind of woman you are!
It was a solid hour for Selina, as she participated in “Undercover Day,” the second episode of The Rookie Season 7, and proved her abilities as an officer.
We’ve watched her grow from a crystal-loving, zodiac-reading rookie who barely made it through Nolan’s first shift, to a capable young officer who can hold her own.
Throughout all the action and some of the conflict throughout the hour, Selina emerges as a bright light, admiring the rookie so deeply that it’s hard to believe she’s no longer a part of their world.
It gave newbies Miles and Seth hope, and it gave them hope. They can make a difference, too, and continue the Rookies tradition of having eclectic, compelling characters develop into some of the best cops on TV.
What’s interesting about Selina and Nolan is how fascinating their father/sibling relationship has been since Selina’s arrival. This allows them to have a different kind of mentor/mentee relationship than we see in the series.
Nolan doesn’t take a hard line when it comes to Selina, they’ve always been two people learning together. Nolan is studying how to become a police officer, while Selina is learning the basics of being a good police officer.
Their connection is based on open communication, mutual respect and understanding. Nolan doesn’t have to be hard on Selena, bully her, or tease her.
This is not his way. Then Selina pushed the boundaries and was beyond reproach in a way we haven’t seen from other rookies in years.
A plainclothes day is the perfect time to put Nolan and Selina and their specific dynamic to the test to see if it works and is worth it.
Celina is a hit, but Nolan shows he still has some work to do. The truth is, he’s so attached to Selina that he instinctively takes over and tries to see bad things happen to her.
One of Selina’s greatest moments of the hour was when she stood up for herself and prevented Nolan from taking the lead. There are a lot of things Nolan doesn’t think about because he simply doesn’t need to think about them.
For Selina, she had a hard time getting people to respect her authority as a woman of color. Therefore, she is twice as difficult in their field.
She’s absolutely right that an older gentleman like his grandfather would instinctively brush her aside in favor of Nolan. He didn’t realize how he had contributed to it during that disturbing phone call.
Selina is capable of more than she can handle, as evidenced by the way she knocks out the brute who attacked her. She’s absolutely right. She’s an absolute badass and everyone should talk to her that way.
The women in The Rookie are some of the best women on screen, and the series does a great job of allowing them to possess those qualities while still being badass.
They can be weird, nerdy, compassionate, snarky, or just the baddest character in the room.
Selena, like Lucy before her, quietly joins Harper and Lopez, and sisterhood is everything!
Of course, the rookies also need to prove themselves and need more help and efforts. They are all very interesting and have proven their worth as celebrities.
Miles is such a charming little bastard. You can’t be held back by him for more than a second or two. He’s sure to make you laugh, and it’s even better now that we know there’s some vulnerability behind all the bravado.
He’s built for community policing, although he may need to loosen the charm and draw some boundaries. In the worst case scenario, all this flirting is bound to end up with the wrong person.
But his solution of throwing a bunch of flash bangs at the gang during a shootout was perfect, and he doesn’t shy away from telling Tim about his impressions as a teacher.
Is anyone else frustrated with the way they are addressing homelessness?
Miles’ homeless cowboy act was fun, but the quick fix of having him live in a mobile home with Schmitty was unexpected – because, I totally envisioned something different, like with Seth Steve and even Tim live together.
Seth might be able to use the remaining blood on his head to provide support.
He’s such a lovable guy that you can easily root for him even if he makes embarrassing mistakes like vomiting at a crime scene or losing everything on his belt while chasing a suspect and still not getting the information come on.
He exudes the same energy as Levi or George from Grey’s Anatomy. But that means when he puts it together, his future looks promising.
Seth has quite a backstory. It was shocking to hear that he had cancer and now there is concern that it may come back. Still, he’s paired with the best TO, as Lucy provides the perfect amount of sympathy and support.
However, he still needs to improve his level so that they don’t face Gray and trouble. It’s probably not a good sign if Gray asks Lucy if they need to cut their losses with Seth.
The vigilante case is interesting in many ways. Now, more than ever, the populace is receptive to vigilantes.
Here, the crime rate is too high, the public doesn’t have complete trust in the police, as news breaks of bad cops being involved in Monica and others’ plot, and they are understaffed.
It was fun when everyone was sent out into the streets on foot patrol in uniform. They even roped in Lopez and Harper.
The public has mostly seen through this. Shop owners pointed out that police only show up when an arrest is easy or they have something they want to prove.
The fact that it all feels so forced speaks to the extent to which community policing has fallen by the wayside. To gain the trust and respect of the community, police officers must cultivate and maintain a relationship.
When it falters, retired police officers masquerading as vigilantes can take over, or worse, imitators can also serve justice in their own way.
Some of this carried over to the married foursome. There are some interesting moments in this storyline.
I loved Angela and Nila’s banter about spouse swapping and choosing each other, or Wesley’s one-sided argument with the detective who dreams of having sex with Angela.
But beyond that, there’s something lingering and worrying about James and Nila. Whatever the reason, a belief in serving the community and a passion for their work conflicted, bringing them together and tearing them apart.
James invited nearly 20 people to their home, and once Harper walked in the door, they were able to pepper her with questions, demands and criticism of the entire police force, which was completely insensitive behavior on James’ part.
I don’t know how else he could have envisioned this situation or how he would have handled it. Harper sneaks out the window to hide from everyone, which is hilarious.
But their unresolved dispute is causing trouble for them. Nila thought they were marrying too quickly and that nothing good could come of it.
What do you do with this information? It’s something that exists out in the open and makes you wonder what’s going to happen next.
It’s as if their fundamental differences have suddenly become an issue again and they don’t know how to proceed. However, they were too tired to work things out and too in love with each other to take any action.
How come you don’t read this when they get stuck?
Is this a trying time for James and Nila, or is there something more serious brewing beneath the surface?
It’s your turn, Rookie Fanatic.
Do you like Chenford’s new competitive and friendly advantages? Will rookie Seth be eliminated? What do you think of Celina’s journey?
Let’s take a listen and see!
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