rookie Continuing with an episode that mixes high-stakes action with complex emotions. As Selina navigates the challenges of plainclothes day, her growth as a new person is tested, not only on the streets, but also through interactions with her partner, Nolan. With its mix of newbie struggles, personal challenges and threats of lynching (and copycats), this episode hits the right note.
“Guardians” – Newcomers, pictured: Mekia Cox as Nyla Harper and Alyssa Diaz as Angela Lopez. Photo: Disney/Mike Taing © 2025 All rights reserved.
“Guardians” – Newcomers, pictured: Mekia Cox as Nyla Harper and Alyssa Diaz as Angela Lopez. Photo: Disney/Mike Taing © 2025 All rights reserved.
review:
The episode begins with Nolan and Selina chasing a suspect on a rooftop, but find the suspect tied up in a room. A mysterious man dressed in black salutes them from below, revealing that he is the one who tied up the suspect. Meanwhile, James is at home looking for keys and preparing to meet with the captain. Nila helped him find them in her daughter’s toy kitchen. She mentioned that she would be on patrol tonight, and James insisted that she speak at a dinner he hosted with community activists in hopes of reassuring them about the department’s efforts to eliminate corrupt officers. Neela reluctantly agreed.
Miles wakes up in his car, getting ready to go to work with a bag of luggage. Tim met him in the parking lot and teased him about looking like he was going on a long-term deployment. Miles quipped that a heavy backpack is good for cardio, a suggestion from his high school football coach. Later, she learned that it was a plainclothes day, and Celina was both nervous and excited. Lucy reassures her, shares her own struggles with adjusting to plainclothes, and advises Selina to focus on handling things on her own. However, Tim warns Nolan that if Selina fails, he will become her “TO”.
“Guardians” – Rookie, pictured: Patrick Kelleher as Seth Ridley and Eric Winter as Tim Bradford. Photo: Disney/Mike Taing © 2025 All rights reserved.
At the station, James and Wesley meet with the captain in a tense meeting, while Angela and Nila encounter Detective Graham, whose jokes annoy Wesley. Roll call begins, and Tim points out Seth’s tardiness. He was unimpressed (but very funny). Tim introduces the team to a vigilante known as the Masked Avenger, who has been taking matters into his own hands. He ordered foot patrols to maintain police presence in the community and stressed they could not let vigilantes overshadow the police force.
Selena and Nolan receive a burglary call, and although Selina is initially anxious, she makes the right decision and keeps the victim safe. However, Nolan steps in to take care of the matter, undermining Selina’s authority. She later confronted him, pointing out how his behavior inadvertently exacerbated prejudice against her as a Latino police officer. While on foot patrol, Tim and Miles are confronted by a woman who is flirting with Miles (and he is also flirting with Miles), leading to a conflict over professionalism. Seth and Lucy are also on patrol, fielding community complaints about vigilantes, with Seth taking the lead. Lucy praised his efforts, but there was still room for improvement.
The vigilante was later arrested and revealed to be a retired military officer. He insisted he was not responsible for the shooting but claimed he had been working to make the community safer. However, his alibi is proven and an impersonator is discovered to be on the loose. Selina, Lucy and the team deal with a tense situation in which a family seeks revenge for the death of a teenage girl. A shootout ensues, with Selina displaying an impressive display of skill as she berates her mother, who turns out to be a copycat. The mother was arrested, but not before nearly taking another life.
At the end of his shift, Miles confided in Selina and Seth about his living situation, revealing that he had been living in his car and faced an ultimatum from Tim to find a suitable place to live or face being fired. . Selina came up with a solution and called to help him. Meanwhile, Nila returns home to a house filled with community activists. She was frustrated that James had turned their home into a makeshift hangout without consulting her. They have an emotional conversation about the pressures of work and marriage.
The episode ends with Tim, Nolan and Lucy drinking together in a food truck, reflecting on their new show and the challenges of being TO. Arrived at the RV park to stay with Smitty. Tim gave him a pass for now; he gave himself another shift.
“Guardians” – Rookie, pictured: Melissa O’Neal as Lucy Chen and Patrick Kelleher as Seth Ridley. Photo: Disney/Mike Taing © 2025 All rights reserved.
idea:
Let me just say this: the first two episodes of this season have been fantastic. Going back to the roots of this show really brings back all the nostalgia in the best way possible. it‘We showed that the show could grow and evolve, but keep the parts that made us fall in love with it. Nolan’s greater involvement with the cast also goes a long way toward making the story more cohesive.
This episode in particular was shocking – and I mean that as a compliment. show‘We’ve always been great at balancing humor and fun with the more emotional moments, and this whole episode was a perfect example of that. The story of an old man shooting his granddaughter is tear-jerking. The guest actors were excellent and made me feel all the feelings.
And, tell me what you think of Chenford‘Despite the breakup, the bet was great and Tim kept doing things for Lucy in the little ways he promised. Inspiring advice? I‘I’m not surprised at all.
“Guardians” – Rookie, pictured: Nathan Fillion as John Nolan and William Sadler. Photo: Disney/Mike Taing © 2025 All rights reserved.
Character of the week: selena juarez
Celina was easily chosen as Person of the Week because it was her plainclothes day – and she crushed it! When she’s faced with stressful situations, she stays calm and makes the right decision, allowing her victims to lock themselves in the bathroom and remaining calm when they enter the house. This was an important formative moment for her. Selina not only reacted to the situation; The manner in which she came into office showed that she was ready for the challenge of joining the force. But then Nolan steps in and takes over, which is a crushing blow because even though Selina is doing everything right, her authority is undermined.
However, that didn’t stop her. She quickly called Nolan out (it was time!) in a calm, professional discussion. As a TO, this is a failure on Nolan’s part, but a refreshing one.
And then there’s her speech at the end of the episode. Just perfect. Emotional and heart-wrenching, it shows that Selena truly deserved her rookie year, despite the rough times she had.
“Guardians” – Rookie, pictured: Lisa Chavez plays Selina Juarez. Photo: Disney/Mike Taing © 2025 All rights reserved.
Best ships of the week: jela
James and Nyla go through some rough patches in this episode, but the nuances of their relationship are interesting throughout. We haven’t gotten a lot of scenes like this lately, so I’m really glad we got some in this season. Best of all, it’s a complex storyline that has the potential to tug at the heartstrings. This episode does an excellent job of showing how the emotional stress of law enforcement can seep into personal relationships and how, sometimes, it takes more than just love and good intentions to make things work. They are two people with the same morals but different views. In the end, they truly love each other, work towards each other, and work together to find a way out.
Ultimately, what makes this storyline so strong is that it feels so real – there are no easy solutions to the problems James and Nyla face, but their willingness to acknowledge them and move on makes me relate to them more contact. It’s a reminder that relationships, especially those that are under strain, require ongoing work, understanding, and a little grace.
next time:
We won’t have an advanced preview of next week’s episode, but you can find the title, synopsis, and promo below!
“Pay out of pocket”
Before Bailey returns home, John searches for clues to find Jason Wheeler. Then Tim and Lucy swap rookies; a friendly face appears again at the station, and Wesley becomes uneasy about Angela.
What do you think of Watchmen? How are you feeling about this season? Comment all your thoughts below rookie!
Must catch rookie Live on ABC every Tuesday at 10pm, or watch on Hulu the next day!