Critic’s Score: 4 / 5.0
4
So far as penultimate episodes of the season go, The Rookie Season 7 Episode 17 was strong sufficient.
The hour labored as a typical installment of The Rookie, even when it didn’t precisely arrange what we should always anticipate because the season concludes.
However that’s been what many of the season has felt like, proper?

The Penultimate Episode Doesn’t Actually Set Up Something
If it wasn’t for the truth that we’re checking the episode rely and the ending promo teased the season finale, it will’ve been straightforward to overlook that the finale was proper across the nook.
Nothing about this installment appeared that it was laying any groundwork for what was to come back.
And that’s been a problem with The Rookie for many of the season, the place it was spinning on wheels in components of the season with not many storylines carrying by.
In hindsight, characters like Wesley had little or no this season, and Angela wasn’t too far behind him, which was unlucky.
The Chenford relationship has dragged on for a bit, and with a lot confusion, there’s no possible way of figuring out the place the 2 stand.
And, after all, tales like that of Seth felt a bit anticlimactic ultimately, whereas we’ve needed to wait all the season to get any catch-up on Oscar. He’s been on the market within the wind and pushed to the recesses of our thoughts because of this.
Skip Tracer Randy Offered Some Levity, Even when He Got here at a Bizarre Time
So far as The Rookie’s endless roster of recurring guest-stars, Skip Tracer Randy will be extra amusing than annoying, and this time, he was entertaining.
Your entire spiel of him serving as Chastity’s Peter-Permitted Sugar Daddy was a bit odd and seemingly got here out of left subject, however it had The Rookie leaning into its humor, and that’s all the time enjoyable.
His takedown of the robbers was significantly humorous, and one way or the other, his bungling up the ransom a number of occasions felt on-brand for his character and amusing besides.
Solely Randy would go on a life and put a bounty on the abductors’ heads whereas staying in Nolan, a cop’s visitor room.
By some means, wrangling the remainder of the cops into this ordeal paid off.
The hunt to search out Chastity had some robust factors, with the perfect being her saving herself ultimately, to the shock of LAPD and S.W.A.T., ready to breach the deserted mall and deal with enterprise.
I additionally beloved how effectively Nolan, Miles, and Tim labored collectively in the course of the takedown, coping with the vigilantes and the abductors.
Miles actually stands out among the many others. He’s a prized pupil when working alongside Bradford and Nolan. He’s shaping as much as be a terrific cop and an actual pleasure to look at.
Celina and Rodge’s Facet Plot was Pointless
However protecting consistent with among the bizarre pacing and issues, one of many shortcomings of the hour was Celina and Rodge.
It’s not that Celina isn’t nice, and the moments when the cops are having private points and seek the advice of with one another and search recommendation aren’t entertaining; they’re.
Nevertheless it felt like an pointless plot level for this hour, which is one motive Rodge’s presence is so annoying.
I didn’t care about his birthday, what Celina bought him, or the truth that he was happening tour to Europe for the foreseeable future. Celina’s singing was cute, however that’s neither right here nor there.
It felt like such a waste of a storyline, and it’s irritating that they’ve devoted a lot time to aspect characters like Rodge on the expense of others.
Wesley Lastly Will get an Arc, Too Little Too Late
An ideal instance is how Wesley has had little or no to do all season lengthy. However they lastly gave him one thing vital when he had to assist Del Monte.
Del Monte is a personality I can by no means work out, so the hour spent testing him was fascinating as a result of we bought to see if he would succumb to the calls for of the Jap gang threatening him or let justice prevail.
He virtually gave in to the calls for in an effort to guard his son. Wesley may perceive and relate to this, as he confronted the same difficulty when he discovered himself at Elijah’s mercy.
I solely want this storyline had a bit more room and time to breathe. If that they had constructed up this case, the hazard and chronic menace, and even given us some background into Del Monte and his troubled son, it will’ve labored higher.
As a substitute, it felt like all this occurred offscreen, and we have been imagined to comply with it now. Even the harrowing moments, like Del Monte in a shootout with the dangerous guys and his son sustaining a GSW to the neck, didn’t have the emotional impression they need to’ve had.
Two Generations of the Best Feminine Friendship Ever? Signal Me Up!
However, it was good that Wesley had a plot.
Angela barely reacted to the hazard Wesley may’ve confronted with this one as a result of he downplayed it, and he or she was preoccupied with serving to Nyla and her mom.
I additionally adored the half about Nyla and Angela’s moms being finest pals. Who noticed that coming?
It was like trying on the two of them in just a few a long time. What a enjoyable flip of occasions!
Individuals who benefit from senior-aged people and rip-off them are absolutely the worst and deserve each dangerous factor that occurs to them.
This incident gave us one other sneak peek into Nyla’s life and background, significantly her relationship together with her mom.
Extra Perception into Nyla Works
We see Nyla as so razor-sharp and street-smart that it’s laborious to think about that there ever may’ve been a time when she wasn’t. She felt ill-prepared for the world and the way merciless and harsh it may very well be as a result of her mom was this everlasting optimist and gullible one that all the time noticed the perfect in everybody round her.
She’s a simple mark for scammers.
Nevertheless it’s additionally tough when you’ve gotten kids, and also you’re making an attempt to lift them proper. It may be harmful, and it’s no surprise Nyla had some frustrations about that rising up and by no means needed her children to cope with the identical stage of aloofness she did.
If Nyla is nothing like her mom, Angela is a lot like her, making the interactions between the 4 ladies hilarious and enjoyable.
Angela’s mom is simply as fiercely protecting as Angela, and it was so humorous how passionate she was about going undercover, enjoying a decoy, and taking down Priscilla.
Of all of the light-headed tales throughout this hour, the one with these 4 labored finest as a result of they’re all such nice characters and offered some perception.
Sergeant Lucy Chen Reporting for Responsibility
It’s ridiculous how lengthy they’re dragging on this arc with Lucy and, by extension, Tim.
She’s had an uphill battle together with her profession. Nothing has panned out as she anticipated, and that’s been irritating for me as a fan.
However she’s made nice strides with this sergeant’s route. It’s one thing she’s nice at, and it fits her, even when it nonetheless stings that she by no means scored the undercover detective angle.
She spent all the hour fretting over a take a look at that all of us may’ve guessed she handed. Hell, not solely did she move the examination, however she was on the high of her class, which is quintessential Lucy.
We all know she’ll be on the evening shift as a sergeant, so she’ll get into motion.
It’s a double-edged sword, as The Rookie has tied Lucy’s profession to her relationship with Tim.
On the one hand, the hour of not delivering a significant dialog or acknowledging what they’re doing with their relationship is as irritating because it has been all season.
However alternatively, there must be a method for this sequence to present each Lucy and Tim issues that don’t have them inextricably linked all the time.
Lucy’s arc as a sergeant and her pursuit of this profession transfer, which is in contrast to what she initially deliberate, needs to be predominantly about her.
As a substitute, they’ve since abruptly implied that a part of her motivation for this may very well be that she and Tim can be friends on equal footing, and it will make their relationship higher as it will be with out energy dynamics.
However they by no means made {that a} vital sufficient difficulty to be a barrier for them within the first place, so even hinting at it now detracts from this arc centering Lucy solely relatively than additionally tacking on her romance with Tim.
I’m thrilled about what she’s achieved, although!
Over to you, Rookie Fanatics.
Did you like the return of Randy? Are you cheerful Lucy handed the examination? Let’s focus on every part!
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