So, The Rookie’s back. Season 7 kicked off not with a whimper, but with a stolen nuke, escaped convicts, and John Nolan rattling around his suddenly empty house. Wife Bailey, you see, is off with the National Guard, strategically deployed to avoid her homicidal ex-husband, Jason, one of the aforementioned escaped baddies. Because nothing says “honeymoon’s over” like a federally mandated witness protection program, right?
This premiere throws a lot at the wall, and surprisingly, most of it sticks. We’ve got Oscar and Jason, two inmates sprung from the clink thanks to the ever-resourceful (and now fully fugitive) Monica Stevens. Their escape sets off a chain reaction of chaos, leaving Nolan home alone, facing his first night as a married man… solo. It’s a stark image of what life might be like without Bailey.
Meanwhile, Lucy Chen gets a taste of power as the newly minted (albeit temporary) P3, tasked with training fresh-faced rookie Seth Ridley. Tim Bradford, never one to be outdone, takes on the cocky Miles Penn. Naturally, a rivalry between the exes ensues, complete with a wager on whose rookie will screw up first. Spoiler: they both do, spectacularly. Ridley’s meltdown at a pharmacy robbery scene reveals a deeply personal trauma, while Penn… well, Penn’s living out of his car. Which Bradford, in his infinite wisdom, completely misses.
And then there’s the nuke. Yes, a Cold War-era nuclear device goes missing, prompting a city-wide scramble and a tense shootout where Nolan, proving he’s not just a pretty face (or a lonely heart), makes The Shot that saves the day.
Elsewhere, the fallout from Dr. Blair London’s dirty dealings continues to ripple through the precinct. Wesley finds himself in an awkward position during an internal review, forced to listen to a colleague confess their feelings for Angela. Not exactly the kind of pillow talk any newlywed wants to hear.
The Rookie airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on ABC.
