The Rookie - Free Fall - Review

The day of reckoning for the rookies has finally arrived. West, Nolan, and Chen are all due to take the written part of their rookie exams after an easy day of patrol. But those plans go out the window when Nolan and Bishop stumble upon a dead body that turns to be connected to a potential wide-spread biological terror threat.

Photo Credit: Tony Rivetti/ABC

The body in question is linked with two suspects who have access to an extremely contagious and fatal hemorrhagic disease. They play to infect Los Angeles by using special mist fans. Even the smallest droplets ingested through the nose or mouth can cause an epidemic and the worst part is, the CDC only has an experimental vaccine to combat against it. With these dire circumstances, the rookie exams are postponed while all patrols are sent out to hunt down the suspects.

Chen and Tim are called to house of a man who rode a bus with one of the night before. Apparently, his bag was swapped while on the ride and he inadvertently grabbed the backpack of one of the terrorists. While going through its contents, he cut his finger and was infected with the disease. The second Tim realizes this, he closes the bedroom door, barricading himself and the infected away from Lucy in an act of quick thinking and bravery.

Photo Credit: Tony Rivetti/ABC

Lucy calls in the CDC who set up a quarantine until they can figure out if Tim is infected. While stuck in the bedroom, Tim is forced to watch as the other man succumbs to the disease, shuddering and bleeding out on the floor. Lucy tries to help him through it since it's clear he is scared even if he doesn't want to admit it. Tim would rather put a gun to his head than die the same way as the other guy did and he plans to do it if he begins to show any symptoms.

Meanwhile, West is trying to prove to Lopez that she doesn't need to hand him over to another TO. Since he almost killed someone last week after spiraling over the discovery about his father, Lopez feels like she might have failed him and West is determined to prove her wrong. He gets his chance when they corner one of the terrorists on a bus full of innocent civilians. West risks his life to approach the man and lure him out to allow Lopez a clean shot and manage to apprehend him. In the process, she nicks West with the bullet. West teases that if you shoot your rookie, you can't get a new one. I'm hoping this duo is here to stay.

Photo Credit: Tony Rivetti/ABC

Plus the teamwork of West and Lopez impresses Wesley, who has been temporarily arrested and shoved in the back of their squad car after Angela told him about the terrorist threat and he got on his high horse about ensuring everyone knows and starting an evacuation. He realizes, maybe he doesn't actually know what the best protocol is for these situations is and the two make up. Fighting is totally their thing.

As for the other suspect, Nolan and Russo are able to track him down and get him cornered. While there, for some reason, Jessica is unable to negotiate with him despite being the best hostage negotiator on the show? Not sure why the writers had Nolan do it instead but whatever. He gets the guy to come out with his weapon down and Jessica shoots him anyways. Nolan is bothered by this as Jessica claims she saw him reaching for his weapon but he didn't. He is already wary around her as he believes she was going to let his son, Henry, come visit him without warning him about the potential threat. Now he thinks Russo is lying once again.

Photo Credit: Tony Rivetti/ABC

Bishop warns Nolan to take time to sleep on it before he risks his whole career and relationship over a perceived betrayal. Personally, I have to agree with Bishop. I think Nolan gets on his moral high ground far too often.

And speaking of Bishop, that whole "you have to become an LAPD mole for me to get your name cleared" thing gets nipped in the bud real quick. Bishop does not tolerate a moment of Ruiz's sketchy ask! She immediately informs her chief and they take care of it. Bishop will receive a letter of reprimand in her file, but her integrity is intact.

For the most part, the finale of The Rookie ends in a happy way, except one big glaring thing - Tim passes out in the lawn after receiving the vaccine! Ugh! The show better get a second season. I mean, I doubt Tim is actually infected, I'm guessing it'll wind up being a side effect of the vaccine but still! I hope they don't really have to end it there if ABC doesn't pick it up.