‘The Rookie’ Season 1 Episode 11 ‘Redwood’ Recap: Politician’s Visit

After patrolling the streets with their top officers, The Rookie takes on a similar role. With the Vice President of the United States visiting the city, LAPD calls all hands on deck. Now, our trainees deal with their first ever V.I.P. situation. The parade will be long and excruciating, and the police will have to make sure that it goes well.

In this week’s episode of The Rookie, Officer John Nolan (Nathan Fillion) notices Officer Talia Bishop’s (Afton Williamson) suddenly pleasant demeanor. Meanwhile, Officer Lucy Chen (Melissa O’Neil) risks infection from a used syringe. Elsewhere, Officer Jackson West (Titus Makin Jr.) struggles to maintain focus as duty makes him miss brunch with his mother.

Positivity

Eric McCandless/ABC

Officer Nolan could not help but notice Officer Bishop’s positive behavior. Not only was it their day off, but they also had a tough situation to handle. Despite that, Bishop remained positive. After carrying out a warrant against a suspect with a probable cause against the V.P, Nolan and Bishop help answer to their fellow officers’ needs. Unfortunately, a man pulls out a shotgun to scare a fellow driver. As the man fires, a woman gets caught in the crossfire. The woman’s death made Bishop lose composure. Her therapist has been trying to make her have a positive attitude, which is difficult in the life of a policewoman.

Nolan’s respect grows when he learns that Bishop sees a therapist, making their dynamic even better. As dispatch reassigns them to patrol, they foil a robbery in one of the convenience stores where the Vice Presidential Convoy would pass through. The extra anti-riot equipment they brought as well as Officer Angela Lopez (Alyssa Diaz) and Officer West’s support helped them place situation under control before the convoy arrived. At the end of the shift, Talia brings John a fresh perspective on selling his old house; something he thoroughly thought about throughout the day.

Infected

Officer Chen’s world stops when a used syringe pricks her side after breaking up a fight between two homeless people. Immediately, Officer Tim Bradford (Eric Winter) takes her to the nearest hospital. The results of her blood would take hours to finish, so she had to wait. During her time in the hospital, Chen prevents a woman from ending her brain dead brother’s life. Hours later, Officer West notices that she is there and decides to stay with her. Finally, the results arrive. Officer Chen tested negative from any infectious diseases, like HIV and Hepatitis. However, she has to start taking antibiotics immediately since the results found traces of Staph Infection in her bloodstream.

Duty over Family

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Throughout the day, Officer Lopez noticed that Officer West had trouble focusing on the job. He missed brunch with his mother, and it made him worry. His feeling caused him to lose limits at the time, mainly when they dealt with a man who tied his dementia-diagnosed mother to a wheelchair. After clearing an apartment complex along the convoy’s route, Lopez and West receive Nolan and Bishop’s call for back-up. Before proceeding, they ask Agent Danvers (Lauren Stamile), head of the VP’s Security for permission. Despite Agent Danvers’ disapproval, Lopez and West leave to help Nolan and Bishop.

After Jackson rushes an injured suspect to the hospital, he finds Lucy there, waiting for her blood test result. To comfort her, Jackson tells her that he was in a similar situation, two months before entering the Academy. His uncle needed a kidney donor, and he was the only match. However, his uncle insisted on letting him go to the Academy. Sadly, his mother resented him for it, hence making missing brunch that day important to him. Lucy urges him to explain his side since she knew that Jackson’s mom is used to that type of life. After all, she is married to a cop for over 35 years.

Informed Choices

Agent Danvers approaches Sergeant Wade Grey (Richard T. Jones) about Officers Lopez and West’s disobedience of her direct order. However, Sergeant Grey puts the proud Agent in her place. Wade prided himself with knowing that he trains men and women under his command to make informed choices, just like what Lopez and West did. Nolan and Bishop’s location was reasonably near, and Agent Danvers had many men at her disposal. With that, Grey dismisses Danvers’ orders as ‘No-Brainer.’

‘The Rookie’ Season 1 Episode 11 ‘Redwood’ Final Verdict

One can never really expect what to encounter in Los Angeles, especially if you are a police officer. The storyline of this episode profoundly exemplifies this fact. Also, seeing a bit of cop politics in the ending was quite satisfying. It is always good to watch a proud Agent be put in place by competent leaders such as Sergeant Grey.

The Rookie returns Tuesday, February 12th with ‘Heartbreak’ at 10/9c on ABC.