‘The Rookie’ Season 1, Episode 4 ‘The Switch’ Recap: Choices

The Rookie experiences a landmark in any cop’s career: their first co-op mission. However, surprises do not stop there especially in the LAPD. Today, Rookies and Training Officers alike exchange partners. The new pairings are expected to uncover things about themselves, and there is a catch: whoever finds out something about their T.O. gets to have a holiday.

In this week’s episode of The Rookie, Training Officers exchange Rookies. As a result, Officer Tim Bradford (Eric Winter) finds Officer Jackson West’s (Titus Makin Jr.) condition. Meanwhile, Officer Angela Lopez (Alyssa Diaz) and Officer John Nolan’s (Nathan Fillion) kindness receives a reward. However, Officer Talia Bishop’s (Afton Williamson) time with Officer Lucy Chen (Melissa O’Neil) makes Chen and Nolan decide on their relationship.

Kindness Goes A Long Way

Nolan’s time with Lopez brings him to the courthouse for the first time. While waiting for Lopez, Nolan finds himself in pursuit of a convicted criminal while studying his Rookie manual. Fortunately, his seemingly fruitless chase rewards them when they reach the criminal, who escaped to be in his daughter’s 15th birthday. They let him finish his dance with his daughter. As a result, the criminal gave them intel on a major drug deal.

Eric McCandless/ABC

Nolan and Lopez’s team-up was a good match. During the deal, the duo tactically assaulted the drug dealers. Their partnership showed the ideal relationship between a training officer and their boot. After placing a civilian casualty into safety, Nolan apprehended one suspect while Lopez covered for him.

Not A Lost Cause

Bradford bitterly finds out the truth about West when he brings him along to an undercover cop operation. After having a word with Lopez, Bradford thought about a way to break West’s fear of receiving gunfire. The next day, Bradford brings West to a man named Wallace (Kristian Nairn), a man he helped who unfortunately never overcame the fear of leaving his apartment after his accident. West’s talk with Wallace made him realize that he needed to break out of his shell if he wanted to become a cop.

Eric McCandless/ABC

During the drug bust, one of the suspects pin Bradford down. Seeing this, West took control of his fear and hit the suspect using the police car. Perhaps being partnered with Bradford was all that West needed to overcome his fear.

Informed Choices

Eric McCandless/ABC

Things started rough for Bishop and Chen. Chen disobeys Bishop’s orders when they pursue a hit-and-run suspect, stopping for one of the vehicle’s occupants instead of chasing after the driver. Also, the fact that Bishop knew about Chen and Nolan’s relationship affected their work environment. Later, the duo receives a case involving a 15-year-old girl who wished to see her mom: a criminal on parole. Listening to Bishop and the girl’s conversation taught Chen something: making informed choices.

Decision

As the shift ended, the Rookies had nothing to present to Sergeant Wade Grey (Richard  T. Jones), so none of them received the day-off. Instead, they have a quiz on the Rookie Manual the next day. However, this became the least of Nolan and Chen’s fears now that they both know that they had to decide the fate of their relationship. Sadly, the couple bitterly broke up when Nolan initiates the break-up; something Chen least expected since she dealt with this issue since their second day on the job.

‘The Rookie’ Season 1, Episode 4 ‘The Switch’ Final Verdict

Eric McCandless/ABC

This chapter of The Rookie highlights the conflict caused by a relationship within the workplace. In the life of a cop, romance and work are hard to balance, especially when it involves members of the force. Still, the show did not lose its hopeful aura especially when West overcomes his fear. Sergeant Grey may have said that you do not find redemption in the police force, but both Nolan and West prove this wrong.

The Rookie continues on Tuesday, November 20th, with ‘The Roundup’ at 10/9c on ABC.