‘The Rookie’ Season 1, Episode 5 ‘The Roundup’ Recap: Compete

Competitions within the force do not stop at exchanging rookies. This time in The Rookie, they organize a different game. Here, each duo must accumulate the most points with each arrest to win. However, not everyone wishes to participate, while others have some tricks up their sleeve to win.

In this week’s episode of The Rookie, Officer Lucy Chen (Melissa O’Neil) worries about Officer Tim Bradford’s (Eric Winter) obsession with winning. Meanwhile, Officer Angela Lopez (Alyssa Diaz) encourages Officer Jackson West (Titus Makin Jr.) to take things slow. Later, Officer John Nolan (Nathan Fillion) makes a realization.

Give Yourself A Break

Lopez and West make the first arrest of the day, placing them on top of the scoreboard. However, Lopez notices how West’s determination in winning makes him lose focus on the job, so she decides to slow things up a bit. After their second arrest, Lopez and West take idle time at the station for a brief moment. Here, Lopez stresses the importance of rest. When the shift ends, they lose to Bradford and Chen. However, West does not take losing too hard when Lopez reassures him that it is his abilities that matter, not his origins.

Winning Streak

Bradford’s relentlessness surprises Chen. Throughout their shift, they take on cases with the highest threats, ensuring that they gain the most points. However, Chen questions Bradford’s motivation in doing their jobs as she witnessed their suspect get impaled in his car. Also, Bradford charms one of the dispatch officers, who gave them a heads up for high-risk cases. The shift ends with them winning this year’s roundup.

Before they announced the winners, Chen learns that Bradford’s obsession with winning did not come out of ego, but because of his treasured memories with his wife, Isabel. As rookies, Tim and Isabel loved the roundup, and they often won. Now that they have a strained relationship, The Roundup became Tim’s only way of feeling connected with Isabel.

Not A Game

Rick Rowell/ABC

The competition, as well as his recent breakup with Lucy, distracted Nolan during the entirety of his shift. Not only did Officer Talia Bishop (Afton Williamson) not join them in the Roundup, Nolan also blamed her for his failed relationship. Still, his view on his current situation changes as the day passed. Each of the cases they handled made him reevaluate his perspective.

Sacrificing the rest of his shift to help a homeless woman and her child made him realize that being on-the-job is no game. His heart sank as they were unable to find the woman a place to stay. Also, he understood the distraction that came along with dating Lucy. He may not have been at his best during the shift, but that is understandable.

‘The Rookie’ Season 1, Episode 5 ‘The Roundup’ Final Verdict

Rick Rowell/ABC

Seeing where things pick up from where Nolan and Chen left off was interesting. Like any failed workplace romance, the two had an awkward air between them, but they still worked professionally. Also, pointing out the reasons behind why the officers participate or not participate in the Roundup gave this episode a right mix of drama. Presenting the cops as regular people is something the show has perfected.

The Rookie continues on Tuesday, November 27th, with ‘The Hawke’ at 10/9c on ABC.