‘The Rookie’ Season 2 Fall Finale ‘The Dark Side’ Review: Steps Ahead

The Rookie deals with something he did not try before. After an encounter with his home’s screwdriver-wielding former owner, he faces a dangerous task ahead of him. Along with a team of LAPD, the well-loved boy scout accompanies a convicted serial killer to gravesites of her victims. The task proves quite daunting as it takes its toll on the LAPD officers, especially ones the killer previously encountered. In the midst of it all, one finds the time to pursue a romance— one that may be the death of her.

On Sunday’s Fall Finale of The Rookie, Officer John Nolan (Nathan Fillion) escorts convicted serial killer Rosalind Dyer (Annie Wersching) to gravesites of her unrecovered victims. Throughout the trek, Rosalind plays with John’s as well as Detective Nick Armstrong’s (Harold Perrineau) buttons. Meanwhile, Officer Angela Lopez (Alyssa Diaz) worries about her boyfriend, Wesley Evers’ (Shawn Ashmore) worsening PTSD. As this happens, Officer Lucy Chen (Melissa O’Neil) finds time to meet her ideal man, Caleb Wright (Michael Cassidy).

Armstrong v Dyer

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The show takes on a story that it has not tried before – the history of a cop and a criminal’s encounter. Also, it presents such circumstances in a dark manner. Nick caught Rosalind a few years ago, at the cost of not being by his wife’s bedside during her death. Rosalind taunts Nick about this fact, reaching a point where Nick almost breaks down in front of John. Still, Nick manages to tell Rosalind that catching her was worth the sacrifice with a straight face. However, one cannot help but think about Nick’s sanity as they discover a collage of his wife’s photos, covered in red paint that says, ‘You Failed Her.’ Nick himself mentions that the life of being a Police Officer takes its toll on someone who decides to live it, and with John’s help, he may soon accept the love he lost to the job.

The Boy Scout

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Initially, one would think that John is Rosalind’s next target. After all, Rosalind persistently tries to get into John’s head, but to no avail. Despite his soft-heartedness and his exuding empathy, John manages to stand his ground and keep her psychologizing out of his mind. Also, when John and Detective Nyla Harper (Mekia Cox) find the killer’s next victim, the killer comes after him. Luckily, John merely suffers a few cuts on his face. This is perhaps Rosalind’s strategy. None of them encountered Rosalind before besides Nick, so to her, John and the LAPD are new toys to play with. It did indeed feel like Rosalind made the appeal to lower her sentence an excuse to commit murder with whoever she collaborates with now. Unknown to them, Rosalind and her cohort are about to make their next kill– one of their own.

Uncontrollable PTSD

Christopher Willard/ABC

On the side, Angela manages to make time to text Wesley while on the job. Wesley, however, is not fairing any better. He pretends to head to work but ends up drinking in a bar instead. Once there, he watches the news and finds out about the LAPD’s Serial killer Escort situation. Wesley panics, worried about Angela being shot. Peter Mason (Freedom Bridgewater), the husband of Rosalind’s third victim, attempted to kill Rosalind. While it was ADA Sean Delmonte (Michael Trucco) and not Angela that was grazed by the bullet, Wesley remained worried. His condition proves to be worsening as he uses alcohol alongside his medication. Unfortunately, Angela and Wesley must address this issue before it becomes fatal. Wesley is one of the characters that greatly humanize Angela, who hides under her tough cop persona. If he dies, we are sure to see different, perhaps more dangerous Angela.

Unaware

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One of the most impressive feats in the episode was how it diverted attention away from Lucy up until the point that no one expected to happen. Initially, most would think that Lucy simply found some dude that took interest her, a follow-up to the show’s opening sequence. While her plot mainly revolved around Her thoughts on Caleb, one could not feel a sense of danger heading towards her. This is likely what John’s plot was made to do. Much like Lucy, it was too late for the viewers to realize what she got herself into, an elaborate trap. Now, it is her turn to have an unanswered fate, much like her training officer, Officer Tim Bradford (Eric Winter), during the last season’s Fall Finale.

‘The Rookie’ Season 2 Fall Finale ‘The Dark Side’ Final Verdict

The Rookie has its take on two new things in the Fall Finale. First, we have a portrayal of a serial killer that is not only as bad as it sounds, but also has a history between an LAPD Officer. Much of the emotional drama comes from this sub-plot and it has excellent actors effectively portraying their roles. Second, we have glimpses of a forensic laboratory. Sooner or later, the show had to do this, and it has an interesting take on the subject. The show is not a Forensic Crime show, so having a forensic lab is indeed a nice touch that adds to the episode’s overall atmosphere. With Lucy’s life on the line, however, fans have to wait for quite some time as The Rookie takes a two-month break.

The Rookie returns February 23rd on ABC.