The Rookie - Training Day - Review

The Rookie made a strong return after a brief hiatus, with an episode that veered more towards intense action without its usual comedic touches. The episode opened with Aaron in therapy, addressing his recent traumatic experience with a level of calm and insight that marked significant personal growth. Cleared for duty by Dr. London, Aaron is met with cheers and applause at the station. Grey, however, has the dad vibe going strong, suspecting Aaron is not quite ready to jump back into the deep end. He tasks Tim with evaluating Aaron through the TRAIN test of high stress situations. 

"Training Day” – THE ROOKIE, Pictured: Richard T. Jones and Eric Winter. Photo: Raymond Liu/Disney ©2024 All Rights Reserved

Tim enters right into Training Officer mode, throwing Aaron right into a face off with a not-so-friendly giant with a rap sheet, but it turns out Aaron should be more worried about the man’s wife. Remaining calm and poised and with another therapy session under his belt, Aaron ends up uncovering a twisted murder-for-hire plot enabling him to pass Tim’s TRAIN test. Aaron has been through a lot, but his arc in this episode showed just how resilient he is and how effective he is at his job if he just remains calm and follows his instincts. 

Parallel to Aaron’s story, Nolan and Celina encountered a murder scene with ominous ties to the past, reigniting fears of the Pentagram killer, a serial killer from the early 2000s. In a true rookie move, Celina makes the mistake of broadcasting the news that the Pentagram killer could have struck again over the police radio, complicating things as every Tom, Dick and Harry begins flooding them with so-called leads. Among the chaos, they find a lady who claims that her late husband was the Pentagram killer, however he has been dead for seven years. Sergeant Grey is pleased with Nolan and Celina’s work and praises them during a press conference. This makes for a disgruntled Lucy, who is still feeling the sting of placing 17th on her detectives exam. Lucy has undoubtedly proven herself deserving of public acknowledgment, yet she remains overlooked. On the other hand, Celina, despite her frequent mistakes, is praised publicly at a press conference. The disparity in recognition certainly raises questions about fairness. When will Lucy get her moment in the spotlight? After her exemplary performance this episode, it is clear that she is more than ready for a promotion. 

"Training Day” – THE ROOKIE, Pictured: Nathan Fillion and Lisseth Suarez. Photo: Raymond Liu/Disney ©2024 All Rights Reserved

This episode was an emotional rollercoaster for Lucy and Melissa O’neil’s performance was nothing short of remarkable. She masterfully navigated a wide range of emotions, from frustration at being relegated to vomit duty at a crime scene, to bringing out her bad-ass side by using her innate ability to think on her feet to crack the Pentagram case wide open. Lucy’s courageous act led to a confrontation with the killer, where she was forced to reluctantly shoot him when he refused to surrender. This was a high-stakes moment filled with tension and emotional complexity and O’Neil conveyed Lucy’s inner turmoil and the heavy burden of her actions with profound depth, making viewers feel every bit of her anguish and grave weight of having potentially killed someone in the line of duty for the first time. 

"Training Day” – THE ROOKIE, Pictured: Melissa O’Neil and Eric Winter. Photo: Raymond Liu/Disney ©2024 All Rights Reserved

The arrival of Tim by Lucy's side, providing a comforting presence amidst the chaos, was a touching moment of support and understanding. Their hug and his gentle kiss on her forehead was a beautiful parallel to the season 5 finale and the episode following Jackson’s passing. It truly showcased the depth of the bond that they have with one another and it was a beautiful encapsulation of their relationship. It epitomized the essence of Chenford in a way that was utterly perfect and deeply satisfying for fans.  

Season 6 has been a wild ride so far and as we near the halfway mark of the season, we wait on bated breath for each new episode to drop, eager with anticipation and excitement. Over to you, The Rookie fans! What are your thoughts on tonight’s episode? Did you agree with Lucy’s move to take charge during the shoot out? How do you think her actions will affect her mentally, especially since she is still reeling from the detectives exam? Share your thoughts below and follow me on X at @middleofCanada.

About the Author - Cristina Almeida

Cristina is a proud Canadian, and dog mom. She is an elementary school Guidance Counsellor by day and TV buff by night. When she isn't working or binge watching her fave shows, she enjoys spending time with her two dogs, a terrier mix named Penny and Chihuahua/Pug cross named Holly. Twitter @MiddleofCanada.

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