I watched hoping I would at least like the pilot episode and thankfully I did. I was pleasantly surprised that I wasn't comparing John Nolan with Richard Castle. I will keep watching.
17 Reviews
Pleasantly surprised
shenadun19 October 2018
Fun and a bit Scattershot Start
GunnersMate17 October 2018
The Pilot episode of The Rookie stars the always-terrific Nathan Fillion. His blend of masculine soft-snark, charm, and heart make for a solid and engaging center for the new series about a 40-ish year old man who seeks a new purpose in his life as a rookie officer with the Los Angeles Police Department. The initial outing is funny, fast-moving, and crammed full of character introductions with hints at a multitude backstories. The music is fresh, the camera work interesting, and there is some ubiquitous sex and violence (apparently to be sure and remind the audience that this is a cop show...). Not a perfect offering to be sure: while the supporting cast is solid, several of the character setups felt forced and telegraphed (far too loudly) what we should expect to see unfold in the follow-on episodes. In the end though is was entertaining. The Pilot episode of The Rookie was fun (albeit a bit scattershot in presentation) and earned its sophomore episode a reason to tune in.
Yippee-ka-yeah!
samofnine2 December 2018
This is what you get when you mix End of Watch with Nate Fillion: an entertaining look at the workplace of an LA cop with depth, reality, action and some winking. Plus with Melissa O'Neil we have two ex-spaceship captains we don't want to miss out on! I'm thrilled!
Pilot within a pilot
edgrbishop16 November 2018
I will keep it short since I am at work, and have to rewrite this.
We are introduced to John Nolan. And at first it starts off like any other show... We meet the main character.
Later we get another pilot, we are in L.A. and we are introduced to the Police Officers who will be the main characters of this series, including the Rookies and their Training Officers.
We get to see the differences in each Rookie, as well as the differences in their TOs and how they train their Rookie Police Officers.
The first thing that might be hard for some is, these are Police Officers, not Cadets in the academy (yes, I to like Police Academy, but that's a different story... Focus Rookie).
We get to see and learn from the Rookies first day, get an insight into what it might be like being a real(ish) Rookie Police Officer as the Training Officers throw their Rookies into the wild to see how they handle themselves. Again, each Rookie and Training officer have their own unique style, sometimes it works well together, sometimes it's a disaster.
I was expecting another Hawaii Five-O (Zero?), NCIS, or CSI like show... This is soo unique feeling to me. Instantly addicted to the show. 1 hour is not enough for me... This almost felt like a mini movie. Not too long, not too short, perfectly nestled with a 1 hour (shorter minus commercials).
I will be binging this in the future. The closest police series, I would have to say would be Flashpoint. Another show I could not get enough of. TUESDAY nights at 10 EST - ABC's new hit show!
We are introduced to John Nolan. And at first it starts off like any other show... We meet the main character.
Later we get another pilot, we are in L.A. and we are introduced to the Police Officers who will be the main characters of this series, including the Rookies and their Training Officers.
We get to see the differences in each Rookie, as well as the differences in their TOs and how they train their Rookie Police Officers.
The first thing that might be hard for some is, these are Police Officers, not Cadets in the academy (yes, I to like Police Academy, but that's a different story... Focus Rookie).
We get to see and learn from the Rookies first day, get an insight into what it might be like being a real(ish) Rookie Police Officer as the Training Officers throw their Rookies into the wild to see how they handle themselves. Again, each Rookie and Training officer have their own unique style, sometimes it works well together, sometimes it's a disaster.
I was expecting another Hawaii Five-O (Zero?), NCIS, or CSI like show... This is soo unique feeling to me. Instantly addicted to the show. 1 hour is not enough for me... This almost felt like a mini movie. Not too long, not too short, perfectly nestled with a 1 hour (shorter minus commercials).
I will be binging this in the future. The closest police series, I would have to say would be Flashpoint. Another show I could not get enough of. TUESDAY nights at 10 EST - ABC's new hit show!
Fillion Rocks!
rbr-4129924 October 2018
I really like the new show featuring Nathan Fillion. The setting of the story and the characters make for an interesting show. The story helps illustrate that while wearing a common uniform police officers are individuals and not clones. They each have their strengths and weaknesses and personality quirks. Having been an LAPD officer in my youth (1971), I looked for familiar elements to my experience. The Rookie is nothing like the original Adam-12 series, episodes of which were actually shown in Academy classes back then to teach procedure. My training and experience was a world away from present-day policing. No body cams back then. Like Nolan I was assigned to an A-car, but its significance wasn't shown in the episode. The A-car is a component of community policing in Los Angeles, so that the assigned officers get to know a specific section of the city.
Some elements stood out to me as less than satisfactory. First, the story conflict of Sergeant Jones not accepting a 40-year old rookie seems overdone and artificial. Noland graduated the LAPD Academy, which is one of the toughest courses in America. Second, the review of equipment and procedure with the rookies by the T.O.'s was an unnecessary plot device and waste of story time. All those things were learned in the Academy, which includes actual duty in the field. Third, the fact that Noland fired his weapon at a suspect on his first day is unrealistic. The average police officer rarely fires his/her weapon in a crisis situation in their entire career. I certainly didn't in my short time with the LAPD.
It was a surprise that writer Alexi Hawley (who wrote and produced for Castle) introduced the sex factor in the pilot with Noland involved in an affair with a fellow cop, when it took Castle four years to get in bed with Becket. Also I had never before heard the term "badge bunny," but I certainly recall witnessing the phenomenon, especially in Hollywood where I served. Even with its flaws THE ROOKIE has great potential with its drama, action, humor and likable characters.
Some elements stood out to me as less than satisfactory. First, the story conflict of Sergeant Jones not accepting a 40-year old rookie seems overdone and artificial. Noland graduated the LAPD Academy, which is one of the toughest courses in America. Second, the review of equipment and procedure with the rookies by the T.O.'s was an unnecessary plot device and waste of story time. All those things were learned in the Academy, which includes actual duty in the field. Third, the fact that Noland fired his weapon at a suspect on his first day is unrealistic. The average police officer rarely fires his/her weapon in a crisis situation in their entire career. I certainly didn't in my short time with the LAPD.
It was a surprise that writer Alexi Hawley (who wrote and produced for Castle) introduced the sex factor in the pilot with Noland involved in an affair with a fellow cop, when it took Castle four years to get in bed with Becket. Also I had never before heard the term "badge bunny," but I certainly recall witnessing the phenomenon, especially in Hollywood where I served. Even with its flaws THE ROOKIE has great potential with its drama, action, humor and likable characters.
Promising Show
claudio_carvalho7 October 2021
In Foxburg, Pennsylvania, the constructor John Nolan has just divorced his wife and former sweetheart. He goes to the bank and meets the manager Stacy to open his safe deposit box. Out of the blue, there is a heist and John protects Stacy that presses the alarm and summons the police.
Nine months later, the forties Nolan leaves the academy and joins LAPD as a rookie with his colleagues Lucy Chen and Jackson West. Sergeant Wade Grey immediately does not like Nolan, believing that he is living a mid-life crisis. Talia Bishop, Tim Bradford and Angela Lopez are assigned as training officers of Nolan, Chen and West respectively that need to prove their value in the police department. But the life of a rookie is not easy in the LAPD...
"Pilot" is the first episode of "The Rookie" and indicates a promising series that entwines crime and drama. Nathan Fillion, from "Firefly", uses his life experience to improve his training with Afton Williamson, but he does not have experience in police business. The gorgeous Melissa O'Neil finds a tough TO performed by Eric Winter that seems that will make her life not easy in the police department. And Titus Makin Jr. Has the burden of being the son of the powerful officer. My vote is eight.
Title (Brazil): Pilot"
Nine months later, the forties Nolan leaves the academy and joins LAPD as a rookie with his colleagues Lucy Chen and Jackson West. Sergeant Wade Grey immediately does not like Nolan, believing that he is living a mid-life crisis. Talia Bishop, Tim Bradford and Angela Lopez are assigned as training officers of Nolan, Chen and West respectively that need to prove their value in the police department. But the life of a rookie is not easy in the LAPD...
"Pilot" is the first episode of "The Rookie" and indicates a promising series that entwines crime and drama. Nathan Fillion, from "Firefly", uses his life experience to improve his training with Afton Williamson, but he does not have experience in police business. The gorgeous Melissa O'Neil finds a tough TO performed by Eric Winter that seems that will make her life not easy in the police department. And Titus Makin Jr. Has the burden of being the son of the powerful officer. My vote is eight.
Title (Brazil): Pilot"
Entertaining
bonzer-586085 November 2018
I guess it was tough to detail the boring daily work of LAPD. The one thing that bothered me was why the sergeant had a goatee? Was it another exception for black actor? LAPD only allowed mustache for patrol officers and detectives.
Not what I expected... but in the best way possible!
SourCandyOrNoCandy17 February 2022
A friend recommended that I start this show but I thought it would be like Brooklyn Nine-Nine (more of a comedy than a drama) so I was extremely skeptical. I was pleasantly surprised by this pilot, though. I love how each character was introduced to us. Those parts were especially written really well. This episode was packedddd with so many different things that once it was finished it felt as though I'd watched two or three different episodes. There are so many good storylines in this one 40-minute episode.
WHAT I LIKED
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE
WHAT I LIKED
- The dynamic among Bradford, Lopez and Bishop. So so good!
- How many stories they packed into the episode. Again, it feels way longer than 40 minutes in the best way possible.
- The balance of light-hearted scenes with dramatic ones. I didn't know a balance like that could be struck, but I was wrong.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE
- Tim Bradford in the beginning. Once we meet Isabel, he became my favourite character, though.
- I hateeeee when it feels as though the only purpose of a female character is to be a male character's love interest, so seeing that Lucy and John were a couple pissed me off.
Pilot
Prismark1022 March 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Nathan Fillion plays John Nolan. In his early 40s divorced and at a loose end.
When he unwittingly gets involved in a bank robbery taking place, Nolan decides to join the police force. The oldest rookie in the LA police force.
On his first day, he is one of three new rookies to be on the beat. Sergeant Wade Grey makes his displeasure known of having middle aged rookies on the force.
Nolan's first day is a real mixed bag, a domestic violence, a kid locked in a hot car and a fellow rookie is shot at with her training officer down.
It is a fast paced opening episode, slickly made including a sequence shot in Hollywood Boulevard.
Fillion looks too old to be someone in his early 40s. Most of the characters are a bit bland. Only training officer Tim Bradford shows edginess. Someone who is harsh, racist but underneath is more complex.
The ageist shtick from Sergeant Grey got old very quickly. I could do without that throughout the series. All Nolan has to do is secretly record him and Grey would be out of the force as soon as you can say old age pensioner.
When he unwittingly gets involved in a bank robbery taking place, Nolan decides to join the police force. The oldest rookie in the LA police force.
On his first day, he is one of three new rookies to be on the beat. Sergeant Wade Grey makes his displeasure known of having middle aged rookies on the force.
Nolan's first day is a real mixed bag, a domestic violence, a kid locked in a hot car and a fellow rookie is shot at with her training officer down.
It is a fast paced opening episode, slickly made including a sequence shot in Hollywood Boulevard.
Fillion looks too old to be someone in his early 40s. Most of the characters are a bit bland. Only training officer Tim Bradford shows edginess. Someone who is harsh, racist but underneath is more complex.
The ageist shtick from Sergeant Grey got old very quickly. I could do without that throughout the series. All Nolan has to do is secretly record him and Grey would be out of the force as soon as you can say old age pensioner.
The tone of the show brings it down.
truls-saetre13 November 2022
This show is about serious subject matters, such as crime, violence, racism, and the dangers of being a cop. However, in this first episode they bring up all of these themes, but in such a lazy way that it feels condescending. There's a real lack of identity and personality to this first episode. At times it feels like I'm not supposed to take any of it seriously, but at other times it feels like the show takes itself really seriously. The presentation is way off the mark, and makes for a slightly confusing watch. The music choice doesn't jive with me, personally, as I feel like it is a massive factor in the tone of the show being all over the place (no pun intended).
Not Impressed
Barry016928 October 2018
I was not impressed with this first episode. The bad writing sunk it. It's clear which characters we're supposed to like and which ones we're not -- because they are written as villains. Sadly, I didn't care about any of the characters as they were all stereotypes. The behavior of most of these officers would get them fired for countless violations of employment law.
Enjoyable, but would be nice if the writers knew the constitution
countfrackula21 November 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Enjoyable first episode, however my major gripe is in the first episode when one of the cops corners a drug dealer outside a store. He proceeds to order his rookie to search the man. They have no probable cause, no warrant. He just showed up there to harass the man - who said so as much when the first pulled up. His rookie wavers a moment, but then proceeds to assault the man and violate his fourth amendment rights. The show treats this as normal, rather than admonishing either character for this blatant violation of the rights of the man they assaulted.
Not a good start to be honest, but I'll give it a pass so far in spite of this.
Not a good start to be honest, but I'll give it a pass so far in spite of this.
Dumbest police show ever!
swordmccloud9 June 2021
Warning: Spoilers
This show makes police squad look Starsky and Hutch. This show is such a joke. Everything that can happen to a cop will happen to officer Nolan in this series. Kidnapped three times by season 3, shootouts, framed, catching a serial killer, Nolan can do it all. I tell my police officer friends to watch it. One of them finally did and he can't stop talking about all the stupid stuff that they do on this show. There is no way they have a police advisor for the show.
unfortunately
shefchenko23 September 2019
I knew it wasn't going to be the best thing I ever saw, but I still tried it (mostly because of Melissa O'Neil and Nathan Fillion). Alas, turns out to be so predictable and not funny that I can't keep wasting my time. It can be summed up within: kind of lame attempts to joke, women (and some blacks) are better than white males and ordinary/predictable lines. :(
mid age crisis
phuketboy13 November 2018
Promotes racism
kimmerlie8181 January 2019
I like the show, but every time one specific character shows up, I cringe. Seeing the blatant racism is scareyingly disturbing. Frankly, I am tired of seeing whites being discriminated against. NOT politically correct.
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