Critic’s Rating: 4.3 / 5.0
4.3
Are we all bracing ourselves for “Seth’s revenge,” or am I being paranoid?
We finally made some headway on The Rookie Season 7 Episode 10 with Seth, but there’s no way that’s the end of his story, right?
Meanwhile, the team had to manage a riot at the station and a convoluted and creepy case involving some teen girls, which was enough to give a girl whiplash!
Raccoon Chronicles — The Rookie Nails the Humor Every Time
There’s no other series that can pull off a full-blown side plot that involves a freaking rogue raccoon running around.
The raccoon fun during the episode provided some levity, but it also paid off when the one person who advocated for its death owed it a debt.
It’s typical of Smitty to be the one to have a run-in with a raccoon, but there was no way of knowing that it would result in a nerve-wracking bit where an unsuspecting but dangerous inmate beat him up and stole his weapon.
Respectfully, when is Smitty retiring? I’m asking on behalf of his everything!
It was also fun to have Mr. Texas himself attempting to use some wrangling to capture the thing. But, naturally, he screwed it all up, and Celina, like a freaking Disney Princess, managed to coax the thing into a cage simply by being her awesome self.
Petition for Lisseth Chavez to actually play a Disney princess. Manifesting that for her, dammit.
What in the Slenderman and Zuzu Was that Case?
I’m fresh off the riveting limited series Adolescence. Something I urge everyone to check out, so my blood was boiling over the idea that some strange man brutally stabbed a trio of girls in the park.
Sadly, it didn’t seem like something out of the ordinary or too far off from any number of senseless acts and crimes against young girls and women.
But the more the two girls started telling the story, the more suspicious the whole thing became.
Before the others confirmed it with those interviews, it was a bit off that they recited the same story verbatim when recounting what happened to them.
And, of course, it was alarming to learn that Charlotte and Ava’s wounds were superficial compared to poor Grace. Their stab wounds weren’t defensive but rather a reflection of them doing the stabbing.
With friends like them, who needs enemies, right?
Some creepy AI app is why they embarked on this journey of attacking their friend. “The demon made me do it” is what it all boiled down to, and shivers ran up my spine when Charlotte finally stated the truth of what happened.
If I reconsidered not having kids for a second, an installment like this would have me firmly content with my decision.
Can Harper and James Ever Recover?
Initially, this seemed like a case that would have Nyla’s undivided attention, but instead, she found herself taking care of James for most of the day, even when everything in her wanted to escape again.
It’s fascinating to pinpoint that Nyla doesn’t do well with emotional discussions and confrontation. She’s a bit of a runner and avoidant, and she’s been struggling for some time.
She’s thrilled that James is back and safe, but she still hasn’t processed everything that happened and is concerned about so many things.
It feels like she’s in her head, mulling over the state of her relationship and maybe some of their differences. Just when it felt like the stressful nature of The Rookie Season 7 Episode 9 would result in bringing them closer together, now, I’m not so sure.
As my colleague stated in his piece discussing the Nyla/James marriage, could they really be a doomed pairing?
They discussed James’s association with a felon, how damaging it was, and how it could have landed the pair in trouble. Something about that doesn’t seem to click for James.
Their issues on that front remain unresolved. By the end of the hour, a teary-eyed Nyla seems so emotionally beaten down that I want to reach through the screen and hug her, but what can possibly be next for these two?
Can they ever find a way to work together without their different positions and statuses getting in the way? Their differences are creating a bigger chasm between this otherwise stellar couple.
Love After Lockup — Not on Celina’s Watch
The chaotic nature of the inmate situation was more entertaining than it seemed like it could be.
It’s wild that with zero notice, some correctional facility can call up a station and basically demand that they house a bunch of prisoners on a whim after a riot.
It wouldn’t have been so bad if a statewide police computer update had not left everyone in the dark, unable to determine who was among prison inmates.
Technology is supposed to make our lives better and more manageable, but this entire installment made the case for how it ruins everything. Between creepy AI and inmates with QR codes, what have we become as a society?
What happens when all of this crashes, leaving us with the basics, and no one knows how to navigate them?
Anyway, inmates catcalling Celina had its amusing moments as she was totally over it and ready to kick some butt.
The random riots added to the chaos and tension. Of course, the near-prison break ramped up the action. Things could’ve gone sideways with Kyle.
Seth Will Come Back with a Vengeance, Right?
But the most exciting part of the hour was when The Rookie finally addressed the Seth issue.
Imagine if he had stayed home instead of being so eager to come to work and play cop. He could’ve avoided so much or at least bought himself another week or two before he did something else stupid.
Seth bumping into his former oncologist was interesting because it implied that he had cancer at some point. He’s only lying about it now.
But then he tried to cover his tracks by mentioning another oncologist, and he had no way of knowing that Lucy would talk things over with Luna.
Basically, the new oncologist is someone whose medical license is dangily by a thread. He’s seedy, so he would be someone who would cover for Seth for the right price.
And his insurance should’ve covered pretty much anyone, so his claims that he had to switch doctors because of that reason was a load of crap.
With those little things, Lucy had enough to speak to Bradford and Grey, and they forced Seth’s hand by demanding a blood test to prove his cancer status.
Thanks to his probationary period, he didn’t have a right to privacy, and he showed his hand when he refused the test. The range of emotions he went through as he raged about them not believing him after all of his lies was too much for me.
What do you even do with this kid?
He’s no longer a cop, and the boot got the boot, but it’s doubtful that it’s the last of him. Seth has never been as creepy as he was when he threatened to sue and was angry about what happened.
Seth will undoubtedly do something about this, and I hope that it doesn’t put Lucy’s life in jeopardy. If Seth has an ax to grind with anyone, it’ll be Lucy.
There’s no way Seth will walk away from this so easily and won’t raise some hell or react.
Thoughts from the Bullpen:
Zuzu running down all that information about Nolan and texting him later to ask about the gift was so creepy.
If Zuzu knew who Bailey was and her hundredth birthday this year (because didn’t she just have one), could it have shared that shady stuff she did with the hitman, or am I just being a hater?
Celina dating that obnoxious guy who sings “Daddy Cop” is hilarious.
Celina’s desire to introduce her new boyfriend to Nolan and Bailey is adorable. They’re so “family-coded” sometimes, and it’s the sweetest.
Miles continues to be the gift that keeps on giving.
Over to you, Rookie Fanatics.
Did you have fun with this installment? Is this the last of Seth?
Let’s hear it below!
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