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This show offers a realistic view of how rookie police officers deal with their daily routine. As a child raised in a family of law enforcement professionals, this show is the closest representation of how the characters deal with work, colleagues and relationships. The characters in the show seem real and have issues of their own.
Nathan Fillion as the lead is tremendous in his role of Rookie Officer Nolan. He brings his innate charm to the role of a downtrodden man that seeks to find meaning in his life by joining the police force. There is heart in his performances and that becomes the conduit through which the audience can empathize and sympathize with him and the more jaded police officers of the show. His signature brazen attitude is toned down compared to his role in Castle or his Captain Mal from Firefly. In the more somber moments of the show you can see that Officer Nolan has pain in his heart and has been through rough times, but he champions through it. That's where Fillion does his best work.
The rest of the cast also does a great job, but there are the unavoidable stereotypes. The three main actors orbiting Fillion are Richard T. Jones as Sergeant Grey, the sergeant that doesn't like Nolan because he's too old to be a cop, trying to crush his morale in hopes that he will either quit or be a better officer for it. His performance is solid and the chemistry between him and Fillion is palpable. The little side-eyes and moments of silence are awkward but fun to watch as you root for Nolan but also understand Sergeant Grey's viewpoint.
His trainer, officer Bishop played by Afton Williamson, is a tough officer that's overly ambitious and sees Nolan as an opportunity to get to the detective seat faster. She is his anchor in the show, pulling Nolan down to reality. There are glances in the show that are done very expertly and subtly by Williamson, where you as the audience realize that she actually begins to admire and respect Nolan. That humanizes her character and makes her likable.
Melissa O'Neil portrays rookie Lucy Chen, who is romantically involved with Nolan. She is initially presented as a badass rookie that has a take charge attitude. O'Neil is very believable as that character and her chemistry with Fillion is great. However, her chemistry with Eric Winter's character as her trainer, Officer Bradford, is what helps the character stand on her own and not just as the romantic interest. She is constantly challenged and belittled by Bradford who is jaded but sincere in his desire to make her the best officer she can be. I liken his character to that of John C. McGinley's Dr. Cox from Scrubs.
So far this shows sets itself apart from the current "cop dramas" on tv. Shows like Magnum PI, Lethal Weapon and NCIS tend to sensationalize how crime fighting is done. The Rookie doesn't shy away from law enforcement lingo and spouting regulations, but it is not done to glamorize how roguish or cool the lead characters are. In fact, Officer Nolan and his fellow rookies learn from each episode what it means to be a better officer.
score 9/10
drew_kar 24 October 2018
Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw4416774/ |
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22-11-2019 10:08:27
