The Lopez brothers rolled into the precinct to face Angela’s wrath, while Tim faced life-changing surgery, and Lucy had to take control at work.
Our TV Fanatics, Jasmine, Denis, and Christine, are joined by The Rookie fan, Kate, to debate who was the favorite Lopez brother, if Ashley should have waited to break up with Tim, and if Nolan and Bailey will ever get married.
Enjoy our premiere The Rookie round table!
Lucy took over when Smitty was left in charge of the station. Were you surprised at how she handled the other officers?
Jasmine: I was not! Lucy has probably had the strongest arc and most growth out of all the characters. Her being hesitant made sense, but once she got past that, she truly stepped up and showed how strong of a leader she was.
I also love how Harper told it to her straight. Lucy is a leader who garnered the respect of her colleagues while still being soft, lovable, and sweet. That’s genuinely refreshing.
Denis: No. Not really. What transpired is typical of Lucy. She moves unsure of herself but is much stronger than she gives herself credit for.
Lucy’s ability to connect with people on an emotional level is her strongest suit.
Kate: No, not surprised at all! That’s exactly what Lucy needed. Lately, she’s felt very out of her element with all the Rosalind Dyer stuff she’s had to live with.
This helped her feel in control and challenged her in all the right ways! I also think Lucy definitely needs a promotion of some sort soon as she’s done so much.
Christine: I was a little surprised that Lucy was still so hesitant, but that might be because she wasn’t officially in charge.
Lucy is so much stronger than she gives herself credit for, which is surprising. She’s gained her peers’ respect. Now she just needs to own that.
What do you think of Celina Juarez and her different way of looking at things?
Jasmine: Celina is an acquired taste. Sometimes it annoys me, but other times, I appreciate how unique she is and how she offers a different perspective. Her style and methods work for her.
I enjoy that Nolan doesn’t always understand her, but he respects her. She couldn’t have a better person in her corner in that regard.
Denis: The world could always use a fresh perspective else we risk running into a tyranny of thought.
Basing deductions on reality, however, is something that can’t be understated. The only problem that might arise with Celina’s method is she might do the worst things and feel no need for any justification.
So from one end, I’m glad it makes her a better cop, but on the other end, I’m glad that Nolan is there to keep her in check.
Kate: It depends. Celina’s view is starting to grow on me. I know a fair amount of astrology and things of that nature, so it’s funny when she mentions something that I get on some level.
I like how Celina challenges Nolan to think differently. Generally, I ignore Nolan since it’s such a great ensemble cast, but his being a TO is interesting, especially with Celina.
Christine: Celina looking at things from such a different point of view is fun.
And I like that Nolan doesn’t make her feel like she can’t be a cop because she doesn’t fit into the standard mold, yet reminds her that she needs to base her actions on tangible evidence and procedure, not intuition.
Was Ashley wrong to break up with Tim the moment he woke up from surgery?
Jasmine: Yes! Who does that? I mean, if she wanted to break up with him, she should’ve done it ages ago.
I almost feel like she saw the looks between Tim and Lucy and how Lucy basically took point talking to the doctor, and she just wanted out.
I never understood Ashley having such an issue with dating cops and continuing to date Tim. There were so many points when she could’ve ended things based on how life-threatening or dangerous they were to him and didn’t.
It was odd that this was her last straw, and she did it immediately after he woke up from surgery. I thought it was a very contrived breakup, like they remembered they had to do it and went from there.
Denis: Was it the best timing? Probably not. Was it the worst? Tim’s a cop, and the worst is always coming.
Honestly, it didn’t bother me much because I kind of forgot that Ashley was even a thing.
Kate: Going into this episode, I assumed Tim and Ashley had quietly broken up off-screen. That Ashley broke up with Tim because of the dangers in his line of work confuses me.
She knew his job going in, yet she stayed this long? Also, she specifically said she ‘wanted to get it in before the anesthesia wore off.’
So, she wanted to break up with him right out of surgery! Ouch. She should have broken up with him way sooner.
Christine: Yeah, I think we’d all sort of forgotten about Ashley, so that should say something about how important we thought she was to Tim.
But who breaks up with someone as they come out of anesthesia after major surgery? What kind of coward does that?
Why didn’t Tim tell Lucy that Ashley had broken up with him?
Jasmine: It would’ve been too awkward at the time. They clearly have these feelings for each other, but they both have significant others, which is largely what kept them from moving forward.
Without Ashley, it reintroduces this part of their relationship they’re too scared to explore.
If Lucy dumps Chris, it has to be on her terms and not because Tim and Ashley broke up. Tim is always thinking about what’s best for Lucy, and this is no exception.
Denis: Tim has never been unsure of many things in his life. Of late, that has been changing. But his biggest point of lack of surety is where he and Lucy stand. He didn’t want to get Lucy all excited.
Also, his relationship had just ended. That’s usually sad.
Kate: It wasn’t the right time. Most people use that as an excuse, but here it’s just true. It’s been a long day, and Tim doesn’t need all the sympathy stuff Lucy would awkwardly say if he told her.
Lucy has a lot on her plate, too, as Tim said earlier, so he’s looking out for her as well. He’ll tell her soon enough, but Tim needs to process it himself and recover a bit more.
Christine: The poor guy just got dumped, and he wasn’t even completely out of the effects of anesthesia! Tim deserves time to process this breakup for himself before he shares it with anyone.
Who was your favorite Lopez brother, and why?
Jasmine: As a Julio Macias fan, I’m biased. Obviously, it was the confidently and cheekily named Father D. Ahem.
I mean, he’s a super hot priest struggling with his vows who has the entire neighborhood willing to invoke hood justice on his behalf. He’s a rather compelling character.
Plus, we spent the most time with him. I would LOVE to spend more time with the Lopez brothers, including the absent Bruno.
Denis: The priest. Possibly because I have a soft spot for and only know Julio Macias, the rest could be draped in fine cloth; he in rags, and I’d still be on his side.
Kate: I liked the priest’s arc the most. I mean, a cute priest who’s struggling with following his vows and has a whole army of people who would fight for him? That’s power.
I would love more from the Lopez brothers and a little more insight into how Father Lopez got so many people to root for him.
Christine: I liked Cruz, the addict who appears to be turning his life around. But like everyone else, I’d love to see more of Angela’s family. Hopefully, we’ll get to talk about Bruno in the near future.
Bailey asked Nolan to marry her. Were you surprised, and do you think they’ll actually get married?
Jasmine: I wasn’t surprised. I wasn’t not surprised. I just didn’t care. I can’t say I’ve ever been invested in Nolan’s love life, so the scene had me ambivalent.
I guess it made sense that this would be the next step since they need to keep justifying why Bailey is around all the time and make use of Jenna Dewan as a series regular.
I only have my doubts about the wedding because we already had Angela and Wesley and Harper and James wed just last season.
Denis: I wasn’t. This seems like the next step in their relationship, and I don’t see why they should not be married.
Kate: I wasn’t surprised. I just didn’t care. It feels like they’re constantly trying to make Bailey seem like some awesome, perfect, strong girl, and she’s not bad, but it just feels forced.
I’ve also never been into Nolan’s love life, so that’s probably part of it.
Christine: First off, I’ve grown to like Bailey, but they need to stop making her into some superhero who has died three times and can do anything. We get it. She’s strong, but the trope has gotten ridiculous.
And I wasn’t surprised about the proposal, but I’m leery about them actually getting married due to the Nathan Fillion romantic curse. I can’t say I’ve seen all of his roles, but usually, the romantic relationships don’t end in happily ever after.
What was your favorite quote, scene, or storyline from this episode of The Rookie?
Jasmine: I was really into Angela’s storyline with her family because it feels like we haven’t had a lot of her front and center for a long time.
It was fun to meet her brothers. I loved the montage. And I really enjoyed the family dinner and what Mrs. Lopez had to say to Angela.
I think I mentioned it before, but it’s really common in families of color for mothers to put their sons on pedestals, and daughters are left to be the strong ones all the time or sort of cater to prioritizing the boys too.
I loved seeing that acknowledged, discussed, and Angela’s Mom apologizing.
Denis: I always find myself enjoying every scene with Nyla or Lopez. To get both of them interrogating was a thrill.
I love how they don’t mess around and are straight to the point. They strike a balance between a cop and a regular person perfectly.
Kate: I loved the end scene of the family dinner at The Lopez’s. Super heartfelt and funny all at once.
Christine: I loved how Wesley stepped in to represent his brothers-in-law. He protected his family, even if it put him at odds with Angela. And in the end, Angela, her Mom, and the brothers all appreciated how he stepped up when he didn’t have to.
Okay, TV Fanatics. It’s your turn. Was Father Lopez the hottest of Angela’s brothers?
Was Ashley wrong to break up with Tim fresh out of surgery? And do you think Nolan and Bailey will really get married?
Click that SHOW COMMENTS button below and let us know your thoughts on The Rookie.
And if you haven’t already, head over to Jasmine’s The Rookie Season 5 Episode 5 review here at TV Fanatic.
C. Orlando is a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. Follow her on Twitter.