The Rookie

:

Season 1
  • Network: ABC
  • Series Premiere Date: Oct 16, 2018
Season #: 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 52 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 41 out of 52
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 52
  3. Negative: 5 out of 52
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User Reviews

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  1. Ededed
    Jan 19, 2019
    6
    Entertaining and often engaging. It’s a pretty typical cop drama as far as the scripts are concerned. As characters, the group of rookies are believable, the group of training officers are shallow and stereotypical. Having the Sgt. rag on the rookies constantly is getting old, and borders on being referred to HR for harassment. That needs to be dialed back big time.

    Just how many love    Entertaining and often engaging. It’s a pretty typical cop drama as far as the scripts are concerned. As characters, the group of rookies are believable, the group of training officers are shallow and stereotypical. Having the Sgt. rag on the rookies constantly is getting old, and borders on being referred to HR for harassment. That needs to be dialed back big time.

    Just how many love interests does the main character need to go through?

    Again, adequate, but it needs some polish on the minor characters and plot lines if it’s going to get any better.
    Later scripts are getting a bit better but still needs work to flesh out the characters.
    If the characters are allowed to develop into something more believable, this show could last more than one season.    … Expand
  2. JennetP
    Mar 9, 2019
    5
    Amiable, wise-cracking star, check. Beautiful love interest half his age, check. Implausibly fabulous digs, check. Attractive ensemble with one quirk per character, check. Yes, "The Rookie" is fluff, alternately rib-tickling and heartstring-pulling, set in an LAPD that is a copagandist's wet dream. It's not really a police procedural; it's a series about starting over, but it doesn'tAmiable, wise-cracking star, check. Beautiful love interest half his age, check. Implausibly fabulous digs, check. Attractive ensemble with one quirk per character, check. Yes, "The Rookie" is fluff, alternately rib-tickling and heartstring-pulling, set in an LAPD that is a copagandist's wet dream. It's not really a police procedural; it's a series about starting over, but it doesn't actually have much to say about what it's like to begin a career based on rank in your 40s. I'd sum it up as "you get a lot of kidding then everybody discovers how wise age has made you."

    In the latest episode I've seen, the three rookies are punked: forced to star in a fake recruiting video for the LAPD. The series is a little like an LAPD recruiting video, actually, so maybe the producers are more sly and self-aware than I think. If so, could get more interesting . . ..    … Expand
  3. Idiota150
    Apr 18, 2019
    5
    Lost interest after the comedy angle disappeard completely - not that there was a lot of it. Also felt like they tried to check too many boxes in a manual of how to write TV scripts.

Awards & Rankings

50
#50 Most Discussed TV Season of 2018
77
#77 Most Shared TV Season of 2018

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
64

Generally favorable reviews - based on 12 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 12
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 12
  3. Negative: 0 out of 12
  1. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Daniel Fienberg
    Oct 16, 2018
    50
    The series tries, with limited success, to be both a star vehicle for Fillion and also an ensemble. It doesn't pay off in the pilot, creating too many characters and too many plotlines for a rhythm to ever get properly established.
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  2. IndieWire
    Reviewed by: Ben Travers
    Oct 16, 2018
    58
    There’s enough parity in the group to keep viewers engaged, be it from their slew of emergencies (like a crazy man screaming about unicorns on top of his car) or testy inter-personal dynamics. Even after the ridiculous opening scene, Fillion manages to fill Nolan with enough foolish sincerity to be a believable human being.
    Read full review
  3. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Chris Barton
    Oct 16, 2018
    60
    Fillion’s strengths are key, because despite the show’s best efforts to drape multiple dramatic storylines around him in the one episode ABC made available to review, there’s just not a lot that stands out otherwise. ... It’s a breezy drama that doesn’t demand much from the viewer, but Fillion’s easy charm is tough to dismiss.
    Read full review
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