Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for The Rookie Season 7, Episode 7.Like many dramas on television right now, The Rookie isn’t afraid to tackle timely issues. In its first seven seasons, the series has broached everything from the dangers of drug cartels to the fallout from someone struggling with addiction. The latest episode, which aired on February 18, even delves into the complexities of being a domestic abuse survivor when Bailey (Jenna Dewan) realizes that she needs to somehow come to terms with the trauma she experienced when she was married to Jason (Steve Kazee). But there’s one major area that the ABC drama has failed to fully explore so far.
Season 3 of ‘The Rookie’ Only Touches on the Topic of Racist Cops
There are all sorts of serious problems existing within the world of law enforcement today. Issues such as police brutality and systemic racism have so far only been broached by The Rookie in a significant storyline once. In Season 3, Jackson West (Titus Makin Jr.) is assigned a new training officer named Doug Stanton (Brandon Routh) after Angela Lopez (Alyssa Diaz) gets promoted to detective. Right away, Jackson notices that Doug tends to engage in racial profiling when he’s out on the streets. He stereotypes people merely because of the color of their skin, and often stops and interrogates people because they fit a profile Doug has constructed in his head.
In the “Lockdown” episode, Doug and Jackson follow a suspected stolen car into an apartment complex that is known for criminal activity. They split up, and Jackson is ambushed and receives a horrific beating from several men. Doug sees the beating taking place from afar, but instead of rescuing Jackson, he backs away, and pretends that he hasn’t seen the assault at all. Turns out, Doug still had his body cam on, and it’s clearly revealed later that Doug was a witness to Jackson being in danger and did nothing to help him.
At first, it seems like Doug will get his comeuppance. He is placed on administrative leave and has to go through an Internal Affairs investigation. However, in a future episode, Doug has appealed his termination and won. He is reinstated by the Los Angeles Police Department and just has to transfer to another division. Jackson and Sergeant Wade Grey (Richard T. Jones) are determined to out Doug’s racism, and they show the body-cam footage to his new sergeant, who ends up using the video as a training aid. Doug is knocked down a few pegs by this action, and loses the respect of his fellow officers. But he’s still allowed to continue being a cop (with his racism likely impacting even more innocent civilians in the future).
But as upsetting and offensive as Doug’s actions are, there isn’t really a lot of in-depth exploration into how his behavior illustrates the very serious problem of racist policing in the real world. Because the series sort of brushes the whole incident under the rug (and tries to tie it up in a neat bow), it almost seems as though this is just an isolated incident. But most people understand that these systemic problems go all the way to the roots of law enforcement organizations, and this isn’t necessarily a case of just one bad apple on the force.
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Nyla Harper Is Taking a Stand Against Problematic Policing in ‘The Rookie’
Nyla Harper (Mekia Cox) has always been someone who will stand up for what’s right. And now in Season 7, The Rookie is allowing her to take on these issues in a more concrete way. Her husband, James (Arjay Smith), is a community organizer who continually finds himself at odds with his wife’s stance on things. James hopes for sweeping changes within the police force, and Harper has to walk the line of sticking up for herself and her fellow officers, while also taking note of where progress could actually be made within the department. Nyla would never want to alienate her colleagues, but as a woman of color with integrity, she also knows that something must be done to address the problem of racist and corrupt police officers.
In the latest episode, Nyla reaches a point where she knows she needs to take action. She decides to initiate a program within the department to investigate the flaws within the system. The program would likely explore anything from excessive force to racial profiling of suspects. She’s also appointed her husband as a community liaison, which means he could help address the concerns of everyday civilians who are affected by the actions of the police. It’s possible that Nyla could earn herself some enemies within the precinct (not every cop will want her looking into their activities), but it’s a sign that this character (and the series itself) is committed to taking a closer look at these important topics.
This New Program Will Help ‘The Rookie’ Confront Real-Life Issues 
The Rookie really shines when it’s examining storylines that are both relatable and authentic. Since the death of George Floyd in 2020, there has been even more of a focus in this country on police brutality and misconduct. For a series that is set in the present-day, it has been a noticeable elephant in the room that The Rookie has sidestepped having their police characters deal with these types of matters. Showcasing these common and recurring abuses would be realistic and captivating to watch.
Nyla’s program is a smart way to take note of real-life problems that affect Americans, as well as to incorporate interesting storylines for a lot of the different characters. This program could help some of the core officers bring stories of racism or of other corrupt cops to the forefront, or the writers could introduce brand-new characters, which could open the door for even more compelling plots in future episodes. There’s also the fact that Nyla and James have been on sort of a rocky road with their differing perspectives. Perhaps this group could help them bridge the gap in their marriage and become a more secure, healthier couple. No matter where the writers decide to head next with the implementation of Nyla’s program, it’s a positive sign that the series is willing to take a more comprehensive look at a major blindspot that’s existed since the beginning of the show. Instead of continuing to push racism and negative police practices under the rug, Nyla (and The Rookie itself) are now stepping up to take on this troubling element that has infiltrated our criminal justice system.
New episodes of The Rookie air on Tuesday nights on ABC, with episodes available to stream on Hulu in the U.S.
The Rookie
- Release Date
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October 16, 2018
- Network
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ABC
- Showrunner
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Alexi Hawley
- Directors
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Tori Garrett, Chi-Yoon Chung, Michael Goi, Sylvain White, Lisa Demaine, Lanre Olabisi, Bill Johnson, David McWhirter, Liz Friedlander, Daniel Willis, Toa Fraser, Anne Renton, Jon Huertas, Cherie Nowlan, TK Shom, Rob Seidenglanz, Valerie Weiss, Barbara Brown, Charissa Sanjarernsuithikul, SJ Main Muñoz, Nelson McCormick, Marcus Stokes, Adam Davidson, Anna Mastro
- Writers
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Corey Miller, Bill Rinier, Zoe Cheng, Mary Trahan, Ally Seibert, Liz Alper, Nick Hurwitz, Racheal Seymour, Madeleine Coghlan, David Radcliff
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