User reviews

The Rookie is one of the better cop shows on tv right now. Nathan Fillion leads a really good cast who all do a good job making this a show worth watching. Anyone who's seen Fillion in a show knows he never disappoints. This show does good job balancing drama, action, suspense and humor. It also shows how tough it is to be a police officer both at work and at home. Some of the negative reviews are from people that don't like that they take real world problems of today and apply them to the show. Everyone knows there are a thousand police shows to choose from but if you're looking for an exciting and original show then give The Rookie a try.

I have to say I've really enjoyed The Rookie even more than I though I would. I've been a Nathan Fillan fan since Castle and he really shines here. He stars as John Nolan, a 40-something year rookie for the LAPD. After a life altering incident he chooses to pursue his dream of becoming a police officer. As the oldest rookie he has to persuade skeptics that he's cut out for the job and that this isn't some mid life crisis. These are several supporting characters in this and they all bring a sense of entertainment to the show. It's a really easy show to sit back and watch and even have on as background viewing. It's one of the better cop shows of the last few years.

At first I thought "no please, not another cop show" and I wasn't sure about Nathan Fillion as a cop. But I must say, the directing is spot on, and the writing is refreshing - especially the relationships of the rookies and their T.O's, their relationship with each other, the conflicts they have to deal with, and the use/views of the body cams. Also surprisingly, Fillion is perfect for this part and nails his role, and all other actors were perfectly cast and also are great in their roles. I especially appreciate seeing the various parts of L.A. and the different people/conflicts the LAPD has to deal with - outside and within the force. So far so good, let's hope the writing progresses as good at the pilot was throughout the season. A well deserved 8/10 from me.

EDIT: 4/2019 - upped my score from 8 to 9/10... the writing has vastly improved; more realistic (and original) drama, and much less cliched cheese. Keep it up guys!

As an active police officer of 25 years, I'm currently 54, it was like watching my own body cam footage from the last few months! I am hooked on this show! P. Ball

I loved watching the first two seasons. The acting and storytelling was perfect but then we have season 3. As of writing this, I have watched 6 or 7 episodes of season 3 and it just keeps getting worse. I believe that racism is a problem but the character portrayed by Brandon Routh is a one dimensional caricature of a stereotypical white male racist cop. Whoever decided that Brandon Routh should play this caricature should have been fired on the spot. The only constantly good thing is Nathan Fillion's character, John Nolan and he is the only reason I'll keep watching this show. Currently there are only 4 seasons available on Netflix in my country and reading some of the other reviews on here. I think I'm gonna need a bottle or two of hard liquor to help me finish watching the show. It's sad that they ruined such an amazing show.

This series started off strong but the writers of season 3 seems to want shove every PC issue into every episode. There's just too much baggage to make you care about any of it.

After S2 it was S... It good have been better than average, but lost the plot.. Then I saw a friend busy with S4. I had 1 look @ it and just laughed. Really, a woman no bigger than 5'2, a Fire Fighter? Now I would like to see how she's going to crash through a door & pick up a man of 160-200 pounds. Told my friend to call me to if it happens. Still waiting..... Now I know why I stopped something really going to ....

Seasons 1 & 2 were very entertaining and kept me coming back for more. Season 3...did they change writers???? Sooo much "woke" culture crap being focused on, stop it!

Please bring this show back for a second season. Nathan has many fans, not to mention the rest of the cast is great. Pls pls pls.

I start watching this show without knowing it and the S1 and S2 was just so great! Every episode was pure fun and every thing felt so real without fake policing and stuff. But than season 3 came and wow it felt like it turn into a teaching episodes, How I should feel about certain things and every second character is offended from every second word a white person says (and I'm not white). Also lots of Hypocrisy, at one moment a person say to a white guy he wont get special treatment or any ease, and on the next the same person go directly to the Sargent and asks for his help only because she knows him. I fully understand the problems with the police and profiling, but too bad they took a great show and turned it into a teaching and lessons episodes. They should continue the same as s1 and s2 which also contained profiling and stuff, but it was reasonable and subtle.

Wow! I loved it, keep up the good writing, the good plot lines & the relationships of the characters as they settle into their roles & we've got an entertaining hour of tv!

Loved S1. Got through S2 and thought that the plots had taken quite a turn from reality and what any officer would face, even over a 30 year career. S3 used the show as a platform for a one sided political diatribe. I dropped it and won't be back.

Seriously? 2 great seasons and now this?? The show isfor entertainment and NOT to push the current bs narrative.

Used to be a very entertaining show, this season has a been a huge disappointment.

This episode was outstanding. The major characters all had emotional problems to deal with. The finale was true life, tear jerking, but so realistic. Wonderful writing, acting, story line. I intend to watch it again!

I never miss this show. Character personalities are spot on. Some funny moments in the show, I never saw coming.

Before you write this off as some hater, know that I'm a person of color. I appreciate the attempt at bringing real life issues into the show, but that does not forgive bad writing or a shove-it-down-your-throat attitude. Season 3 has so far been only about 2 things. Women suffering from men and people of color suffering from bad cops. There's no longer policing, there's no longer "The Rookie". This is another show, and it's the wrong show.

This used to be a goody-two-shoes comic relief police show with just enough drama to make us invested. That doesn't go with this. If you want to talk about these issues that deeply then make another show dedicated to them.

And if you wanted to simply give them an appearance in "The Rookie", then you could have done it more subtly and without simply pulling us out of the story and environment we were used to. For example, Officer Smitty would have been a good character to involve in the racism issues. He's a slacker, comic-relief, but what if we show him when he feels endangered, because of a person of color who doesn't show any cause for danger? That could have been a good tip of the hat towards the issue, and showing it through a character we're familiar with.

One other thing is the death of logic in this third season.

SPOILERS IN THE NEXT LINE. (Check below for Spoiler end and start reading there to avoid season 3 spoilers)

The fact that Jackson's TO would be this stupid when he has the IA commander's son as a boot just doesn't make sense. And if he's as smart and cautious about his racism as they make him out to be, he'd have actually acted like a goody-two-shoes in front of Jackson, which the latter could have noticed and created another plotline about that, but we're past that now.

SPOILER END.

At the moment, I'm conflicted about even finish season 3, I'm at episode 5, and frankly I don't want to watch it. I just want this whole mess over with and for us to get back to the story of The Rookie.

This is a cop show, in the tradition of Southland, Dragnet and Third Watch, but with Nathan Fillion charm thrown in. One of my favorite new shows!!

After firefly, 10 years of castle now this. Fillion is definitely the best tv actor out there.

Lost tons of weight for the rookie to make it more believable a 40 yr could do this. Comedy and action 10/10

Sometimes it seems all the big networks make are police/legal procedurals or medical dramas. Rookie really stood out, which is a challenge in that primetime environment.

Following an older rookie was a smart idea. The patrol aspect is the best. It's chaotic, hectic, feels far less contrived. We get to see what feels like a more real portrayal of the lives of men and women in law enforcement. It's funny, it's poignant.

In later seasons, this disappears quickly and the show becomes much like every other police procedural show. Performances remain pretty solid, but there's a bunch of silly extraneous drama added for everyone to have something to do. Little or nothing of patrol. Investigations. Serial killers obsessed with the featured officers. Less surprises, life lessons and tie ins you can see coming a mile away.

Season 5 had a chance to return to the basics with Nolan becoming a trainer himself, but no dice unfortunately. Feels like a mountain of wasted opportunities. Watch season 1 and pretend it was cancelled after that.

Just finished the first episode. I wasn't sure at first but about midway through I realized how much I was already enjoying these characters. Nathan Fillion is great in everything he does and the rest of the cast seems real strong so far. Im excited to see where this goes.

It started out great in season 1, became a bit over the top in season 2 with rookies being involved in major crimes every day, then season 3 became a social lecture in race relations, gender issues, socio economic concerns, and other touchy feely stuff.

I'm not against having these issues as center pieces in TV shows. Honestly, it's the only way American adults are educated these days, but c'mon. Let them just be cops for an episode or two.