‘The Rookie’ Season 1, Episode 10 ‘Flesh and Blood’ Recap: Favorites

The Rookie returns on active duty as his colleagues face their toughest assignment yet. This time, LAPD’s top officers switch things up and go on patrol. After all, the patrol is where you encounter the unexpected. Also, desk jobs full of paperwork in the station is every cop’s least favorite part of work.

In this week’s episode of The Rookie, Captain Zoe Andersen (Mercedes Mason) and Sergeant Wade Grey (Richard T. Jones) go on patrol. With their rookies under Captain’s and Sergeant’s command, Officers Tim Bradford (Eric Winter) and Talia Bishop (Afton Williamson) pair-up. Meanwhile, Officer Jackson West (Titus Makin Jr.) becomes an unwilling witness to Officer Angela Lopez’s (Alyssa Diaz) hot new romance.

Skunked

Now that Officer Bishop is one step ahead of being promoted to Detective, Officer Bradford finds it hard to adjust to this fact. Since they had to pair-up again, it was even harder. The duo constantly contradicted each other, unsure of who takes the lead. Eventually, the tension between them lands Bradford in an uncomfortable position. Not listening to Bishop’s preferred approach, Bradford barges right in front of a skunk, whom they suspected as an intruder in an apartment building.

Eric McCandless/ABC

Bishop did not want to have her patrol vehicle smelling like skunk spray, so she insisted on making Bradford take a cab to the station. Bradford’s entrance was made grand by the odor. At the end of their shift, however, the duo makes it up to each other. Also, Bishop did not wish to leave patrol yet, since she had goals to accomplish as a patrol officer. With that, the duo will still see more of each other.

Looking for a Wedding Date

Officers Diaz and West each had their own set of problems. While West thinks that the Captain was playing favorites by not choosing him to be her rookie, Lopez’s mother kept reminding her to bring a date on her brother’s wedding, unless she wanted to date the Best Man.

Later, West’s overeagerness embarrasses him. The Captain’s situation was under control by the time West and more reinforcements arrive, despite Officer Lucy Chen (Melissa O’Neil) radioing the all clear signal. Captain Andersen is no damsel in distress, and West had to learn this the hard way.

As if her day could not go any worse, they encounter a lawyer (Shawn Ashmore) whose briefcase got stolen. Despite his constant correction of Lopez’s methods, Lopez and West agree to help him. When they finally apprehend the suspect, The lawyer criticizes her arrest. Their argument goes on until they reach the station.

As Lopez’s shift ended, the lawyer approaches her, apologizing for his behavior and thanking her for helping him retrieve the briefcase. What seemed to be a battle between arch-enemies turned into flirting. Finally, the lawyer asks her out on a date. Lopez agrees, and proceeds to ask him to be her date on her brother’s wedding, too.

Mutual Admiration

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Officer Chen was nervous as she went on patrol with Captain Andersen. Chen has great respect and admiration for the Captain, so she did not want to screw up. Their shift answered to the toughest of calls. One involved a divorcing couple. The man did not want to leave his ex-wife, so he decided to kill himself. The other was a petty parking spot dispute where one of the suspects accidentally hits Andersen’s face.

The station itself was not immune to an extreme situation. An ex-con (Michael Filopowich) wanted to go back to jail since he could not adjust to life outside prison. He sneakily takes Andersen’s gun and grabs a civilian, aiming the gun at her side. Andersen tries to calm the situation. When that attempt fails, she relies on her wits, having the ex-con think that the gun’s safety is on despite it having none. Fortunately, Andersen incapacitates the ex-con, saving the civilian.

Officer Chen felt like she disappointed the Captain, so she heads to her office to apologizes. However, Captain Andersen stops her and tells her why she chose her. To her, Chen was doing a great job, and she is honored to have her under her command. With that, Lucy ends her shift with a smile on her face.

Protective Children

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Officer John Nolan (Nathan Fillion) knew that Sergeant Grey would choose him as his rookie, but he still tried to get away from it. However, this was not that comprised his worries. John’s son, Henry Nolan (Zayne Emory) visited him and is also at the station. When Sergeant Grey and Officer Nolan find out that Henry and Wade’s daughter, Dominique Grey (Jade Payton) got acquainted, they become equally concerned. Wade’s wife did not want him on patrol, and Henry was just as worried about John as he could be.

Nolan and Grey’s shift was hectic. A senior woman who drove a car with a broken tail light assaulted John while he asked about the other occupant of the vehicle, her towering son. Later, they responded to a noise complaint in an apartment complex. Two bloody men lay on the floor, but as soon as Nolan checks one, the men attacked. Eventually, Nolan and Grey gain the upper hand, but their uniforms were torn and bloodstained.

By the time they arrive at the station, it was too late to hide from their children. It seemed as if their roles reversed as Henry lectured John and Dominique confronted Wade. Still, they were nowhere near the end of the shift. As they enjoyed a heart to heart talk while driving, Nolan and Grey witness an explosion go off a few meters in their direction.

The source of the blast was a gas pipe which caused a gas leak in a nearby house. Nolan and Grey wasted no time in getting its occupants out. However, Grey passed out just as Nolan brought the last occupant out. It took some time, but Grey got up off his feet. Thankfully, the two brave men make it out of the house safely.

Father and Son

At home, John and Henry agree to talk things through. John did not want Henry to worry about him, but Henry did not want John to leave the force. They reach a compromise: at the end of each shift, John would text Henry “Turducken,” meaning that he is safe.

‘The Rookie’ Season 1, Episode 10 ‘Flesh and Blood’ Final Verdict

This episode is arguably one of the most memorable. After an intense previous chapter, this one fits right in perfectly. It gave us more insight into Captain Andersen and Sergeant Grey’s personality. Also, it felt very personal, especially during Bradford and Bishop’s patrol as well as Lopez and West’s shift. John and Wade make a great partnership, and should the show decide to show more of them, it would be well-received by the audiences.

The Rookie returns Tuesday, January 22nd with ‘Redwood’ at 10/9c on ABC.