Collider’s take on The Rookie argues the show leans on a mockumentary frame that fans are tiring of. By recycling familiar faces instead of advancing fresh arcs, this installment drags rather than fires on all cylinders.
The episode opens with John Nolan and Celina Juarez answering a tense 9-1-1 call before being pulled into interview bits from a prior season. Abigail Tierney, now trying to film a movie, keeps interrupting, which breaks the momentum and makes the storytelling feel unfocused.
Lucy Chen digs through old training videos to connect clues to Rich Rowley, a retired officer who disappeared in 2022. The investigation links seven cold-case murders, each marked by a 1930 penny, and spirals into a web of conspiracies that taps into Area 67, alien lore, and a fictional horror plot centered on a demon named Malaphus.
Even a brief cameo from Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki adds a spark, acknowledging The Supernatural universe. Yet the episode keeps piling on red herrings and odd detours—the exorcism thread with Father Simon and the film director’s reveal—so the supernatural touch feels misplaced rather than earned. By the final beat, the documentary structure undermines the show’s strengths in character and cohesive storytelling.
When The Rookie works best, it pairs a tight mystery with character growth; this hour leans on gimmicks and callbacks instead. Viewers leave hoping the series returns to the steady, focused tempo that has defined it. New episodes air on ABC and land on Hulu for U.S. viewers.
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