The BEST episodes of The Rookie season 1
Every episode of The Rookie season 1, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of The Rookie season 1!
Starting over isn’t easy, especially for small-town guy John Nolan who, after a life-altering incident, is pursuing his dream of being a Los Angeles police officer. As the force’s oldest rookie, he’s met with skepticism from some higher-ups who see him as just a walking midlife crisis. If he can’t keep up with the young cops and the criminals, he’ll be risking lives including his own. But if he can use his life experience, determination and sense of humor to give him an edge, he may just become a success in this new chapter of his life.
#1 - Greenlight
Season 1 - Episode 16 - Aired 3/19/2019
Officer Nolan gets a lesson in respect after his arrest of a gang member leads to a free-for-all on his life. Officer Chen and Officer Bradford pull over Mario Lopez, who thinks he can talk his way out of a traffic violation.
#2 - Free Fall
Season 1 - Episode 20 - Aired 4/16/2019
As the rookies prepare for a big exam to see who moves on to the next stage of training, Officer Nolan and Officer Bishop are called to the scene of a murder and learn that the victim may be tied to a potential terrorist attack on the city of Los Angeles.
#3 - Crash Course
Season 1 - Episode 2 - Aired 10/23/2018
Talia forces Nolan to confront his personal moral instincts in order to be a good cop after he encounters a kidnapping victim. Meanwhile, Lucy is temporarily placed with a new training officer who tests her patience, and Jackson must confront his failures head-on if he wants to be an officer.
#4 - Standoff
Season 1 - Episode 9 - Aired 1/8/2019
Officer Bradford’s wife is found shot but alive, and he vows to track down the man responsible. Officer Nolan must protect his home and the truth after a home invasion attack.
#5 - Manhunt
Season 1 - Episode 15 - Aired 3/5/2019
When a prison bus crashes, all units must respond as some inmates face severe injuries while others seek an opportunity to flee. In the wake of the accident, Officer Nolan tries to impress an FBI hostage negotiator while tracking down an escaped convict.
#6 - Plain Clothes Day
Season 1 - Episode 14 - Aired 2/26/2019
The rookies are really put to the test when their training officers accompany them out of uniform for Plain Clothes Day, which forces them to make all the decisions while on patrol. Officer Nolan tries to prove he has been progressing faster than the other rookies to justify his desire of becoming a detective within five years.
#7 - The Checklist
Season 1 - Episode 19 - Aired 4/9/2019
Sergeant Gray informs the rookies that they must track down a specific set of crimes in a 48-hour period in order to qualify for their final exam. Officer Nolan and Officer Bishop answer a silent alarm call at will.i.am’s house.
#8 - Time of Death
Season 1 - Episode 8 - Aired 12/11/2018
Officer Nolan and Officer Bishop respond to a silent alarm call at a local convenience store where two men are attempting to rob the place. Officer Nolan pursues one of the suspects on foot and is forced to make a split-second decision that will affect both of their lives. Meanwhile, Officer Bishop helps coordinate a drug bust that hits a little too close to home for Officer Bradford.
#9 - The Shake Up
Season 1 - Episode 17 - Aired 3/26/2019
A massive earthquake rocks the city and throws everyone’s patrols and its citizens into chaos. Agent Russo recommends Officer Nolan for a protective detail of Brad Hayes, a man whose dealings have put a target on his head.
#10 - Flesh and Blood
Season 1 - Episode 10 - Aired 1/15/2019
On Captain Andersen’s orders, Officer Nolan and Sergeant Grey are paired up for the day on patrol. Additionally, Nolan’s son and Grey’s daughter visit their dads on the job and see them in action. Meanwhile, Officer Chen is paired up with Captain Andersen, and Officer Bradford tells Chen to protect her at all costs.
#11 - Redwood
Season 1 - Episode 11 - Aired 1/22/2019
An unscheduled visit by the vice president of the United States puts the station on high alert. The Secret Service tasks Nolan and Bishop with checking out a possible threat to the vice president while the rest of the team tries to keep the streets safe for his visit.
#12 - Homefront
Season 1 - Episode 18 - Aired 4/2/2019
When one of their colleagues is arrested by Internal Affairs for lying on the witness stand, it leads to the release of three felons whose cases he worked on and the team being asked to check in on them now that they are free. Meanwhile, Officer Nolan finds out he is being sued by a man who claims he used excessive force which led to an injury.
#13 - Caught Stealing
Season 1 - Episode 13 - Aired 2/19/2019
The rookies become the prime suspects after a large sum of money used in a drug bust goes missing.
#14 - Pilot
Season 1 - Episode 1 - Aired 10/16/2018
Starting over isn’t easy, especially for small-town guy John Nolan who, after a life-altering incident, is pursuing his dream of being a police officer.
#15 - The Switch
Season 1 - Episode 4 - Aired 11/13/2018
The rookies are temporarily paired with new training officers, and Officer Nolan is paired with Officer Lopez. When Nolan and Lopez track down an escaped criminal, they discover a little kindness goes a long way. Meanwhile, Jackson is forced to face his fears when he is partnered with Officer Bradford, while Officer Chen and Nolan must face a hard truth.
#16 - The Roundup
Season 1 - Episode 5 - Aired 11/20/2018
Nolan, the rookies and their training officers get involved in a competition that pits them against each other. Officer Lucy Chen notices Officer Tim Bradford is obsessed with winning at all costs.
#17 - Heartbreak
Season 1 - Episode 12 - Aired 2/12/2019
The most dangerous day of the year – Valentine’s Day – has the team on high alert, and Officer Nolan invites everyone over for a party now that he is single.
#18 - The Hawke
Season 1 - Episode 6 - Aired 11/27/2018
Nolan and the team must help capture a cop and his former mentor from the academy after he becomes a fugitive following an assault. Meanwhile, Officer Tim Bradford needs Officer Lucy Chen to learn to predict the moves of criminals in order to capture them.
#19 - The Ride Along
Season 1 - Episode 7 - Aired 12/4/2018
Sergeant Grey informs Officer Nolan and Officer Bishop that they are going to have a movie director as a ride-along during their patrol after a fun afternoon granting the wish of a Make-A-Wish kid as honorary police officer Kaydence Patton. Meanwhile, Officer Bradford is tested once again after he learns that his wife, Isabel, has been arrested for drug possession.
#20 - The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Season 1 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/30/2018
After Nolan and Talia lose control of a crime scene, they begin to debate whether people are fundamentally good or bad and what that means for a police officer. Meanwhile, Lucy is concerned Tim is enabling his wife’s destructive behavior and not taking care of himself.