The BEST episodes of The Rookie season 5

Every episode of The Rookie season 5, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of The Rookie season 5!

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.

Last Updated: 12/20/2024Network: ABC (US)Status: Continuing
Under Siege
star
8.12
935 votes

#1 - Under Siege

Season 5 - Episode 22 - Aired 5/2/2023

After one of their own is shot, the team suffers a series of close calls and realizes their division may be a target for a group of masked assailants.

Directors: Bill Roe
Writer: Alexi Hawley
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
The Choice
star
7.78
1045 votes

#2 - The Choice

Season 5 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/16/2022

Rosalind returns with a vengeance and Bailey’s life is left hanging in the balance. With a ticking clock, the LAPD and the FBI join forces, and Officer John Nolan is forced to make a deadly decision after a harrowing ultimatum.

Directors: Bill Roe
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Double Down
star
7.77
1093 votes

#3 - Double Down

Season 5 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/25/2022

Officer John Nolan’s is once again face-to-face with serial killer Rosalind, and she wants him to know she’s not done with him yet. Meanwhile, officers Bradford and Chen work undercover with Detective Lopez and the Las Vegas Police Department to arrest leaders of a major criminal enterprise.

Directors: Tori Garrett
Writer: Alexi Hawley
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Daddy Cop
star
7.77
914 votes

#4 - Daddy Cop

Season 5 - Episode 13 - Aired 1/24/2023

In the midst of a heatwave and a citywide blackout, Officer John Nolan and Aaron follow increasingly large leads after they discover criminals hiding at the station. While on duty, Officer Chen makes an alarming discovery after being called to a scene where a pungent smell has wreaked havoc. Meanwhile, Lucy and Harper scheme to get Tim out of his new job and into a more exciting position.

Directors: Anne Renton
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Death Sentence
star
7.73
877 votes

#5 - Death Sentence

Season 5 - Episode 14 - Aired 1/31/2023

Officer John Nolan and Bailey are on the hunt for a mystery gunman after a shooting hits a little too close to home. Aaron struggles to live within his means and joins Lucy to help Tamara when the mother of a child she babysits goes missing. Wesley suspects that a judge is taking bribes after he excludes valuable eyewitness testimony from a case.

Directors: Faye Brenner
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
The Con
star
7.70
884 votes

#6 - The Con

Season 5 - Episode 15 - Aired 2/14/2023

With help from the FBI, Detective Lopez puts everything on the line to help Elijah Stone take down a gang leader in exchange for her safety. Meanwhile, Nolan and Bailey must deal with the secrets and shady dealings his late mother left behind.

Directors: Bill Roe
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
The Enemy Within
star
7.70
865 votes

#7 - The Enemy Within

Season 5 - Episode 17 - Aired 2/28/2023

Now that Elijah and Abril have become allies, the team must rely on Monica, Elijah's lawyer, to uncover their plans; Officers Nolan and Juarez reopen her sister's case and discover a discrepancy that leads them on a new trail.

Directors: Lanre Olabisi
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
The Collar
star
7.67
899 votes

#8 - The Collar

Season 5 - Episode 8 - Aired 12/4/2022

Officers John Nolan and Celina Juarez are in a race against time to stop the source of an explosive rampage.

Directors: Robert Bella
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
A Hole in the World
star
7.67
868 votes

#9 - A Hole in the World

Season 5 - Episode 19 - Aired 3/28/2023

The team investigates a pattern of kidnappings which leads them to a discovery that hits close to home with one of their own. Meanwhile, Lucy and Tim's relationship is put to the test as they begin to feel the hard hours of their jobs.

Directors: T.K. Shom
Writer: Brynn Malone
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Exposed
star
7.66
876 votes

#10 - Exposed

Season 5 - Episode 16 - Aired 2/21/2023

The team must stop a militia from detonating a highly combustible truck in their possession. Meanwhile, Officers Nolan, Thorson, Juarez and Detective Harper search for three men who may have been exposed to Ebola and detain them for quarantine.

Directors: Ryan Krayser
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Labor Day
star
7.65
1025 votes

#11 - Labor Day

Season 5 - Episode 2 - Aired 10/2/2022

Officer John Nolan is moving closer to his new role as a training officer. In preparation, he is tasked with overseeing Officer Aaron Thorson and must uncover the truth about another officer’s suicide. Meanwhile, Lucy’s successful undercover assignment earns her an invitation for specialized training in Sacramento and she must decide if this is the path she wants to take.

Directors: Rob Seidenglanz
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Death Notice
star
7.65
918 votes

#12 - Death Notice

Season 5 - Episode 12 - Aired 1/17/2023

Officer John Nolan and Celina are enlisted to stand guard at a hospital after a dangerous prisoner must have surgery and they suspect there’s more to it than meets the eye. Meanwhile, Aaron gets Lopez and Harper to help him investigate a string of home robberies, and Tim and Lucy consider how their new secret relationship will affect their work. Elsewhere, Lopez gets unexpected news.

Directors: Tori Garrett
Writer: Brynn Malone
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
The Fugitive
star
7.65
1010 votes

#13 - The Fugitive

Season 5 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/23/2022

Officer John Nolan and Officer Celina Juarez are on the hunt for a fugitive after a car incident goes awry. Meanwhile, a past injury comes to haunt Tim and Lucy comes through during his time in need in more ways than one.

Directors: Cherie Nowlan
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Dye Hard
star
7.64
1022 votes

#14 - Dye Hard

Season 5 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/9/2022

Officer John Nolan is assigned his first rookie, Officer Celina Juarez, whose unconventional approach to police work poses a unique challenge for him.

Directors: Bethany Rooney
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
The List
star
7.64
900 votes

#15 - The List

Season 5 - Episode 10 - Aired 1/3/2023

Detective Nyla Harper and James find themselves in the middle of a bank robbery which leads the entire team on a citywide manhunt. Meanwhile, Tim and Lucy finally go on their first date, but it does have a few complications.

Directors: Robert Bella
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Take Back
star
7.61
886 votes

#16 - Take Back

Season 5 - Episode 9 - Aired 12/4/2022

Officer John Nolan and the team investigate the unexpected death of a suspect in police custody. Their search also uncovers a very delicate loose end that could jeopardize Officer Celina Juarez’s career. Meanwhile, Sergeant Grey and his wife, Luna, go to New York to visit their daughter, Dominique, only to realize she never made it home from the night before.

Directors: David McWhirter
Writer: Alexi Hawley
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
The Reckoning
star
7.59
1028 votes

#17 - The Reckoning

Season 5 - Episode 6 - Aired 10/30/2022

Nolan and Celina investigate a cash deposit linked to an old DEA case.

Directors: Lanre Olabisi
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
The Naked and the Dead
star
7.58
899 votes

#18 - The Naked and the Dead

Season 5 - Episode 11 - Aired 1/10/2023

The search for a missing boy leads the team into the middle of a dangerous drug war between two rival gangs.

Directors: Robert Bella
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Crossfire
star
7.58
980 votes

#19 - Crossfire

Season 5 - Episode 7 - Aired 11/6/2022

Officer John Nolan and Celina witness a shooting, realize the victim was already dead, and investigate further. Back at home, Bailey has been feeling off-center ever since the proposal, leaving Nolan to wonder what he can do to make her feel more comfortable. Elsewhere, Lopez and Harper enlist Lucy’s help to investigate the gang-related murder of a local shopkeeper.

Directors: Jon Huertas
Writer: Glen Mazzara
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Going Under (1)
star
7.55
851 votes

#20 - Going Under (1)

Season 5 - Episode 21 - Aired 4/25/2023

Officer Lucy Chen goes undercover to infiltrate an illegal firearm operation, and Detective Harper and Officer John Nolan work together to solve a mystery involving severed limbs found around the city.

Directors: Anne Renton
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
S.T.R.
star
7.51
850 votes

#21 - S.T.R.

Season 5 - Episode 20 - Aired 4/18/2023

Officer Tim Bradford’s ex-wife returns and asks the team to help her save someone from her undercover past. Isabel’s return also creates additional pressure in Lucy and Tim’s relationship as they assist in the search.

Directors: Chi Yoon Chung
Watch Now:Apple TV
Double Trouble
star
6.77
876 votes

#22 - Double Trouble

Season 5 - Episode 18 - Aired 3/21/2023

When Dim goes missing, Officer Chen and Sergeant Bradford, along with the CIA, set out to find him and enlist the help of Juicy.

Directors: Jon Huertas
Watch Now:Apple TV