The WORST episodes of The Rookie
Every episode of The Rookie ever, ranked from worst to best by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The worst episodes of The Rookie!
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 - The Hammer
Season 6 - Episode 2 - Aired 2/27/2024
The team comes together to celebrate John and Bailey’s wedding; meanwhile, Celina discovers a discrepancy in her case, leading to a new discovery. Elsewhere, Lucy and Tim’s relationship is put to the test.
#2 - 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.
#3 - 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.
#4 - 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.
#5 - 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.
#6 - 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.
#7 - 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.
#8 - 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.
#9 - Strike Back
Season 6 - Episode 1 - Aired 2/20/2024
In the aftermath of the assaults in the explosive season five finale, the team must now try to understand why they were targeted and if there is a bigger plan in place. Meanwhile, Nolan must survive his last shift before his wedding to Bailey.
#10 - 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.
#11 - Trouble in Paradise
Season 6 - Episode 3 - Aired 3/5/2024
Nolan and Bailey’s honeymoon is more of a nightmare than a dream when it turns into an active crime scene. Meanwhile, Tim and Celina partner up and must uncover the identity of John Doe.
#12 - Training Day
Season 6 - Episode 4 - Aired 3/26/2024
It's Officer Aaron Thorsen's first day back since the assault, and he's tasked with a series of high-stress cases to determine whether he's ready to work. Elsewhere, the team investigates a homicide case with a potential tie to the pentagram killer.
#13 - The Vow
Season 6 - Episode 5 - Aired 4/2/2024
When a toddler is found at the scene of a crime, John and Bailey must decide whether to let the child go to a shelter for the night or care for her themselves. Meanwhile, when someone from his past returns, Tim disappears and leaves Lucy in the dark.
#14 - Secrets and Lies
Season 6 - Episode 6 - Aired 4/9/2024
Following their time as foster parents, Bailey has decided she wants to have a baby and forces John to reconsider their decision to not have children. Meanwhile, John and Celina discover a prison escapee whom they fear is out for revenge and race to find her before it is too late.
#15 - Crushed
Season 6 - Episode 7 - Aired 4/30/2024
When two teenagers go missing, it is up to the entire team to find the girls and uncover the truth about their disappearance. Meanwhile, Lopez and Harper are on a different kind of investigation – the search for the perfect nanny.
#16 - Punch Card
Season 6 - Episode 8 - Aired 5/7/2024
After a mafia-related mass casualty, the team is tasked to keep the peace at the hospital. Lucy and Celina work together to investigate the suspects behind the attack. Meanwhile, Tim and Aaron embark on a metro ops mission.
#17 - The Squeeze
Season 6 - Episode 9 - Aired 5/14/2024
Officer Nolan and Celina take on a special case; meanwhile, Monica enlists help to identify her attackers. Elsewhere, Lopez and Harper discover a connection to the trail of crimes.
#18 - Escape Plan
Season 6 - Episode 10 - Aired 5/21/2024
Sgt. Grey helps the team prepare for their biggest mission yet. Meanwhile, Aaron, Lopez, Celina, Tim and Smitty discover a surprising connection in their case.
#19 - 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.
#20 - End Game
Season 4 - Episode 11 - Aired 1/9/2022
The team must rely on a criminal for his expertise to help take down an even bigger threat. Meanwhile, Officers Chen and Bradford investigate the murder of an unhoused teenager who used to be friends with Tamara.
#21 - The Knock
Season 4 - Episode 12 - Aired 1/23/2022
The team responds to the report of a severed hand washing up on the beach and are on the hunt to find its owner. Meanwhile, Tim attempts to prove he isn’t a control freak to Lucy and invites her on a double date with him and Ashley.
#22 - Fight or Flight
Season 4 - Episode 13 - Aired 1/30/2022
Officers John Nolan and Lucy Chen must fulfill three quests if they want to get a stolen police helicopter back safely from a teenage thief. Meanwhile, Officer Nyla Harper and Aaron Thorson must guard a convicted cop killer in the hospital following a prison riot.
#23 - Hit List
Season 4 - Episode 15 - Aired 3/6/2022
Officer Harper puts Officer Aaron through “Plain Clothes Day,� but the exercise is interrupted by an unsuspected visitor. After two witnesses for an upcoming grand jury case are murdered, the team must track down the killers before it’s too late.
#24 - Coding
Season 4 - Episode 17 - Aired 4/3/2022
Officer John Nolan and the team feel they must negotiate with a distraught man who is holding a hospital hostage to ensure his wife receives a lifesaving surgery.
#25 - Backstabbers
Season 4 - Episode 18 - Aired 4/10/2022
After the robbery of a train filled with valuable auction items turns deadly, the team is called to investigate. Meanwhile, Officer Chen has doubts about being Sergeant Bradford’s aid and is upset when he doesn’t give her the recognition she deserves. Elsewhere, Officer Harper takes matters into her own hands and makes a life-changing decision about her personal life.