Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for The Rookie Season 8, Episode 6.
The latest episode of ABC’s The Rookie opens up with Celina Juarez (Lisseth Chavez) and Miles Penn (Deric Augustine) heading to a crystal shop a few days before Valentine’s Day. It’s enjoyable to see this budding friendship between the new roommates, and the focus on Celina’s mystical beliefs is always entertaining. However, instead of just stocking up on crystals, Miles accidentally gets a curse placed on him when he stands in front of a disgruntled customer. Celina feels guilty about dodging the spell and allowing the curse to land on Miles, who ends up facing dire consequences, including a shocking death of the man involved. What makes the episode so captivating is the idea that Miles now has a target on his back from the universe itself. He endures pepper-spraying himself and spider bites (which he’s allergic to), but by the episode’s end, it’s no laughing matter when Miles actually comes close to death.
‘The Rookie’ Presents a Villainous Arsonist, Leading to Serious Danger for Our Crew
While Miles and John Nolan (Nathan Fillion) are on duty, they notice a swan boat on fire in the middle of the lake. Bailey Nune (Jenna Dewan) shows up and identifies that it was a case of arson. This is another instance where Bailey inexplicably takes on a new job as an arson investigator and proceeds to instruct the cops on how to move forward with their investigation. Not only is this incredibly unlikely, but it results in these scenes feeling much cheesier. The cops also learn that a dry cleaning store has been targeted, leading them to realize that the arson is playing off a theme of Swan Lake. The gang then identifies a possible suspect as Arnold McKenna, but he insists he has an alibi.
Through some detective work, the Mid-Wilshire crew realizes that McKenna actually has a protégé named Mandy Fisk. Firebug Mandy, along with her girlfriend, was setting the fires together as a way to flirt. In a wild escalation, Lucy Chen (Melissa O’Neil) and Celina almost hit a man who runs into their shop. As he walks away, we realize it’s McKenna, and he’s placed an explosive under their vehicle. They park normally at the station when suddenly, there’s a massive explosion. There’s fire everywhere, and multiple cops are injured. Celina has a piece of glass in her arm, but she and Lucy manage to rescue as many people as they can, including Nyla Harper (Mekia Cox), who’s trapped under some rubble. Lucy also saves her boyfriend, Tim Bradford (Eric Winter), and Celina rescues Miles, who is nearly lost because of the curse. Fortunately, everyone is going to be okay, and McKenna is arrested when he shows up at the hospital. To everyone’s relief, Celina’s boyfriend, Rodge Bronson (Zander Hawley), pays the crystal shop woman so the curse can be lifted, allowing everything to return to normal.
‘The Rookie’s Latest Episode Proves This Character Never Should’ve Left
We never should have let him go.
‘The Rookie’ Season 8, Episode 6 Sets Up Glasser Possibly Being Freed
Last season introduced one of the creepiest villains ever on The Rookie. Liam Glasser (Seth Gabel) is a tried-and-true serial killer, but it’s looking possible that he might be a free man soon. Nyla is required to sit for a deposition for the case, but from the beginning, Wesley Evers (Shawn Ashmore) warns Nyla that she’ll have to be perfect in order to win against Glasser’s impressive attorney. Nyla’s words end up getting twisted around so it sounds like she somehow used intimidation and framing techniques while pursuing Glasser during the initial investigation. By the end of the deposition, Nyla has seemingly done more harm than good. But that’s not even the worst part: Wesley admits that he must now report Nyla for her questionable police tactics. This causes conflict with his wife, Angela Lopez (Alyssa Diaz), who wants to defend her friend. However, Wesley points out that he might lose at trial because of Nyla’s actions.
At a DA campaign event for Wesley, one of Glasser’s victims’ parents shows up disappointed that he’s not getting justice for his child. He charges at Wesley with a knife but is quickly disarmed (showing that Wesley has picked up some skills from Angela). On the bright side, a video of Wesley’s takedown goes viral, providing his campaign with much-needed publicity. However, it’s not time for celebration just yet. The fact that Glasser might walk is incredibly terrifying since he’s one of the most brutal villains The Rookie has had. Plus, he has a major grudge against Nyla since she’s responsible for his incarceration. Concerns about her safety are rising as this sets up an intriguing storyline I’m excited to see unfold.
There Are Lots of Valentine’s Day Shenanigans in This Week’s Episode of ‘The Rookie’
This week’s episode also features several light-hearted Valentine’s Day storylines. The main plot revolves around Chenford stressing about what gifts to give each other. Tim’s sister, Genny (Peyton List), tries to help both of them but her appearance in this episode feels somewhat confusing. Ultimately, through numerous struggles, Chenford’s gifts for each other are meaningful and help them grow as a couple.
In more positive couple news by episode’s end, Bailey and Nolan reconcile after their serious fight. Bailey expresses her desire to give up on her DC idea and apologizes while stating that Nolan is her true love. Nolan understands how much this job means to her and firmly tells her she should take it. I hope Bailey accepts the offer since her character development seems inconsistent lately. We’ll see where their relationship goes next.
New episodes of The Rookie air on Monday nights on ABC and are available for streaming on Hulu in the U.S.
- The episode featured fantastic special effects with that explosion.
- It’s exciting that Glasser’s storyline is being introduced again.
- Bailey’s character is becoming even more ridiculous.
- The scene in the aftermath of the explosion was too dark to see much action.
