The Rookie Round Table: Can Chenford Survive Lucy Going Undercover?

Should Valentine’s Day be renamed Fight Day for the couples on The Rookie Season 5 Episode 16?

Our TV Fanatics, Jasmine, Denis, and Christine, debate who had the worst fight, if Nolan should give Celine that file, and if Lucy should go all-in with her undercover work.

Do they think Tim and Lucy can survive a long-term undercover assignment? Read on to find out.

Would you like to see Lucy doing undercover work more permanently, or would you prefer her to remain on Patrol?

Jasmine: I love Lucy undercover. She’s such a natural at it, and Melissa O’Neil is quite the character actress. I love watching her transform. Plus, I generally enjoy UC work. It’s fun when any of them go undercover, and I wouldn’t mind seeing that on a more regular basis.

Denis: I prefer her on Patrol. Every time she’s undercover, it seems like she’ll get herself killed. She just does the most, even when it’s not required.

Christine: Can we keep it the way it is now, where she does undercover assignments but stays with Patrol? This really seems like the best of both worlds. I fear being undercover full-time would change Lucy, and I love that she can still look at the world and see the good in people.

Would Lucy working a long-term stint undercover cause problems with her and Tim’s relationship?

Jasmine: I think it would have its challenges, but exploring that would be interesting, especially with Tim still adapting to Metro, which has its own share of issues.

Denis: Most definitely. Based on Tim’s reaction when the other undercover cop was speaking, he didn’t seem thrilled or indifferent to the problems that arise with your partner going undercover.

Christine: Didn’t Tim’s wife do undercover work with Narcotics, and that’s how her addiction started? I’d love to see Tim’s concerns over Lucy working undercover be explored a bit more.

It would definitely be stressful for both of them, so I’m hoping she doesn’t do any long-term uncover assignments any time soon, especially since Lucy and Tim have just started their romantic relationship.

Should Nolan let Celina see the file on her sister’s murder, or is he right to make her wait?

Jasmine: I feel like Nolan means well, but he’s overstepping with this. Celina is a grown woman who can decide what she’s ready for, and there very well could be something that she can offer to the case to help solve it if only she saw the file.

Denis: He shouldn’t unless he has sufficient evidence that there was a miscarriage of justice from the initial investigation. With how personal the case is to Celina, she might end up making a mistake and ruining her career in the process.

Christine: There’s a reason why rookies aren’t allowed to access those files. Nolan would be doing Celina a disservice if he just handed it over to her right now.

Celina needs to concentrate on getting through her training, then she and Nolan can go through that file together to see if anything was missed.

Do you think Celina’s mother will find out she’s on Patrol before Celina gets the chance to prepare her for the news? If so, what happens then?

Jasmine: Definitely. They wouldn’t focus on this so much if it wasn’t leading somewhere. I expect a huge emotional blowout when she learns the truth.

Denis: Secrets always have a way of coming out, and the best you can hope for is that they are not damaging. I think her mother will understand why she did what needed to be done.

Christine: I was waiting for her mother to see her on TV during this episode! We all know it’s coming, and I don’t think her mother will handle it well at all.

The trauma of losing one daughter triggered her agoraphobia. Knowing that her remaining daughter is in the line of fire daily will either force her out of the house or send her into a complete breakdown.

Which couple had the most serious Valentine’s day fight?

Jasmine: I’m going to go with Angela and Wesley. It feels like their fights are beyond the surface type of issues. They’re under so much stress, and there is a valid reason for being wary of new people entering their life at this time.

Denis: Tim and Lucy. I knew Tim wouldn’t be thrilled to learn that Lucy had plotted behind his back.

Christine: Wesley and Angela. I know Angela told him he could hire security if he wanted to, but I can’t believe he chose an actual person without allowing Angela to vet them.

The fact that he didn’t even know Charlie’s correct gender makes me question Wesley’s thoroughness and judgment.

Which couple’s fight did you see as being the least serious and why?

Jasmine: Nolan and Bailey. It felt like Bailey wanted to have their first real fight just to say they did it like it was something to mark off a list. It didn’t even make any sense.

Denis: Nolan and Bailey. I didn’t get what it was about, and I barely remember it.

Christine: Did Nolan and Bailey even fight? It seemed like they were annoyed with one another more than anything else.

Remember when Tim questioned whether Lucy and Chris never fought because they didn’t care enough? Is that a problem for Nolan and Bailey, or are they just both so easygoing that they never fight?

What was your favorite quote, scene, or storyline from this episode?

Jasmine: I love when they do all the camerawork from their body cams etc.

Oh, but that conversation with everyone gossiping about their personal lives off-channel was absolutely hilarious! I couldn’t stop laughing.

Denis: The hot nanny/bodyguard. Jealous spouses are always funny when they spiral and there is nothing going on. I didn’t peg Lopez as the jealous kind.

Christine: That group radio chat was the best! I loved how everyone told Lopez to get Charlie out of her house. It’s like people who hire a hot, young nanny. Why take that risk? And Grey chiming in at the very end was the icing on the cake.

What, if anything, disappointed you during this installment?

Jasmine: I was pretty content the whole way through.

Denis: I know it’s twisted, but I kinda wanted to see what would happen if any one or both of those emergencies weren’t contained.

Christine: Almost nothing. I was hoping to see the truck blow out its tires on those spike strips they laid down, but that never happened.

Was there anything else, good or bad, you’d like to discuss from this episode that we’ve missed?

Jasmine: I loved Noah. I wouldn’t be mad if we saw more of him.

Denis: I didn’t realize how much I love Nolan. Like, seriously. Seeing him in action had me all excited.

Christine: I’m happy to see we’re getting more of the back story on Celina, especially as we’ll likely see more of her mother. I like Marlene Forte, who plays Carla Juarez, so I’m looking forward to seeing more of her in this role.

And I can’t say enough about the group dynamic on this show. When they all get to play off one another, as in the radio chat during this episode, the unique chemistry of this cast really shines.

So what did you think, TV Fanatics? Should Nolan hand over that file? Would you like to see Lucy go all-in on the undercover work? And should Angela give Charlie the boot?

Hit that SHOW COMMENTS button below to let us know, then check out Jasmine’s The Rookie Season 5 Episode 16 review.

And don’t forget. You can watch The Rookie online anytime here at TV Fanatic.

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