‘The Rookie’ Fall Finale Recap: What Happens When Nolan Shoots A Suspect?

"The Rookie’s" fall finale starts off with plenty of fun. Bishop and Nolan’s silent alarm call gets them locked into an escape room. If only the rest of the episode was as fun. During a grocery store robbery, Nolan and Bishop go after their suspects and Nolan ends up killing one of them. It’s an episode of Internal Affairs and questions of whether Nolan could have done anything differently.

Bishop Is Tapped for Detective

While Nolan deals with Internal Affairs, Bishop has been tapped for detective. She’ll need to take the detective’s exam, but right now things are looking good. With Nolan going through his process right now, Bishop is following the detectives who are dealing with Bradford’s wife. After being arrested in the last episode of The Rookie, Bradford’s wife, Isobel, agrees to becoming an informant.

Isobel needs to go on a drug sale while wearing a wire. It’s extremely dangerous and Bradford worries it could mean she’s killed. It’s happening though. Bradford (with Lopez later joining him) decides to watch the whole thing.

Isobel goes on the call, knowing that now she’s an informant, she’s never getting out. Desperate, she offers the drug dealer to move another kilo of drugs. She wants out of the situation as quickly as possible and this means getting to the supplier but it’s extremely dangerous.

The dealer realizes she’s a cop. Bradford chooses to move in. The detectives don’t want to but Bradford and Lopez don’t give them the choice. By the time they get into the motel room, the dealer has taken Isobel and fled.

Nolan Is Booked

For the most serious episode of the series so far, Nolan is taken in for questioning about the shooting. It should be an open and shut case. The suspect had ignored repeated calls to stand down but turned with his gun at Nolan. It looked like Nolan had no choice but to shoot at the suspect.

Nolan questions whether he made the right choice. Could he have done something differently? Naturally, that’s what Internal Affairs (headed by Jackson’s dad) has to figure out.

Fortunately, the department stands with Nolan. Lopez and the captain have both dealt with this type of thing before, while others (including the sergeant, who Nolan has nominated as his “Watch Officer”) wonder what it must feel like.

As Nolan wonders whether he made the right call, he asks to watch the body cam footage. Seeing the fear on the suspect’s face, he continues to doubt he made the right call. However, Chen takes him to see the family he saved because of the call he made. When she takes him back home, they share a kiss and a little bit more.

Chen takes a shower while Nolan makes something to eat. He hears a noise and finds the door open. As you probably guessed it, the other suspect from earlier is in the house. Chen hears the commotion, as the suspect holds a gun at Nolan’s head.

We’re left with someone pulling a trigger. Has Chen shot the suspect or was Nolan killed? We’ll have to find out in the New Year.

What did you think of Nolan’s story? Will Bradford find his wife? What’s your biggest question from the fall finale? 

The Rookie returns in the New Year on Tuesdays at 10/9c on ABC.