Summary
A standard story, Episode 18, “Homefront” hardly progresses the story in The Rookie, which is alarming considering it’s nearly the end of season 1.
This recap of The Rookie Season 1, Episode 18, “Homefront”, contains spoilers. You can check out our thoughts on the previous episode by clicking these words.
You’d think as The Rookie got closer to the finale, the series would craft a story to end on to give us something to clutch on to, but it wasn’t Episode 18, “Homefront”. The latest episode was the run-of-the-mill cop drama we’ve all become accustomed to since it began. The central premise of Episode 18 is that one of the police force’s detectives is arrested for lying on the witness stand ten years ago, so the rookies and training officers have to monitor three felons whose cases he worked on.
John (Nathan Fillion) has his individual issues for “Homefront” – due to an altercation, a citizen is accusing him of giving him an injury, meaning he has to attend a routine court session to prevent him from being sued. He gets the hot shot’s lawyers son, and it’s his first case, making John believe he has been given the short straw.
The others are worried about “the Brady disclosure” which gives prosecutors the window to notify when a police offer has been lying as part of their official capacity. Jackson is particularly off with his father in Episode 18, due to a rumor he heard that he used to be a “dirty cop” from an ex-convict.
As John and Talia are on patrol, a name comes up, Dillian, which irks Talia. We find out that she has a history with this man in a bad neighbourhood. In a heated exchange, Dillian accuses Talia of not being there for him.
Back to the Jackson story with his father. Jackson and Lopez find an unsettled Samantha, the woman who was wrongly convicted by the now arrested cop. She missed ten years of her life and didn’t see her daughter, but due to causing a commotion she is arrested. Jackson, feeling guilty, wants to help her because of his “dirty cop” life his father supposedly lived. The story reminded of the cycle the justice system finds itself in; even if you were innocent, you could still end up back in the system.
Jackson’s dad senses that his son is being strange, so questions Sergeant Wade’s (Richard T. Jones) decision to assign him to Lopez as his Training Officer. Wade, being professional, ends the conversation abruptly.
Episode 18 is lighthearted when it comes to John; watching him sweat at his court proceedings is a joy, only because he kept tripping himself up by being a genuinely lovely person.
As “Homefront’ ends, Talia gets herself in a dangerous position by following Dillian, who she suspects is involved in criminal activity. Dillian’s friends put her life in danger, but he ends up saving her by shooting one of them. She has no choice but to arrest Dillian, showing a different side to Talia; an emotional side affected by her past. She confesses to Wade that he is her brother when they both lived in a foster home, but Wade is irritated that she allowed this to happen.
Episode 18 closes out with Jackson confronting his father, and choosing not to believe that he wasn’t a “dirty cop”. Jackson appears to have family issues every episode, but The Rookie hardly gives them any emotional depth. Meanwhile, John is let off in court; he will not be sued by the citizen claiming to have been injured by him.
You can check out our thoughts on the next episode by clicking these words.
