The Rookie: Strike Back Season 6 Opener Kills It

Here there be spoilers.

The Rookie: Strike Back as season 6 opener, kills it. Although to be fair, like every other season opener, the last episode of season 5 had to be reviewed. Not to say that we do not trust The Rookie, but that third season/fourth season clanger has not quite been forgiven. In case fans have forgotten, said clanger was the mysterious death of Jackson West in between the seasons. A death never satisfactorily explained.

By anyone.

Moving ahead, however, this season opener picks up with no surprises. The. prologue, after the “previously on The Rookie” scenes, show smoke, floating money and a man on fire. Nolan radioes for help.

Fade to:

97 MINUTES EARLIER

Great start. Right?

The Rookie specializes in these “reverse” intros. And this one is no different from others used to set the scenario of the episode. As the rest of Nolan’s precinct scale down, Aaron, is being rushed into emergency surgery.

The crew recognize that the dramatics that just ended are a distraction for something else. Something big.

Nolan and his colleagues are right.

once more with feeling

The action, being covered by the diversion, is the gang seen briefly at the end of season 5. They are going after the LA Federal Reserve Bank Building.

*Not to point any fingers, but…

There have been 13 movies dealing with robbing the Federal Reserve. This does not include any television shows that may offer the same plot line. In terms of plot lines, The Rookie is borrowing from a tired premise.*

The bad guys are fast and professional. The robbery itself is set to snappy music. The gang cold bloodily take out their own people. Nolan goes to check a reported discrepancy, a missed check. The group lookout starts shooting at Nolan.

Nolan engages the lookout with a LMG. Another diversion is created. The one we saw at the beginning of the episode.

fastforward

The Rookie then moves forward six weeks. Nolan and Bailey are finalizing their wedding plans. There is talk of the “last shift curse.” Nolan and Juarez comically find a missing husband. This light hearted direction will not last long.

Thorsan has returned to the precinct. Grey pumps up the troops. Chen and Bradford (Chenford) decide to team up. The goal is to help Lucy out for the detective exam.

Bailey and Nolan meet their new neighbour. He scuppers their wedding plans. One of the robbers wraps his “Lambo” around a tree and there is a scramble to get him. The scenario goes bad.

Chenford are stressing each other out. Later Chen and Bradford roll up on a wild card crime scene. Harper relives her actions in the ER. Later the precinct welcome Chen by playing circus music.

Nolan and the rest of the precinct search the dead man’s house and get a fix on where the crew will land after Juarez finds money, a gun, and a mobile phone at the address. Back at the precinct Nolan and Grey try to bluff the robbers. Meanwhile they get facial recognition and identify Boyd.

Last shift curse

Chenford catch the clown killer. At the airport Nolan has a Final Destination moment. They capture Boyd. A familiar face turns up as his legal counsel. After her visit Stevens tosses her client to the wolves.

Chen and Bradford snap at each other and Tim takes a night off. Thorsan meets his shrink. A sniper takes Boyd out of the equation.

The Rookie continues to entertain. Reaching season six is no mean feat in this day of lackadaisical studios. ABC has a winner on its hands and they will hopefully not sabotage this excellent procedural. The ensemble cast perfect their characters. Chenford fans will wail and gnash their teeth at the tension between Bradford and Lucy.

One note of dissatisfaction is the transport scene. Boyd would have gone to a detention center pending charges and court. He would not have been on a prison bus.

The Rookie is currently on ABC and is streaming on Hulu.