Who we should be, not who we are; The Rookie ABC Series

(Video Article)

The Rookie confused me with its promotion, it seemed like a poorly timed, and ultimately needless "Cop Show";  still, Nathan Fillion is worth watching so when I was extra bored, I decided it should at least pass the time. I figured watching Nathan's character divorcee John Nolan, who de-escalates a bank heist and then decides to join the force should be worth a laugh at the outrageous, and utterly silly concept. The producers just gave me a note, oh, this is based on a true story? Oh right, you mean the concept was created then they discovered a real-life story similar to it, so they marketed it as inspired by a True Story, so it would seem more believable; I understand what your saying ABC. Whether it was being really bored, or that edible I had, the show or the pot had me glued to the couch; I guess that's why it's called Gorilla Glue #4. I'll admit, as someone who dislikes real-life cops, it is odd that I tend to love cop stories and video games. I guess the idea of a hero will always be appealing; perhaps it was my Fathers influence that nurtured my love for the genre. Films like Street Kings, Lethal Weapon, Bad Boys and End Of Watch are classics in my book. I do believe as a child I idolized or even thought of being a cop, once you grow up and see what cops really are though, well that is when being a private eye like Phillip Marlowe, seems rather appealing.

The common link other than my random brain, is that these are all fantasies; we do not view them as such because they seem more real than other fantasies; yet make no mistake, Die Hard is as much a fantasy as Lord of the Rings.
What is the purpose of these fantasies? Perhaps to brainwash us with the idea of hero worship, and to plant the seed to love cops who go over the line for Justice. Again, that maybe the pot talking; still, paranoid delusions aside, the Cop Genre has shaped how we view cops, and it has also shaped the minds of many police officers. Which is a reason why The Rookie exists; let me paint a picture, seriously, I love Let Me Explain but it has ruined that phrase for the rest of us.

The Rookie upon first glance, seems like a bizarre mishmash of End Of Watch and Lethal Weapon; the series is framed in a realistic fashion with body cam footage, mostly realistic procedures, and storylines, but it also is far more of a "buddy cop" comedy than one would expect. I could also use the term Soap Opera to describe the show's structure, which is why I find the show so compelling. I kept thinking of a quote by the brilliantly talented actor Alan Rickman, "It’s a human need to be told stories. The more we’re governed by idiots and have no control over our destinies, the more we need to tell stories to each other about who we are, why we are, where we come from, and what might be possible"

This show is made to influence both the idea of what a Police Officer is and most of all, to present new ideas to real-life cops. This show has a fairy tale quality to it for a reason; we are used to seeing cop shows that glorify violent action, that excuse breaking the rules and that frame reckless police action as necessary. Which is why beneath the comedy, the frequent shootouts with a tiny body count for the ratio of gunbattles to deaths, and the Soap Oprea nature of the show make total sense. This is a work of fiction, a piece of art and it does not need to depict the real world; rather it is trying to depict what we wish was in our world. I mean I am pretty sure all of us, want Nathan Fillion in our world right? Oh who am I kidding, we want to be his world.

I originally thought this was one of the most ill-conceived, and poorly timed shows to come out since The Lone Gunman made an episode about a terrorist plane attack on the World Trade Center in March of 2001. Yes, that was a real show, and it was a spinoff of The X-Files.
Now, I realize this is the show that we need in 2019. Cops already love the thing and discovering how the Twitterverse responded to it, made me realize it has crossed a very interesting divide. This show appeals to both real cops, and those who well, lets just say they don't like real cops. Oddly, it appeals to both parties for the same reasons; this is well-constructed Comedy/Drama that is not quite as serious as something like Rescue Me, but dips its toes in familiar territory in surprising ways. The most fascinating part of the show is its dedication to the idea of de-escalation; this show really goes the extra mile to show that ending a life is a last resort. Even when guns are drawn, it is rare for anyone to die, while people are injured and occasionally if the story calls for it, killed; for the most part, this show is here to preach non-violence. Yes, liberals made a cop show that both sides like.

This is what can make or break the show for some, the show does make a very strong point regarding how police should respond; but, it also has to rely on familiar tropes that are expected in the genre to attract the crowd it hopes to influence. This is ultimately a wise choice and really does make the show something special, if you can get on board. The sometimes jarring tonal shifts, eventually make sense and give the show its own unique rhythm; this is the kind of Cop Show someone like Gene Roddenberry would have made. It is hopeful, it is optimistic and has a very human core to its story; above all this is one of those shows that is constructed with purpose and meaning. I have never seen a Cop show like this, it walks a really fine line and I am consistently surprised by it. I mean you can make a speech about not joining the force to take a life, talk down a suspect and then still strike a wicked pose and shoot the guy in the leg; cause you know its TV and the show needed a satisfying climax.

When The Rookie stumbles it is for daring to be something different, and this makes each failure as enthralling as it's successes; its been a minute since a show got me thinking like this one has. I may question some of its more action hero elements, but it's hard to question them when you understand the purpose. It would be hard to ignore certain topics, and scenarios just to drive a point home; worse, it would alienate the audience this show wants more than anything to influence.
If you are unconvinced that this show is made with the intent of influencing modern police, think about the fact that this is a show about a middle-aged white dude, reinventing himself because he discovered he has a talent for de-escalation. On top of the premise itself, the show is constantly reminding Nolan of his impressive life change, and how that contrasts with those around him. When Nolan's Captain has a scene in the premiere dedicated to explaining people of Nolan's age are set in their ways, and then showing Nolan's ability to change and reinvent himself, well... That is far too calculated to be done without purpose. In fact, the entire show is too calculated to be done without purpose. The purpose is clear, to give Nathan Fillion another starring vehicle and to make up for the lack luster Castle; Oops, I think I just heard the fangirls rally for blood.