The Rookie Season 6 Revisits a Grittier Tone with its New Time Slot

The Rookie Season 6 Episode 1, “Strike Back,” brings the procedural drama back with an action-packed, serialized approach that focuses on the characters’ mental health after the events of The Rookie Season 5 Episode 22, “Under Siege.” 

This season premiere is one of the most graphically violent and intense episodes of The Rookie ever, and instead of letting that roll off the characters, this episode continually and necessarily takes beats to check in with them. 

Tonally, The Rookie Season 1 is more serious overall, with the levity breaking through and sticking around from Season 2. So, in a lot of ways, “Strike Back” emulates the show’s debut season by revisiting a grittier tone, but moving back an hour (to 9/8c from 8/7c) gives The Rookie additional leeway to push its TV14 rating.

For instance, the second shot of this episode is of a man on fire.

From there, “Strike Back” does not ease up — not even in its final minutes. Plenty of gruesome action sequences portray how big of a threat the season’s main antagonist is — whomever they may be — and how big of an effect they’re already having on the community and the team at Mid-Wilshire.

The Rookie even strings secondary characters, like Bridget Regan’s Monica Stevens, to show the reach of the off-screen mastermind, too.

That domino effect makes “Strike Back” lean toward the first season’s tone while introducing a new — or old, if it’s Elijah Stone — serialized antagonist, similar to Season 2’s introduction of Rosalind Dyer.

Still, The Rookie Season 6 doesn’t fall back on its laurels but uses them as a springboard for deeper storytelling.

Whereas the debut season takes a strong, almost unparalleled liking to John Nolan’s journey as the oldest rookie cop and all that entails, The Rookie has opened up to its ensemble in the last five seasons. They have lived through several traumatic experiences since 2018.

“Strike Back” acknowledges that through the parallel of Angela and Wesley welcoming another child while another one of their close friend’s life is in danger. Life and work come at these characters fast throughout The Rookie‘s run.

As important as it is to see them come out the other side of all that drama, grief, and violence, it is equally as critical to see a character sit in them and work through them without the following episode being a hard reset. It’s more realistic that these challenging experiences stick to the characters a bit.

Nyla Harper, for example, spends much of the premiere reeling from the difficult decision she made. Instead of The Rookie moving past the nightmares and trauma it causes, it sees Nyla get lost in them, which Mekia Cox portrays incredibly well. 

Because it may be later in the season when Nyla reaches out for professional help, seeing the team rally around each other is reassuring.

Wade and Angela immediately check in with Nyla, Wesley brings babies and burritos to cheer her (and Angela) up, and Nolan takes a minute to ask Nyla how she is and offers himself as a confidant.

Those small beats may seem inconsequential to the grander story, but they reinforce interpersonal relationships that have been strengthening for seasons. They also underscore that the characters’ mental health matters.

It would be stranger if the characters pretended that everything was fine after that shooting, which was a concern when The Rookie took a six-week time jump after Aaron’s near-death experience.

“Strike Back” quells any worries that it will move past everything Aaron went through by introducing Dr. Blair London. 

Aaron supposedly sees a therapist off-screen, but this in-house psychiatrist is a requirement by the department. Danielle Campbell joining the star as a recurring guest star bodes well for these sessions being shown in future episodes.

The Rookie can have a healthy dialogue about therapy’s benefits and drawbacks.

So, even though Blair’s introduction comes at the same time as an ominous antagonist, it would not be in The Rookie‘s best interest to make this character a villain. This season, which will include the show’s landmark 100th episode, appears to have the intention of prioritizing its characters’ mental health.

Having a character entrusted with destigmatizing therapy among first responders be an antagonist feels reductive in mental health representation on TV. So, hopefully, Dr. London’s introduction is one more step in the right direction.

Even outside of what’s to come for Nyla and Aaron, “Strike Back” foreshadows a necessary conversation or two between Lucy Chen and Tim Bradford.

Lucy is visibly anxious about her detective’s exam, causing her to spin out — to her admission — and project her insecurities onto Tim and their relationship.

It’s tough to watch Tim’s sometimes strangely presented but always unwavering support in whatever she wants to do become another question in Lucy’s mind.

Rightfully and respectfully, Tim maintains his stance from The Rookie Season 5 Episode 21, “Going Under,” about being open about his experiences with and feelings about Isabel and her detective work. So, “Strike Back” sees Tim give Lucy the space she may need to be open and honest with herself.

Ultimately, the darker content in this later time slot calls for a sharper focus on any emotional and mental fallout. The Rookie‘s Season 6 premiere instills hope that the show will continue to tell stories that emphasize prioritizing mental health as not a weakness but self-care, which TV can always use more of. 

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The Rookie airs Tuesdays at 9/8c on ABC.

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