The essential episodes of The Rookie
Watch these 15 in order and you've got The Rookie — each pick states its reason.
- 01
Starting over isn't easy, especially for small-town guy John Nolan who, after a life-altering incident, is pursuing his dream of being a police officer.
- 02
Officer Nolan gets a lesson in respect after his arrest of a gang member leads to a free-for-all on his life. Meanwhile, Officer Chen and Officer Bradford pull over Mario Lopez, who thinks he can talk his way out of a traffic violation.
- 03
As the rookies prepare for a big exam to see who moves on to the next stage of training, Officer Nolan and Officer Bishop are called to the scene of a murder and learn that the victim may be tied to a potential terrorist attack on the city of Los Angeles.
- 04
Officer Nolan and team are charged with escorting a notorious female serial killer to the graves of her previously unrecovered victims. However, when they arrive, they unearth even more than they expected. Meanwhile, Officer Chen meets a seemingly perfect man who sparks her interest, and Officer Lopez worries about Wesley as his PTSD continues to increase.
- 05
Their rookie year is coming to an end and officers Nolan, Chen and West are about to be squeezed harder than ever before as their training officers evaluate whether they are truly ready for the job. Meanwhile, after one of their rookie classmates is involved in a shooting, the team uncovers some unsettling evidence.
- 06
In part two of the season finale, Nolan's discovery goes much deeper than he expected and could put his life and career in jeopardy.
- 07
Officers Harper and Nolan respond to a bank robbery in progress and realize the motives of the thief run much deeper than just needing money. Meanwhile, Officers Jackson and Chen's first day riding without training officers isn't what they thought it would be.
- 08
Officer Nolan and Officer Chen search for a missing person who may have international ties that puts everyone's lives in danger. Meanwhile, Harper continues the search for a serial arsonist after responding to a report of an injured cyclist. Elsewhere, Wesley must overcome an impossible task.
- 09
After one of their own is shot, the team suffers a series of close calls and realizes their division may be a target for a group of masked assailants.
- 10
The team must try to understand why they were targeted and if there is a bigger plan in place; Nolan must survive his last shift before his wedding to Bailey.
- 11
The Good, The Bad, And The Oscar
John and Harper work together to catch Oscar; Angela investigates a bank robbery; Lucy and Tim learn to adapt to her new schedule, and Miles' first date takes an unexpected turn.
- 12
Nolan makes a quiet arrest; Lucy and Celina race to rescue a kidnapping victim; Harper and Lopez help outsmart a killer; Miles visits a familiar face.
- 13
Lucy returns to work in the aftermath of the attack. Meanwhile, an unexpected twist hinders the Liam Glasser case, and a familiar face helps the team track down a killer.
- 14
Nolan and Harper try to help a desperate mother protect her child, while Lt. Grey and Garza continue to work with Monica despite their misgivings.
- 15
The team launches a high-stakes search to take down a notorious criminal. Meanwhile, Lucy's leadership is tested; Wesley tests the boundaries of his friendships, and Nolan tries to balance duty and family.
Shows like The Rookie
The closest matches on shared genres, ranked by match strength and popularity.
- 01Drama·Comedy·CrimeThe essential episodes of Fargo2014·FX
Fargo is a seasonal anthology crime drama with some dark comical elements, inspired by the film Fargo written by the Coen brothers. - 02Drama·Comedy·CrimeThe essential episodes of Tulsa King2022–present·Paramount+
Tulsa King follows New York mafia capo Dwight "The General" Manfredi, just after he is released from prison after 25 years and unceremoniously exiled by his boss to set up shop in Tulsa, Oklahoma. - 03Drama·Comedy·CrimeThe essential episodes of Orange Is the New Black2013–2019
Orange Is the New Black is the story of Piper Chapman, a woman in her thirties who is sentenced to fifteen months in prison after being convicted of a decade-old crime of transporting money for her drug-dealing… - 04Drama·Comedy·CrimeThe essential episodes of Psych2006–2021·USA Network
Psych is a quick-witted comedy starring James Roday as young police consultant Shawn Spencer, who solves crimes with powers of observation so acute that Santa Barbara PD detectives think he's psychic. - 05Drama·Comedy·CrimeThe essential episodes of Bad Monkey2024–present
Bad Monkey tells the story of Andrew Yancy, a one-time detective demoted to restaurant inspector in Southern Florida. - 06Drama·Comedy·CrimeThe essential episodes of DTF St. Louis2026–2026
DTF St. Louis is a darkly comedic limited series about a love triangle between three adults experiencing middle-age malaise, that leads to one of them ending up dead.
