ThroughoutThe Rookie’srun, there have been complicated plots that have pulled characters from all over the show’s universe into the mix, butone underrated steady character deserves another big arcafter years of service. ThroughoutThe Rookieseason 7, it was clear that the major plots were consistently going to focus on the show’s core cast, but some had more to do than others.
The Rookie’smost recent seasonsaw a lot from Tim Bradford (Eric Winter) and Lucy Chen (Melissa O’Neil), as well as from John Nolan (Nathan Fillion), Angela Lopez (Alyssa Diaz), and Nyla Harper (Mekia Cox), butonly seemed to utilize some of the show’s larger personalities in smaller doses. While the core cast had the majority of storylines, other characters felt sidelined.
Bringing in Celina Juarez (Lisseth Chavez), Miles Penn (Deric Augustine), and Seth Ridley (Patrick Keleher) in as the rookies of the season, each in different phases of their journey in the FTO program, was an expected touch, but still saw one larger-than-life presence looming over the cast without truly getting their due.Wade Grey (Richard T. Jones) is often one of the more overlookedRookiecharacters.
The Rookie’s Storylines Typically Revolve Around Patrol Cops
Grey Is The Watch Commander Of Mid-Wilshire
Although it makes sense from season to season, the wayThe Rookie’sstories revolve around patrol copscan sometimes become challenging to watch. Throughout the seasons, the scope of the show has changed considerably,moving from the original trio of rookies into a larger cast of characters. Still, the series has traditionally focused on weekly cases solved by the patrol cops.
While thepatrol cops like Tim, Lucy, and Nolancan be interesting as they work through figuring out a case, it’s often difficult to balance the different plots happening all at once.Seeing each of the officers with their rookies can create some confusion if their plots are separate, especially in the wayThe Rookiehas mapped out their stories in recent years.
ThoughMid-Wilshire is the team’s home base, it can be difficult for three or more plots in an episode to consistently go back and forth between the station and the locations of their investigations. This means we frequently see scenes filmed on location or in other areas of the fictionalRookieversion of LA, taking us away from the Mid-Wilshire station entirely.
Even so, the way thatThe Rookiehas shaken things upin recent years has allowed the show to stand out in different ways. By amplifying some plots that have a more over-arching theme for the cast, others can fall to the wayside. Similarly, some characters can find themselves doing a bit less on screen, asthey’re relegated to staying back at the station.
His Last Major Storyline Was Years Ago
Although Grey, who’s frequently featured in themore informational scenes ofThe Rookie, is often seen on screen, he hasn’t had much to do on his own in the last few years. Despite the fact that Grey’s wife, Luna Grey (Angel Parker), has become a bigger fixture on the show,his personal plots have almost completely fallen offfrom the show’s narrative.
The last time viewers saw Grey in action, featured in a story that impacted his own life significantly, was duringThe Rookieseason 5. When Grey’s daughter, Dominique Grey (Jade Payton) is kidnapped while they’re visiting her in New York City,he and Luna use every resource at their disposal, even disobeying the NYPD in momentsto get her back.
WhileGrey’s story with Dominique was quickly resolved within the episode, the intensity of the storyline was palpable and proved that he should be more heavily featured in his work onThe Rookie. Instead of continuing to give Grey big plotlines, however, he’s since been relegated to more of a side character than a main piece of the overall show.
Grey is animportant part of the Mid-Wilshire team, but his lack of personal stories is tough for viewers to grapple with. Rather than Grey having consistent personal or professional growth,he’s often treated as a hurdle to jump over or an authority figure to handle.The Rookieunderutilizes the character consistently, relying on others to bring drama.
Grey Deserves Another Major Plot That Could Potentially Serve Others
The Show Traditionally Gives More Screentime To Guest Stars
While several stories that need to unfold withinThe Rookieseason 8, giving Grey another big plot could impact him along with other characters on the show.Grey leading a story that’s personally or professionally impactful would ripple out to the officers at Mid-Wilshire, regardless of the subject matter. While some may feel investing time in Grey is less exciting, the repercussions would be worth it.
AsThe Rookieseason 8 gets underway, viewers could see Grey as the center of attention in some way, especially knowing that there are others who have been promoted at Mid-Wilshire in the recent past. Grey, who waspromoted to Lieutenant duringThe Rookieseason 7,could have more responsibilities surrounding Chen’s recent promotion, which could lead for him to do more.
While Grey may be better suited for a storyline focused on a crime, bringing a personal element into the mix doesn’t usually hurt onThe Rookie. Viewers have had the chance to see other characters have bigger arcs than Grey in recent seasons, like Oscar Hutchinson (Matthew Glave) or bumbling officer Smitty (Brent Huff).Giving a mainstay onThe Rookiemore of a story isn’t much to ask.
