‘The Rookie’: Lopez’s Kidnapping Leads to Heartbreaking Season 4 Revelations (RECAP)
Spoiler Alert
[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for The Rookie, Season 4, Episode 1, “Life and Death.”]
The Rookie is back and answering a lot of questions in its fourth season premiere set moments after Season 3’s kidnapping cliffhanger.
So, what exactly happened when Lopez (Alyssa Diaz) was picked up by drug queenpin Sandra “La Fiera” De La Cruz (Camille Guaty)? Jackson West (Titus Makin Jr.) was also scooped up with Lopez being put in one car while he was fatally shot in the back and dumped in the trunk of another.
With no time to mourn the loss of their fellow officer, John Nolan (Nathan Fillion), Tim Bradford (Eric Winter), Lucy Chen (Melissa O’Neil), and Nyla Harper (Mekia Cox) suit up as part of a breach team, to help rescue their missing team member. Unfortunately, Lopez has been moved to a second location by the time they find the car that took her from the wedding.
(Credit: ABC/Raymond Liu)
Thankfully, Officer Nolan notices a tripwire connected to the discarded car in time to save the rest of the group for additional harm. Following the dead-end lead, Nolan also notices that there might not have been a getaway car, but a getaway plane instead, and it is revealed that La Fiera is flying to Guatemala with Lopez in order to keep the officer’s baby for herself.
Now, grappling with the situation, Lopez’s husband-to-be, Wesley Evers (Shawn Ashmore) seeks help with Sergeant Wade Grey (Richard T. Jones). Together they visit the DEA for support on the ground in Guatemala to recover Lopez. Unfortunately, they have to go it alone as the law enforcement group does little to help. Desperate to reach his bride, Wesley seeks help from a criminal (played by Brandon Jay McLaren) who agrees to look for Lopez’s location in exchange for crooked lawyering.
In the meantime, Chenford fans are given a brief moment of hope after Lucy worries about going home to her shared apartment with the newly-deceased Jackson. Bradford offers to put her up at his place and the pair share an emotional hug as they get ready to go to sleep with him in the bed and her on his couch. Just when it seems she’ll act on the potential romantic energy, Bradford enters the living room to tell her they have a lead on Lopez’s whereabouts.
(Credit: ABC/Raymond Liu)
Wesley pleads with the officers to help save Lopez, and a plan begins to take shape just as Grey reveals Nolan is no longer a Rookie and is being promoted. Chen and Grey stay behind to help find Jackson’s killer who is found through DNA gathered under the dead officer’s fingernails. Nolan, Harper, and Bradford get in touch with a contact going by the name of Max (played by guest star Joshua Malina) who is going to help them get to Guatemala.
Once they do arrive abroad, Nolan travels to an architect company’s office in hopes of swiping blueprints to La Fiera’s compound. He manages to do so by posing as an architect and then pretending to go to the bathroom as he pulls a fire alarm to get some time alone to search for the plans.
As he gets that done, Bradford and Harper put together tech to do recon on the spot, and Wesley arrives at the airport where he’s picked up by officers on La Fiera’s payroll. Meanwhile, Lopez is in survival mode under the watchful eye of La Fiera’s second in command and an on-call doctor, so her surprise in seeing Wesley is understandable.
(Credit: ABC/Raymond Liu)
In Los Angeles, Chen and Grey track down Jackson’s killer, a 17-year-old who was recruited by La Fiera for the job. Although Grey’s confrontation with the killer is tense and questionable in regards to what he’ll do, the Sergeant ultimately does the just thing and handcuffs the perp for processing instead of seeking immoral revenge.
On the outside, Nolan regroups with Bradford and Harper as they determine “Plan B” is their only option. It isn’t something that Harper or Chen are fond of, but after a brief signal for Wesley who is clued into what needs to happen from inside, things are set into motion. When he and Lopez are allowed a moment alone together, he says they’ll have to get out of the compound by her going into labor, which happens as he injects her with medication.
Wesley promises that Harper will counteract it when they arrive at the hospital, but as La Fiera and her people begin to rush Lopez to the medical facility for attention, she’s separated from Wesley who is thrown into a separate car. Observing from the distance, Nolan says he’ll go after Wesley as Bradford and Harper go to meet Lopez at the hospital where a shootout ensues.
In a race to escape, Max lands a helicopter to pick up Lopez, Bradford, and Harper, but moments before they make it aboard, La Fiera grazes Lopez with a bullet. Angry over her kidnapping, Lopez turns around and lets a round of bullets out, hitting the criminal. Thankfully, Lopez isn’t fatally injured and after some persuasion, they get Max to direct the helicopter in Wesley and Nolan’s direction.
Ultimately, it’s a successful mission, but a bittersweet one as they continue to deal with the loss of Jackson. Picking up three months later, viewers are treated to the day Lopez and Wesley return home with their baby and have a little celebration with their colleagues. The installment ends with Lopez visiting the grave of Jackson West where she gives him an update on their lives and introduces her new son, named Jackson in memory of him.
How will the LAPD team move forward after Jackson’s loss? Let us know your thoughts on the Season 4 premiere in the comments, below.
The Rookie, Season 4, Sundays, 10/9, ABC
Conversation28 Comments
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Comments are closed on this story.
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It is what it is - the story line was great. Shows attached Officers get & they are like their family. Well done. Sorry Jackson I liked your spunk & not using your Father's coat tails for your job.
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G
I hated the way Jackson's death was handled but in the end since the actor wasn't going to be a part of it they did they best they could.
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R
What was missing is Jackson’s dad,who is an officer himself. It was strange to not even have him mentioned in the episode at all.
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G
I HAVE WATCHED THIS SHOW FROM THE START AND WHEN THE FEMALE CAPTAIN GOT KILLED IN THE EPISODE GREENLIGHT I WAS DONE SOMEBODY NEEDS TO KILL THE REST OF THE CAST ON THE SHOW AND START OVER THIS SHOW IS THE WORST I HAVE EVER SEEN BOTTOMLINE!!!!!!!!!!
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C
Best story line ever. Writers keep you on edge of your seat. Sorry Jackson was killed off. Overall currently. One of best shows on television. Other one the walking dead.
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B
For me, this episode jumped the shark. To many things were done out of character for the team, which had always been -- at least attempting to be -- straight, narrow, and law and order.
I don't think I'll be continuing now as you can see the internal drama forming with crooked lawyering, etc. I enjoyed the first three seasons with a more believable crime-fighting team approach.
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O
Bummer to lose Jackson but a well done episode!
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G
Worst episode ever. I thought this was a cop show about rookies. This goes way beyond what cops would really do. I understand it is television but it is going way out of bounds.
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I THOUGHT IT WAS A GREAT EPISODE! SAD, EXCITING AND ULTIMATELY HAPPY!
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R
The show isn’t a loss, it’s actually a very enjoyable show and I’m saddened that you can’t lighten yourself up to it.
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G
I was so sad to lose Jackson. He has been an integral part of The Rookie for so long. He was such a good actor. I certainly hope he has moved on to something better for him as an actor.
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I hope Officer Chen and Bradford do not become a couple- I can’t stand her character
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O
She would have had half the force guarding her. Not two cops with no back up or armor.
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O
All that guy gave was a location. Acts like he flew them down there and gave them everything. Don't owe him a damn thing.
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R
I've already pulled this one out of my "Now Watching" queue. I'm pulling a lot of new programs out as they get more "woke." I'm done watching shows where all the white guys are dumb, misogynists, or basically missing. I've never tolerated racism, and I'm not going to start now.
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WHEN I LEAVE A STATEMENT ABOUT AND TV SHOW OR MOVIE OR ANYTHING GOIING ON IN THE WORLD I DO NOT EVER USE FOUL LANGUAGE EVER NOT EVEN IN A EMAIL AND THAT IS WHY I DONT DO SOCIAL MEDIA OR FACEBOOK THAT IS ALL SO BAD, NEWS AND BAD LANGUAGE PERIOD THIS PERSON HERE RESPECTS ALL AND ALL COMMENTS THE LAST STATE SAYS I SAID SOMETHING REPLYING TO A QUESTION I DID NOT PUT ANYTHING BAD JUST ANSWERED THE QUESTION, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THIS PLATEFORM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 🧨🧨🧨🧨🧨🧨🧨🧨🧨🧨🧨
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Your comments are appreciated... Just please don't SHOUT (use all caps), and put in some punctuation. It's really difficult to read your posts.
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C
I think "La Fiera" looked like she wearing body armor and when Lopez shot her she was only stunned. I'll bet she's still alive and will come after Lopez and "Jackson" again. That kind of villain is too important to die so easily...
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O
I feel sad officer Jackson West was gunned down. It was not clearly depicted. I am not sure why he was taken out from the sitcom. Too bad. He should have been in unless he wanted to move something else.
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P
I’m thinking she dosent die and she gets revenge and kills one of them or something bad happens to the baby idk
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G
Wesley is now on the hook to criminals
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B
Season 3, which was HATED by the viewers and resulted in poor reviews and a ratings slump, was done FOR TITUS MAKIN JR. He wanted the woke storyline and almost killed the show.
Season 4's first two episodes are straight up "cop show".
I guarantee we don't have any more race-based storylines. Nobody wants to see Nathan Fillion treated like an idiot.
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I SWEAR TO GOD I DO NOT KNOW HOW THIS SHOW HAS LASTED AS LONG AS IT HAS SOMEBODY NEEDS TO PUT THIS SHOW TO SLEEP, ABC HAS TO PUT UP WITH THIS SHOW TO FILL THE TIMESLOT THAT IS THE ONLY REASON GIVE ME A BREAK HERE GIVE A SHOW I CAN WATCH AND WORK, WITH, THIS SHOW AND EPISODE THEY ARE OUT OF THEIR LEAGUE AND JURISDICTION, THIS SHOW AND THE REST OF TV CAN TAKE A LEAP OFF A CLIFF OR ILL GIVE THEM A PUSH NO PROBLEM,AND THAT IS THE BOTTOMLINE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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O
It was a sad storyline, but the character and the acting were the weakest of the ensemble, so not a great loss going forward.
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The writing on this show has always been hit or miss with the cast having to work hard to overcome it. However, this episode clearly showed the storytelling weakness. Can't even get a flashback of the character? ABC needs to cut it losses and move on.
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The Jackson character will not be missed. The actor brought way too much baggage to the show, he accused them of all kinds of "nasty" things against him. He was not likeable. And by his own actions he may well have killed his career... What show would want to hire him now? So good riddance for me.......
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I can't believe they killed Jackson!! It should have been Bradford or Harper!
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They didn't have much of a choice, since the actor has withdrawn from the world in the last few months, and they couldn't just not include Jackson in the story arc since he was kind of right in the middle of it. Jackson was one of my favorite characters, and I hated seeing him killed off, so much, but, unfortunately, it was the only option they had with no one to play him, now. It was a good call, as it engages the fans emotionally to go all out and kill off a popular, mostly beloved character among the fanbase, like that. Sure, it was a gamble, but I think it paid off.
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