Celina was unexpectedly paired with Sgt Grey, a pregnant Angela’s undercover op took a dangerous turn, and Lucy and the gang schemed to get Tim back on the street during The Rookie Season 5, Episode 13.
Our TV Fanatics, Jasmine, Denis, and Christine, are here to debate the deep dive into Celina’s personal life, if Tim should have been stuck behind a desk a little longer, Smity’s resourcefulness, and much more from “Daddy Cop”!
Did learning more about Celina and her mom and seeing her interactions with Grey and Tim change how you felt about her?
Jasmine: I didn’t dislike Celina, but I often found her one-note and too gimmicky with what they chose to focus on so much.
But yes, I enjoyed her immensely during this hour. They revisited some of her trauma and issues, and I love this more serious side of her. I got a better idea of who she is, and she officially cemented her place in this family.
Denis: Absolutely! It was no surprise she wasn’t my favorite character, but I walked away from the episode with a newfound understanding of where she comes from.
She needed to get away from Nolan for a while as he seems to overindulge her intuitions without teaching her the fundamentals of policing.
Christine: I’ve always liked Celina, but I enjoyed how Grey made her focus on the facts of what she was seeing and how it was feeding her intuition.
I don’t mind her unique point of view. I even respect it, but Nolan does need to do a better job of translating her feelings into facts that can be used to justify her actions because, many times, saying she had a gut feeling isn’t going to cut it.
It turns out she only needed to explain how her feelings came about, which is what every cop does.
Should the show have kept Tim in the court liaison position a bit longer? Are you happy he’s moving to Metro?
Jasmine: As much as I like that he got into Metro and enjoyed the clear board antics of his friends moving folks around strategically like chess pieces, they should’ve let him settle into the court gig for a bit longer.
Let it breathe a little, and allow the stifling nature of him stuck in a job he doesn’t love for the woman he loves to hit. The risk/reward turn-around was too fast.
I’m thrilled he’s in Metro, though. It suits him, and it means we’ll get more of those cases, along with his working with Angela, Nyla, and the others, and Plain Clothes Tim is a treat. Plus, it has all the action that he loves.
Denis: Sitting at a desk every day was killing him. That much was clear. Tim craves action and the thrill of policing. With the action Metro sees daily, he will be right at home.
Christine: They should have let Tim suffer through the court liaison gig for an episode or two. He sacrificed to be with Lucy, but it didn’t resonate because he was allowed to jump ship too quickly.
That said, Metro seems like the perfect fit for Tim. It’s the hands-on, adrenaline-filled police work that he thrives doing.
Angela went undercover with Metro and kicked ass, but is it worrisome that she puts herself in harm’s way while pregnant?
Jasmine: I was stressed the entire time. I keep having bad feelings about her being pregnant this time, so these instances aren’t putting me at ease.
She kicked all kinds of butt, which is always a blast. But I’m really worried about her taking on things that are too risky.
Denis: That was so scary; can we never do that again? If circumstances were normal, I’d not have been that scared, but with the pregnancy, it all becomes a lot.
Christine: I really didn’t think about it until she had to take on the big buy at the pharmacy. One serious hit, and that could have been the end of this pregnancy.
But I understand that Angela still wants to be in the field. It’s a large part of the job and part of the reason why she wanted to wait to have another child. But at some point, she will have to take a step back which clearly won’t make her happy.
Were you surprised at how adept Smitty was at playing the personnel chess game and that he helped Lucy get Tim moved?
Jasmine: Smitty never surprises me in that I expect him to be full of surprises. He’s more competent and crafty than he likes to let on, and he carefully curates that.
Denis: Smitty is smarter than he is given credit for, and I have a feeling he prefers it just like that. There is nothing they can fish out of Smitty that would surprise me.
Christine: A little, but it makes sense. Smitty has made a career out of avoiding work and dangerous assignments. He needed to know how to read people and situations to make that work for him.
What, if anything, disappointed or surprised you in this installment?
Jasmine: I thought they sacrificed common sense, safety, and a realistic depiction of proper protocol for the sake of drama with the drug house scenes, and it had a way of taking you out of the moment.
Denis: I really don’t like when people lie, especially to those close to them.
I understood Celina wanting to protect her mother, but anyone close to you can be targeted in a job as dangerous as this, and they’d be better off knowing the whole story.
Secrets always have a way of coming out, and it is never pretty when it happens.
Christine: I was hoping to see more of everyone’s reactions to Tim and Lucy openly dating.
They must know why Tim took the court liaison position, but it’s a little anti-climatic to have no one make any comments about their relationship.
What was your favorite quote, scene, or storyline from this episode?
Jasmine: I was so amused and delighted by everyone showing up at Nolan’s house and taking it over.
Growing up, my house used to be like that, with everyone randomly dropping in, and it was just so fun and hilarious and struck all the family notes that hit me in the feels.
Denis: Can I say everyone invading Nolan’s too? It was so fun to see them get along as a family does. It invoked the feelings we all get when we commune with people we don’t have the luxury of doing that with every day and maybe never again in such a setting.
Christine: Yes, that was the highlight of the episode. I especially loved how no one hesitated. They didn’t wait for Nolan to respond to the text.
They didn’t wait for an invitation. They all arrived, singly and with their kids, knowing they’d be welcomed.
Anything else you’d like to point out, good or bad, from “Daddy Cop”?
Jasmine: Daddy Cop was definitely catchy! Also, Celina and Grey are the duo I didn’t realize I needed.
Denis: Daddy cop was great from the beginning to the end. The song? Chen working overtime to save Tim the boredom of a desk job? Lopez undercover? The moments were too many. It might as well be the whole episode.
Christine: I love how The Rookie mixes up pairings. This time it was Grey with Celina.
We always get to see new sides to these characters when this happens. Sometimes it keeps things interesting, and sometimes they really hit gold with a new pairing we never expected.
Now it’s your turn, TV Fanatics. Did Tim move to Metro too soon? Should everyone have descended on Nolan’s the way they did? Did Grey bring out the best in Celina?
Hit that SHOW COMMENTS button to chime in, and then check out Jasmine’s review of The Rookie Season 5 Episode 13 here at TV Fanatic.
C. Orlando is a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. Follow her on Twitter.
