When a show runs for as long asThe Rookiehas, there are bound to be a few missteps, butsome of its criticisms are undeserved.The ABC series follows Nathan Fillion’s John Nolan, a man who becomes a cop after a midlife crisis, making him the oldest rookie in the LAPD. Flash-forward seven seasons later, much has changed inThe Rookie.
The Rookiereturns with season 8 in early 2026, consisting of 18 episodes that will reportedly air weekly with minimal interruptions.
Heading intoThe Rookieseason 8, Nolan is a seasoned training officer (well, he has only had one real rookie, but that’s besides the point). Meanwhile, those around him also have very different lives compared to their early days in the show. Much has happened in the time in between, and not all of it has been pleasant to watch.
10The Rookie Season 3, Episode 4
IMDb Score: 6.7
Jackson West’s storyline withDoug Stanton inThe Rookieseason 3is controversial, and based on episode 4’sIMDbscore, many weren’t fond of the arc. The series introduced Brandon Routh’s character, Doug, at the beginning of season 3. Almost from the get-go, it was clear thatDoug was racist and often resorted to police brutality.So, Jackson becoming his rookie wasn’t ideal.
By episode 4, “Sabotage,” Jackson was determined to take down Doug. He looped in Sergeant Wade Grey, but unfortunately, Doug got the upper hand on Jackson by the hour’s end.Many viewers (at least, those who write reviews onIMDb) seemingly weren’t enthusedby this turn of events.
Most of the episode’s reviewscriticizeThe Rookiefor interweaving political issues into its plot.Meanwhile, others applaudthe cop showfor addressing such serious topics, like racism and police brutality. Ultimately, the reaction to “Sabotage” is pretty much a mixed bag that resulted in a 6.7 score out of 10.
At the end of the day, though, it’s difficult to say thatThe Rookieseason 3deserves these poor ratings because most of it comes down to politics. And objectively,the ABC series handled Jackson and Doug’s arc as well as it could’ve.
9The Rookie Season 6, Episode 3
IMDb Score: 6.4
In the wake ofThe Rookie’s 100th episode, the police procedural series released an episode that is much better off forgotten. Unlike “Sabotage,““Trouble in Paradise” deserves the criticism that led to its 6.4IMDbscore.It just wasn’t all that memorable and features a horrifying, unrealistic case.
The Rookieseason 6, episode 3 also featured Lucy taking the detective’s exam and learning that she ranked low. It was devastating and definitely didn’t encourage anyone to want to rewatch the episode.
The Rookieseason 6, episode 3 followed Nolan and Bailey on their honeymoon.There, they somehow found themselves in the middle of a murder investigation that one couldn’t help but roll their eyes at. At the very least, the mystery opened the door for Lopez and Harper to get more screentime. However, their appearance wasn’t enough to save “Trouble in Paradise” from disaster.
8The Rookie Season 3, Episode 2
Similar to “Sabotage,“The Rookieseason 3, episode 2 mostly got bad reviews due to Doug’s police brutality arc.“In Justice” was Routh’s first outing as Doug,and it was easy to hate him from the start. It was also rather uncomfortable to watch Doug wield his power and privilege against those he saw as “beneath” him.
However, Jackson and Doug’s plotline was a necessary watch that surely didn’t warrant as much harsh criticism as it got.
Nevertheless,The Rookiewas determined to tell a story that reflected the turbulent state of America at that time.The show took that risk, and it upset some of its audience members. However, Jackson and Doug’s plotline was a necessary watch that surely didn’t warrant as much harsh criticism as it got.
7The Rookie Season 3, Episode 3
IMDb Score: 6.2
Stop me if it sounds like I’m repeating myself, butThe Rookieseason 3, episode 3’s poorIMDbrating can be attributed to Doug’s storyline. Multiple reviews of “La Fiera” claimed that the crime drama was becoming “too woke.” Like the other episodes, though,The Rookieseason 3, episode 3 was overall a decent hour of TV.
Yes, the development between Nolan and his mother was frustrating to watch. However,the police brutality arc was still well done.The episode also introduced agreatRookievillainin La Fiera, and that must not go unnoticed.
6The Rookie Season 4, Episode 20
IMDb Score: 6.1
The biggest reasonThe Rookieseason 4, episode 20, “Enervo,” is rated so low onIMDbis because it’sthe second part ofThe Rookie: Feds' backdoor pilot.Many were keen to judge Niecy Nash-Betts' character, Simone Clark, from the start. As a result, the episode wasn’t exactly well-received.
Many alsocomplained about howThe Rookiehad become way too unrealisticat that point. “Enervo” wasn’t enjoyable for them to watch, and it only made them annoyed when they would rather be entertained. While I can get on board with these criticisms, Nash-Betts’The Rookie: Fedscharacterdoesn’t warrant all the hate that she gets.
5The Rookie Season 4, Episode 19
IMDb Score: 6.0
If I could copy and paste what I wrote above for “Enervo” forThe Rookieseason 4, episode 19, I would. “Simone” served as the first half ofThe Rookie: Feds' two-part backdoor pilot. It wasthe audience’s first look at Simone,and many were unhappy with what they saw.
It’s a shame, because Nash-Betts' character was a breath of fresh air who was breaking stereotypes left and right. She was well suited for the role. Sadly,ABC canceledThe Rookie: Fedsafter only one season, and Simone’s legacy will always be looked down upon by those who didn’t like her from the jump.
4The Rookie Season 4, Episode 16
IMDb Score: 4.9
It’s safe to say that manyfans aren’t fond ofThe Rookie’s tradition of producing true crime documentary episodes, given that they make up the four lowest-rated episodes of the show. The highest of the lowest isThe Rookieseason 4, episode 16 (and for good reason). Out of all the “documentaries” that the show has produced, “Real Crime” is the most tolerable.
In fact, it’s probably one of the more interestingepisodes ofThe Rookieon this list. “Real Crime” revolves around Aaron and his complex past. It addresses his best friend’s murder (which Aaron was accused of committing) and interweaves current crimes. Overall, it was a decent episode that definitely wasn’t the series' best, but it also wasn’t the worst.
3The Rookie Season 5, Episode 18
IMDb Score: 4.6
The Rookieseason 5’strue crime documentary episode was “Double Trouble,” andits poor reviews are certainly justified.Dim and Juicy (aka Tim and Lucy’s doppelgängers) returned, and it was a mess from beginning to end. Even a Lance Bass cameo couldn’t save it.
Whileit was fun to watch Tim and Lucy go undercover inThe Rookie,the people they were posing as were much less fun to watch. Thankfully, Dim and Juicy are a thing of the past. They just weren’t interesting, and neither was their story, which is whyThe Rookieseason 5, episode 18 received a 4.6IMDbscore.
2The Rookie Season 3, Episode 7
IMDb Score: 4.5
The Rookie’s first true crime documentary episode is also its second-worst-rated installment. While casting Frankie Muniz to play a former child star turned cult leader was an inspired choice, the episode was poorly executed. Many were confused and thought that"True Crime” was a far cry from the show’s typical format.Ultimately, it’s best toskip thisRookieepisode on a re-watch.
1The Rookie Season 7, Episode 15
IMDb Score: 3.6
The lowest-rated episode ofThe Rookiemight have received such poor reviews because of recency bias, but they were still deserved. Season 7 failed to stick the landing, and it all started with “A Deadly Secret.“The true crime documentary episode was too convoluted,strangely featured the return of a long-forgotten character, and was a disservice to Tim and Lucy’s relationship.
Patrick Kelehe
Seth Ridley
Although I watchedThe Rookieseason 7, episode 15recently, I couldn’t tell you a single thing about its case. It was too confusing to follow, and I was more focused on how the episodecheapened Tim and Lucy’s long-anticipated relationship talk. So, it’s easy to see why “A Deadly Secret” isThe Rookie’s lowest-rated episode.
