The Rookie Season 8 Episode 7 Recap: Lucy & Nyla Go Undercover While Miles Breaks All the Rules

I wanted to love this episode of The Rookie, but it was just okay. It’s been a while since we’ve seen an undercover operation, especially with Nyla and Lucy together. I’ve been loving the ensemble working on cases together, and part of me feels like this undercover case should’ve been the focal point of the episode while everyone played their part in it. It wasn’t much of a whiplash episode, but it felt like something was missing. 

Lucy and Nyla Go Undercover

One of my favorite undercover episodes was season three episode fourteen titled “Threshold”. It was one of Lucy’s first undercover operations and she killed it; I wanted to see more of this for her. For a while it felt like her undercover work was being forced on us and didn’t give the same excitement “Threshold” did. Not until this current episode. Not only was she going back undercover, but it was with Nyla who inspired her to get into undercover work in the first place. 

When two young women are found murdered, Lucy sees an opportunity to discover what they might’ve been up to for this to happen to them. She seemed particularly invested in this one, which is what really got my attention. She went to Nyla for help to get this operation up and running – and they did. Once undercover, all they had to do was make contact with the person they believed made the girls into drug mules and eventually killed them. 

“Baja” - THE ROOKIE, Pictured: Mekia Cox as Nyla Harper and Melissa O’Neil as Lucy Chen. Photo: (Disney/Mike Taing). All Right Reserved. 

That didn’t take long – Rafael Navarro quickly approached Nyla and Lucy with an opportunity. After their first drug run, Rafael was ready to give them a bigger package to run. This is where I feel Lucy got too emotionally invested and lost sight of a bigger picture. With this bigger score, they had an opportunity to make a bigger arrest, but Lucy wanted no part of that. For her, getting justice for the two girls was most important. But was it? I would think making the bigger bust would be the important thing here. The two girls would still be able to get their justice afterwards, but it felt like Lucy needed it to happen right there in that moment. Why?

While undercover, we learn that Lucy has spent time, similar to those two girls, traveling the world while trying to figure out her path in life, and I wonder if a part of her felt like what happened to those girls could’ve easily been her. I know she was trying to get justice for the girls, but was she also trying to heal something within her past self as well?

Miles Goes Rogue

While helping Angela on a case, John and Miles are tasked with surveilling a home for a wanted man by the name of Keshaun DeMarco; a very dangerous man who nearly cost Wesley a case when he assaulted two key witnesses. He’s since gone into hiding. All Johna and Miles had to do was keep a look out for him. 

After a few days and no movement, there's finally a visual on Keshaun. John and Miles are quickly made, and while focused on apprehending Keshaun, Miles fails to contain a perimeter when he chases him into a car wash. 

“Baja” - THE ROOKIE, Pictured: Nathan Fillion as John Nolan, Deric Augustine as Miles Penn, and Eric Winter as Tim Bradford. Photo: (Disney/Mike Taing). All Right Reserved. 

In trying to fix his error, Miles decides to do some off duty surveilling; something John specifically told him not to do I might add. Not only did he not listen to John’s advice, he enlisted the help of Mid-Wilshire’s favorite problem child, Seth Ridley. Miles should’ve known nothing good could come of this. 

Which we quickly saw play out when Seth steps away for a moment leaving Miles alone. That’s when Keshaun managed to catch Miles off-guard and nearly kidnapped him. Thankfully, Seth came back in time to see what was going on and called John for backup. When it looked like time was not on their side, Seth jumped in front of the car Keshaun had at this point been driving which bought some time for John and back up to arrive. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t proud of Seth at this moment. What he should’ve done was talk Miles out of this nonsense in the first place. 

John and Tim were not happy about the situation Miles put himself in, regardless of the fact that they did in fact apprehend Keshaun because of it. Tim dismissed Miles at that moment, kicking him out of the FTO program. 

“Baja” - THE ROOKIE, Pictured: Nathan Fillion as John Nolan. Photo: (Disney/Mike Taing). All Right Reserved. 

I didn’t notice it at the time, but Miles goes rogue too many times. I get that he’s a rookie officer at Mid-Wilshire, but he’s no true rookie. It was his move that forced him to be a rookie again, so what’s with all these mistakes? As he was leaving, John caught up with him, letting him know that after talking with Tim on his behalf, he’d only been suspended for two weeks and extended for six months in the FTO program. What I liked about this conversation was how John reassured Miles that he was a good officer, but he needs to stop trying to prove it. Let’s hope he learns from this. 

Will John and Bailey Make It Through the Distance?

I hope not. I have to be honest here - he let her go in quiet hopes that she will change her mind again and come back home to him. She left to take this opportunity, knowing that John has no plans on ever joining her. How is this not the beginning of the end for them?

John is already showing signs of being lonely without her. The moments they steal together on facetime is cute, but will it be enough?

Overall, this episode was just okay to me. I’m not sure what, but it was missing something, especially following last week’s episode. Let me know what you thought of this week’s episode of The Rookie below.

What did you think?

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