The Rookie returns after a little hiatus with “Lockdown,” an episode in which the characters take really big risks to try to get justice. Will they get it? Let’s comment everything about The Rookie 3×05 “Lockdown“.
Here we go!
The first thing we are going to do is discuss the elephant in the room. We’re talking about Doug AKA the racist jerk and West. After what happened in the previous episode, Gray is going to tell West know what has happened and is determined to change his partner and abandon what they are doing. West’s career is on the line, all his dreams … and he can’t let Doug end them.
And we’re going to stand here and admire West’s bravery and daring, his courage, when he refuses Gray’s help and wants to catch Doug no matter that his dream of being a cop is at stake. He feels that he cannot leave him Doug on the streets.
It’s a very high price to pay for him to remain in the police force. How many people will he terrorize? How many will he harass and even … attack? No, West cannot allow it. It’s up to him to fix it and he’s going to do it.
So now the strategy is to appear submissive to Doug. Lower his head, just the way he likes it. See, hear, shut up … and write it all down. To get evidence against him … even if that’s playing with fire, as West will find out later.
At first Doug is not overly trusting. West has shown him that he is against him and he doesn’t trust that sudden change. However, West shows him that submission that he expects to see from those he considers inferior and that appeals to his ego, to his racism … and achieves the goal of him giving West a chance.
Of course, as always happens with nasty racists like Doug, very soon the violence escalates to a dangerous point and West just can’t keep quiet. He can’t allow Doug to terrorize innocent people, much less have him attack them for no reason.
West is a good cop but on top of that, unlike Doug, he’s a good person. So he stops Doug … which shows Doug that what they previously talked about was a theater on West’s part … and Doug is willing to throw him back to the lions even though his father “works” for internal affairs.
And here West is stirring. And I’m so proud of him. But so proud. He doesn’t take shit out of Doug. He’s done doing it, he’s done lowering his head because he’s a rookie and Doug, unfortunately, is a cop. The price doesn’t matter but he’s not going to take shit from him anymore and tells him, to Doug’s face what he thinks of him. Plus, he makes it clear to him that his dad doesn’t “work” for internal affairs, he’s the fucking department head, enough with that racist Doug shit that Black people can only be a team member and not bosses, so West will tell him everything and from now on, Doug’s career is over. West, I’m a fan!
Doug is surprised by this. Like … very surprised. Being a racist like he is, he hadn’t considered the possibility that West’s father was the head of internal affairs. He thought that he would be just another worker in that department and that the boss would be some other white guy like him … who thought exactly like him – and the worst part is that, in real life, Doug would have been right. So it wasn’t going to work for West to complain to his father. His back was covered.
But now, learning that West’s father is, in fact, the head of the department, things change for Doug. Fucking with West’s life when he felt invincible was one thing but now that he knows he can have consequences … it’s quite different. He knows he’s playing the game … so he tries to fix things with West. He tries to pretend, to cover his back. It is despicable.
But West still won’t buy it and Doug knows it. So he makes a decision … he may not be able to give West “what he deserves” on his own but he can get him into a situation where that happens. Maybe then West will reconsider his decision …
So Doug takes West into a difficult neighborhood, forcing him not to call in reinforcements and leaves him alone while they are beating him up. He does absolutely nothing. And I hate Doug with all my heart. Seriously, I hate him and persons like him. He has West right where he wanted. Lucy and Bradford rush to the scene … and find West badly injured on the ground while Doug pretends he doesn’t know anything. Fortunately, that theater is of no use to him.
West, my beloved and heroic West, turned on Doug’s camera without his knowing it so everything has been recorded. Now they have him. As Doug glares at West and vows revenge, Gray leaves him out. And now, with the evidence they have, internal affairs can open an official investigation. It’s the first step to remove him from the police.
Later, at the hospital, Gray sums up everything we feel when he talks to Wes. I’m tremendously proud of him. He’s one of those policemen for whom wearing the badge should be a source of pride. It’s that he has been so brave … he risked everything, gave everything and got it. And he didn’t do it for himself, but for all the Black people and families that Doug terrorized or would terrorize in the future.
For all the Black recruits who came before him and who would come in the future. West has fought tooth and nail for what was fair. My baby is amazing! And if he weren’t all bruised I would get inside the screen to kiss him and just … thank him. But I’m happy to applaud him standing up.
I was moved by that scene between Gray and West, both crying. Both are emotional for what they have achieved, for the people they have saved but also for the people they could not save. West reminded Gray that racism still exists and that he is in a position of power to fight to change things, not to settle, and he really feels guilty that he did not do more … but he couldn’t, not at that time.
And West has learned that he has to fight every day so that his badge is a source of pride and that there are still many things to change and to fight for. They both learned something and I’m crying hugging my pillow because I love them.
However, I don’t think this stays that way. Doug won’t walk away without a fight so we can expect more foul and horrible play from him. Hopefully Gray, West, and now West’s dad along with the entire internal affairs division are enough to fire that racist bastard. They have to be.
In another vein, Nolan hasn’t had the best day. But you already know exactly what happened so let’s talk about his dream of being a detective. He was still hopeful even though Gray told him there wouldn’t be any chance. So he tries, but, even so, they have made it clear that there will be no chance. And it seems unfair to me.
Yes, he did it wrong but … what about what he did before? What about what he did next? This week’s case is proof. Nolan has faced many challenges in his rookie career. Challenges that only an experienced police officer would face and handled so well. Doesn’t that count for anything? I think it should. Someone should give him another chance, because we all deserve that second chance. Hopefully someone does.
And here ends our The Rookie review. We will be back next week with a new one!
Agree? Disagree? Don’t hesitate to share it with us in the comments below.
The Rookie airs Sundays at 10/9 on ABC.
