We’re back one last time! The Rookie Season 7 Episode 18 ‘The Good, The Bad, And The Oscar,’ closes the season disappointingly, as it doesn’t wrap up any of this season’s big storylines: Oscar’s escape and Chenford’s future, leaving everything to resolve in the next season. Ready?
Here we go!
The Endless Escape
Frankly, The Rookie Season 7 Episode 18 ‘The Good, The Bad, And The Oscar,’ disappointed us. It’s not a bad episode; it’s just too weak and feels half-baked for a season finale. A season finale is meant to wrap up all the storylines set up in the season and open up new ones for the next season. This episode didn’t even accomplish that, as we didn’t get any resolution to any of the big issues presented in Season 7: Oscar’s escape and Chenford’s future.
So, if this had been a season finale prequel, it would have been fine with us. After all, there would still be one more episode left to catch Oscar and have the conversation Chenford need. But it’s the season finale, and that makes the episode feel anticlimactic, as it leaves us hanging, waiting for something that never quite arrives, and thinking about everything that should have been but wasn’t.
We start with Oscar. This plotline was ignored all season. The show didn’t even make an effort to name Oscar or try to capture him since the season premiere. But suddenly, in The Rookie Season 7 Episode 18 ‘The Good, The Bad, And The Oscar,’ they resume the search for Oscar as if months hadn’t passed without mentioning him. Honestly, we’d forgotten about him too. This is further proof that narrative coherence hasn’t exactly been one of the season’s strong points.
But the Oscar theme doesn’t end there. Once the episode remembers he exists, as a viewer, you expect him to be caught and this plot to have a satisfying ending, despite the lack of development. However, the episode also fails in this regard, as Oscar ends up escaping, leaving one of the season’s major plotlines undeveloped and unfinished.
As if that weren’t enough, the plot they introduce with Monica is downright unnecessary, something that’s barely a sketch in The Rookie Season 7 Episode 18 ‘The Good, The Bad, And The Oscar.’ They should stop recycling villains and introduce new ones. Liam could have fulfilled this villain role with a larger arc. It’s fine for us to bring Monica and Oscar back in occasionally as cameos because we love to hate them and they stir up trouble. But for heavier plots, it’s time for the show to change its villains because Monica and Oscar have run their course, especially Monica.
MORE: The Rookie Season 7, Episode 17 Review: ‘Mutiny and the Bounty’
Important Conversations in The Rookie Season 7 Episode 18 ‘The Good, The Bad, And The Oscar’
Another truly disappointing aspect of The Rookie Season 7 Episode 18 ‘The Good, The Bad, And The Oscar’ is Chenford. Everything started well for them. Lucy was adjusting to her new shift, and while she was open to anything that could happen with Tim, she was very aware that they needed to have a serious talk first.
Meanwhile, Tim is also aware of this and can’t wait to have that conversation and fix everything between them, but he’s giving Lucy her space. He knows he was the one who hurt her and wants to be sure Lucy is on the same page as him and that she’s had time to adjust to her new position. But Angela has a point when she says that if he waits too long, he’ll break Lucy’s heart again. Tim needs to open his heart to her.
And he plans to do so by the end of the episode. Tim thinks of everything. He makes Lucy her favorite breakfast and is ready for her to just relax and listen to what he has to say once she gets home. And Tim’s speech is wonderful and makes us melt on the floor. He’s very aware of the damage he’s done to Lucy, and that’s why he swears he’ll never hurt her like that again. He’s worked hard to make that promise real. And he’s still doing it. But it’s time for them to sort out what’s going on between them.
This is the moment in The Rookie Season 7 Episode 18 ‘The Good, The Bad, And The Oscar’ when we scream. Tim asks Lucy to take it a step further and move in with him. He wants her there for breakfast in the mornings, for a quick kiss when he arrives and she leaves. He wants her in his house and his life…forever. And it’s beautiful. Just when we were dying to know Lucy’s answer, everything fell apart.
MORE: The Rookie’s Chenford on Different Shifts: A Threat to Their Relationship?
The Last Step That Never Comes
In this moment of The Rookie Season 7 Episode 18 ‘The Good, The Bad, And The Oscar’ we discover that Lucy’s asleep, so she doesn’t hear anything while Tim pours his heart out to her. That means that conversation will “continue” in Season 8. And we’re left looking stupid because we feel like we’ve been taken for a ride. We pray this is a bad joke only to discover it isn’t.
Chenford was one of the big conflicts to resolve this season. And, throughout 17 episodes, they’ve been building toward their return to each other. Yes, that buildup has been inconsistent, with many key conversations and situations off-screen. The path to reconciliation was haphazardly constructed with too many flirtatious scenes and few scenes that truly carried weight—like the fire scene or what happens between them on Valentine’s Day. But at least that path was there, and they made it clear that we were going to reach that goal this season, once Lucy got the test results.
So, they made it abundantly clear that The Rookie Season 7 Episode 18 ‘The Good, The Bad, And The Oscar’ was the moment when all those scenes between Chenford would finally make sense of the reconciliation. But they fooled us. Plain and simple. Because, right when they were having that conversation, Lucy was sleeping. And suddenly, all of Chenford’s development throughout the season—inconsistent as it was—was for nothing. We end the season practically the same way we started it with them. And it feels like a mockery. We said what we said.
MORE: Why The Rookie’s Chenford is the Best-Built Romance in TV
Other Stuff in The Rookie Season 7 Episode 18 ‘The Good, The Bad, And The Oscar’
- Celina knows things…
- Chenford doesn’t hide it too much with those glances they throw at each other, though. Tim is certainly taking careful note of what the perfect first date looks like for Lucy.
- We’re glad Miles is okay.
- But honestly, he being attacked doesn’t have much of a narrative basis and doesn’t contribute anything to the plot either. It feels like they just wanted to fill out minutes of the episode to save Chenford, which is what we were all waiting to see, for the end.
- We don’t understand why they didn’t involve anyone other than Nyla and Nolan to catch Oscar. Oscar is supposed to be a dangerous criminal; where are the backups for them?
- Oscar and Nolan have a relationship that’s as twisted as it’s fascinating.
- We love that Lucy is taking her first steps as a sergeant. But we were quite frustrated that she didn’t face the “dream team.” They’re supposed to be working, and she’s supposed to be supervising them, but this “team” is sleeping all shift long. Why isn’t she doing anything? For us, it’s not about motivation; it’s about standing them up so they know there’s no more slacking off.
- At least they responded when Miles was in danger and Lucy called them.
- The action of this episode is on point!
- We want Season 8 now! And we hope it’s more narratively coherent and organized than this one.
MORE: Why Lucy and Tamara’s Sisterhood Is The Rookie’s Strongest Bonds
The Rookie Season 7 aired Tuesdays at 9 pm on ABC.
Agree? Disagree? What did you think of The Rookie Season 7, Episode 18 ‘The Good, The Bad, And The Oscar’? Share with us in the comments below! And if you have your own opinion on the show you want to share, leave a review/rating on our The Rookie hub!
