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‘The Rookie’s Latest Episode Puts This Season 1 Backstory at the Forefront in an Unexpected Way
Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for The Rookie Season 8, Episode 7.Fans of The Rookie’s Lucy Chen (Melissa O’Neil) were eating good with the latest Season 8 episode, “Baja.” Lucy and Nyla Harper (Mekia Cox) take on a major undercover assignment, seeking justice for two murdered women, Jordan and Courtney, who were used as drug mules. During the best parts of the episode, Lucy reveals crucial elements of her backstory that we’ve never heard before. “Baja” marks a major turning point for Lucy as a character, providing incredible depth and context for her overall journey that ties back to the first season!
Lucy Finally Reveals Why She Became a Police Officer
Lucy Chen always featured an interesting backstory in The Rookie because becoming a police officer was not her original career path. In the first season, Lucy disclosed that she initially followed in her psychologist parents’ footsteps, majoring in psychology in college before deciding to join the police academy. However, Lucy demonstrated her commitment to law enforcement, which proved to be her calling. Lucy’s parents never approved of her decision to join the LAPD, viewing her new career as an act of rebellion. However, we never really heard about why Lucy wanted to become a police officer until now.
After Lucy and Harper set out on their undercover op across the border, Harper finally asks Lucy why she dropped out of grad school. In a candid moment, Lucy reveals that when talking to a professor about her career goals, she had a panic attack. Lucy finally realized that for her entire life, all her decisions were based on what her parents wanted and expected of her, as Lucy’s parents always assumed that she would become a psychologist as well. Lucy explains, “That panic attack made me realize I had never made a choice for myself. I was always doing what they wanted, so yeah, I bailed.”
One of the Most Disastrous Beginnings in ‘The Rookie’ Turned Into Its Best Storyline
This character was exactly what Lucy’s storyline needed!
Lucy’s revelation shows how she was being smothered by her parents’ expectations and needed to make her own decisions about her life. A later scene with Tim Bradford (Eric Winter) provides additional context and brings the storyline full circle. After Lucy and Harper successfully apprehend the drug dealer, Rafa (Danilo Carrera), and the women’s killer, Chase (Zach Zagoria), Lucy recalls her time as “Van Life Lucy” after dropping out of grad school, referring to it as “mostly bad” and tells Tim that the reason she joined the police academy was that she wanted to be the person she never saw around her, “Someone who cared.” After almost eight years, we finally learned why Lucy became a cop!
Lucy’s Undercover Assignment Was Deeply Personal for Her
Lucy’s undercover assignment in this episode was deeply personal. She not only fought for the assignment, but she also stood her ground with Lt. Wade Grey (Richard T. Jones), fighting on behalf of the two murdered women. O’Neil’s acting in this scene is incredible, as she showcases Lucy’s heartfelt emotions and empathy for the victims, underscoring Lucy’s values, passion, and reasoning for becoming a police officer.
Ultimately, Lucy brought justice to the victims. After Elena Flores (Michelle Núñez) and Grey communicate that Chase murdered Jordan and Courtney, Harper was eager to maintain the undercover op, believing that continuing the job with Rafa could score them a major arrest and take down the drug cartel. Thankfully, Lucy impressed upon Harper that the whole goal of their mission was to find Jordan and Courtney’s murderer and bring him to justice. This was a crucial moment as Harper, a more experienced undercover officer, had previously gotten lost in her undercover assignments, causing her first marriage to fall apart.
Lucy Comes Full Circle in Baja
Lucy’s character came full circle with this episode. She fought for a major undercover assignment, advocating for two murdered women, not because she felt she earned or deserved it, but because it was the right thing to do. After originally rejecting Lucy’s request for the assignment, Lt. Grey respected her stance and approved the operation. Lucy understood that she needed to be the person to fight for justice for the two women who were killed because no one else would. “Baja” showcased more of Lucy’s character depth, shedding new light on her backstory, and she finally reveals in her own words why she became a police officer.
Considering Harper mentored and instructed Lucy about undercover work in the past, the fact that Lucy snapped Harper back to her senses before Harper became engulfed in the assignment demonstrates how far Lucy has come as a character, displaying how the student has become a master. Lucy is no longer the greenhorn rookie she was in the first season. She is now a seasoned sergeant in the LAPD and an experienced undercover officer, making “Baja” a standout character-defining episode for Lucy. It’s easily one of the best signature Lucy episodes in the show’s entire run.