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The Worst Episodes of The Rookie

Every episode of The Rookie ranked from worst to best. Explore the Worst Episodes of The Rookie!

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Starting over isn't easy, especially for small-town guy John Nolan who, after a life-altering incident, is pursuing his dream of being an LAPD officer. As the force's oldest rookie, he's met with skepticism from some

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Worst Episode
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    The Rookie Season 8 Episode 15 - Survive the Streets
    5.8/10(29 votes)

    #1 - Survive the Streets

    S8:E15

    The team works together after Nolan and Celina discover a possible suicide that spirals into conspiracy.

    Director:Ashley Williams
    Writers:Natalie Callaghan, Nick Hurwitz

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  2. The Rookie Season 3 Episode 7 - True Crime
    6.0/10(36 votes)

    #2 - True Crime

    S3:E7

    The team gets the true crime docuseries treatment when they analyze a recent case featuring a former child actor whose adult life has garnered him a cult following.

    Director:Bill Roe
    Writers:Alexi Hawley, Zoe Cheng

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  3. The Rookie Season 4 Episode 16 - Real Crime
    6.1/10(29 votes)

    #3 - Real Crime

    S4:E16

    Desperate to reset the way the world sees him, Officer Thorsen reluctantly decides to be a part of a reality show to help rebrand his image, only to be thrust back into yet another deadly situation. With cameras rolling, the show’s producer is found murdered and the team must investigate before Aaron is made suspect number one.

    Director:Rob Seidenglanz
    Writers:Bill Rinier, Paula Puryear

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  4. The Rookie Season 7 Episode 15 - A Deadly Secret
    6.6/10(55 votes)

    #4 - A Deadly Secret

    S7:E15

    Documentary filmmakers interview the LAPD on a complicated missing person's case connected to John.

    Director:Ashley Williams
    Writer:Alexi Hawley

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  5. The Rookie Season 5 Episode 18 - Double Trouble
    6.9/10(27 votes)

    #5 - Double Trouble

    S5:E18

    When Dim goes missing, Officer Chen and Sergeant Bradford, along with the CIA, set out to find him and enlist the help of Juicy.

    Director:Jon Huertas
    Writers:Glen Mazzara, Caroline Bible

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  6. The Rookie Season 3 Episode 3 - La Fiera
    7.1/10(30 votes)

    #6 - La Fiera

    S3:E3

    Officer John Nolan's mom makes an unannounced visit that complicates his life, and Sergeant Grey considers retiring.

    Director:Sylvain White
    Writers:Terence Paul Winter, Natalie Callaghan

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  7. The Rookie Season 4 Episode 20 - Enervo
    7.1/10(25 votes)

    #7 - Enervo

    S4:E20

    The team alongside the LA Division of the FBI are in a race to stop bombs that have been scattered throughout the city by a suspected terrorist. Meanwhile, the joint task force is suspicious of the CIA’s involvement in the situation.

    Director:Bill Roe
    Writers:Alexi Hawley, Terence Paul Winter

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  8. The Rookie Season 3 Episode 2 - In Justice
    7.2/10(26 votes)

    #8 - In Justice

    S3:E2

    Officer John Nolan and Officer Nyla Harper are assigned to a community policing center to help rebuild their station’s reputation in the community. Nolan is determined to make a positive impact but Nyla has her doubts.

    Director:Michael Goi
    Writers:Brynn Malone, Fredrick Kotto

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  9. The Rookie Season 3 Episode 8 - Bad Blood
    7.2/10(25 votes)

    #9 - Bad Blood

    S3:E8

    Officer Nolan, Officer Harper and Detective Lopez are assigned to the kidnapping of the son of a criminal court judge who has a long list of enemies who could possibly be involved.

    Director:Sylvain White
    Writers:Bill Rinier, Paula Puryear

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  10. The Rookie Season 1 Episode 12 - Heartbreak
    7.3/10(36 votes)

    #10 - Heartbreak

    S1:E12

    The most dangerous day of the year – Valentine’s Day – has the team on high alert, and Officer Nolan invites everyone over for a party now that he is single.

    Director:Carol Banker
    Writer:Vincent Angell

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  11. The Rookie Season 4 Episode 15 - Hit List
    7.3/10(25 votes)

    #11 - Hit List

    S4:E15

    Officer Harper puts Officer Aaron through “Plain Clothes Day,” but the exercise is interrupted by an unsuspected visitor. After two witnesses for an upcoming grand jury case are murdered, the team must track down the killers before it’s too late.

    Director:Robert Bella
    Writer:Elizabeth Davis Beall

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  12. The Rookie Season 3 Episode 4 - Sabotage
    7.4/10(25 votes)

    #12 - Sabotage

    S3:E4

    Officer Jackson West’s relationship with his new training officer, Stanton, has escalated and he begins to work with Sergeant Grey to find a solution.

    Director:Daniel Willis
    Writers:Vincent Angell, Diana Mendez Boucher

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  13. The Rookie Season 3 Episode 6 - Revelations
    7.4/10(26 votes)

    #13 - Revelations

    S3:E6

    Officer Nolan’s decision to return to school in order to become a training officer is proving to be much harder than he expected. Meanwhile, Officer Chen considers going into undercover work after getting a taste of the job when Harper’s former colleague needs help.

    Director:Chi-Yoon Chung
    Writers:Fredrick Kotto, Corey Miller

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  14. The Rookie Season 3 Episode 10 - Man of Honor
    7.4/10(24 votes)

    #14 - Man of Honor

    S3:E10

    Harper and Nolan respond to a bank robbery in progress and realize the motives of the thief run much deeper than just needing money. Jackson and Chen’s first day riding without training officers isn’t what they thought it would be.

    Director:Sylvain White
    Writers:Elizabeth Davis Beall, Diana Mendez Boucher

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  15. The Rookie Season 4 Episode 14 - Long Shot
    7.4/10(22 votes)

    #15 - Long Shot

    S4:E14

    Officer Nolan and Detective Harper help Skip Tracer Randy on his first bounty hunter case. Meanwhile, Officer Chen and Sergeant Bradford are on the hunt for a perpetrator on a citywide crime spree.

    Director:Fernando Sariñana
    Writer:Natalie Callaghan

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  16. The Rookie Season 2 Episode 13 - Follow-Up Day
    7.5/10(29 votes)

    #16 - Follow-Up Day

    S2:E13

    Nolan is given some life-changing news and invites Grace over for a homecooked meal in his newly remodeled kitchen. Meanwhile, each unit is tasked with following up on dormant cases in the hopes they can uncover new leads.

    Director:Liz Friedlander
    Writer:Alexi Hawley

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  17. The Rookie Season 3 Episode 9 - Amber
    7.5/10(24 votes)

    #17 - Amber

    S3:E9

    An Amber Alert sends the team on a race against time to find a newborn infant who was stolen from a local hospital. Meanwhile, Officers Jackson and Chen work their last shift as rookies as Officer Nolan continues on for 30 more days.

    Director:Bill Roe
    Writers:Brynn Malone, Natalie Callaghan

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  18. The Rookie Season 4 Episode 9 - Breakdown
    7.5/10(27 votes)

    #18 - Breakdown

    S4:E9

    Desperate to break free from his connection to Elijah, Wesley tries to plant a listening device in his office to incriminate him; Officer Bradford and his sister, Genny, learn an unsettling truth about their father.

    Director:Chi-Yoon Chung
    Writer:Alexi Hawley

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  19. The Rookie Season 5 Episode 6 - The Reckoning
    7.5/10(25 votes)

    #19 - The Reckoning

    S5:E6

    Officer John Nolan and a sleep-deprived Celina investigate a cash deposit linked to an old DEA case. Meanwhile, Wesley grows increasingly concerned about his deposition and is shocked when he realizes Elijah’s attorney is a familiar face from his past.

    Director:Lanre Olabisi
    Writer:Leland Jay Anderson

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  20. The Rookie Season 5 Episode 9 - Take Back
    7.5/10(26 votes)

    #20 - Take Back

    S5:E9

    Officer John Nolan and the team investigate the unexpected death of a suspect in police custody. Their search also uncovers a very delicate loose end that could jeopardize Officer Celina Juarez's career. Meanwhile, Sergeant Grey and his wife, Luna, go to New York to visit their daughter, Dominique, only to realize she never made it home from the night before.

    Director:David McWhirter
    Writer:Alexi Hawley

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  21. The Rookie Season 1 Episode 3 - The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
    7.6/10(58 votes)

    #21 - The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

    S1:E3

    After Nolan and Talia lose control of a crime scene, they begin to debate whether people are fundamentally good or bad and what that means for a police officer. Lucy is concerned Tim is enabling his wife’s destructive behavior and not taking care of himself.

    Director:Greg Beeman
    Writers:Liz Alper, Ally Seibert

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  22. The Rookie Season 1 Episode 4 - The Switch
    7.6/10(55 votes)

    #22 - The Switch

    S1:E4

    The rookies are temporarily paired with new training officers, and Nolan is paired with Lopez. When Nolan and Lopez track down an escaped criminal, they discover a little kindness goes a long way. Jackson is forced to face his fears when he is partnered with Officer Bradford. Chen and Nolan must face a hard truth.

    Director:Toa Fraser
    Writer:Vincent Angell

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  23. The Rookie Season 2 Episode 7 - Safety
    7.6/10(27 votes)

    #23 - Safety

    S2:E7

    John and Jessica’s relationship gets a lot more complicated after she delivers some surprising news. Meanwhile, Officer Bradford and Office West are assigned a community policing project helping out the Watts Rams as volunteer coaches at their fall clinic, along with Rams players Eric Weddle and Robert Woods.

    Director:Sylvain White
    Writer:Terence Paul Winter

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  24. The Rookie Season 2 Episode 12 - Now and Then
    7.6/10(32 votes)

    #24 - Now and Then

    S2:E12

    Nolan takes his son’s fiancé, Abigail, on a ride-along after she shows interest in becoming a police officer. Meanwhile, Jackson’s relationship is becoming complicated at work.

    Director:Chi-Yoon Chung
    Writer:Robert Bella

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  25. The Rookie Season 4 Episode 19 - Simone
    7.6/10(24 votes)

    #25 - Simone

    S4:E19

    Officer Nolan and the LA division of the FBI enlist the help of FBI trainee Simone Clark when one of her former students is suspected of terrorism following an explosion at a local power station.

    Director:Liz Friedlander
    Writers:Alexi Hawley, Terence Paul Winter

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Worst Episodes Summary

"Survive the Streets" is the worst rated episode of "The Rookie". It scored 5.8/10 based on 29 votes. Directed by Ashley Williams and written by Natalie Callaghan, Nick Hurwitz, it aired on 4/13/2026. This episode scored 0.2 points lower than the second lowest rated, "True Crime".