‘The Rookie’ Bounces Back by Bringing In Liam Glasser After a Dud Mockumentary Episode Last Week

Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for The Rookie Season 8, Episode 16.

It’s no secret to anyone that I absolutely hated The Rookie‘s last episode. I find the documentary-style episodes to be pointless — they take us away from the main cases we’re interested in and away from the characters we love so much. Luckily, this week, the ABC procedural returns to storylines that are compelling, and our favorite cops are back at work saving the people of Los Angeles (even if that means they have to protect a less-than-worthy villain).

‘The Rookie’ Puts a Serial Killer in Danger, Only To Rescue Him

Liam Glasser (Seth Gabel) has definitely been one of the best villains to come out of The Rookie‘s eight-season run. Episode 16 picks up with his lawyer, Malcolm (Sean Patrick Thomas) talking with Glasser on the phone, when he overhears gunshots. Glasser is targeted in a drive-by shooting, but doesn’t actually get hit. This means that although the LAPD isn’t exactly a fan of the serial killer they were unable to put behind bars, they’ll still need to protect him from further violence. We learn that since Glasser was accused of being a killer, his wife, Miranda (Hannah Barefoot), took their kids and left him. But somehow he’s managed to land a new girlfriend named Daisy. Despite Glasser suing the city for $6 million for claiming he was a serial killer, the LAPD must put him under 24-hour security, led by John Nolan (Nathan Fillion). Nyla Harper (Mekia Cox) is also tasked with finding Glasser’s shooter.

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Meanwhile, a criminal we’re sick of returns for another heart-pounding episode.

It’s pretty clear that Glasser and Miranda’s custody battle is a heated one. A red herring in the episode occurs when their son, Theo, goes missing. A lockdown is called for in the courthouse, only for Daisy to have unwittingly taken Theo for a break. Miranda unleashes her anger, stating that she knows Glasser is merely toying with her. Miranda does admit to Nyla that she recently bought a handgun that matched the shooter’s weapon, but that she wouldn’t do anything to put her children in danger (including running the risk of him ending up with full custody). Then, the true action ramps up. Miles Penn (Deric Augustine) drives Glasser home, when Lance Thomas, whose father was killed by Glasser, shoots at them. After a chase ensues, Nolan arrives and ends up jumping in front of Glasser, saving his life. Luckily, Nolan is just hit in his bulletproof vest. So, we know who the drive-by shooter was, but then, in a last-minute twist, Nolan learns that Miranda has gone missing with her children, and will essentially be charged with kidnapping. Will Glasser ever be taken down, or will Miranda and her children be more of his victims?

‘The Rookie’ Season 8, Episode 16 Offers Wesley His First Case Back as a Defense Attorney

Wesley Evers (Shawn Ashmore) and his partner, Sean Del Monte (Michael Trucco), are working from home on their first day after switching to being defense attorneys. Monica Stevens (Bridget Regan), who obviously should never be trusted, gives them their first client. Ethan McAvoy had a massive party, and Wesley and Sean discover that one of the partygoers is actually dead in his home. Wesley is able to delay the police by demanding they have a search warrant — which definitely doesn’t sit well with his wife, Angela Lopez (Alyssa Diaz). The police eventually spot Ethan buying tons of supplies that would help someone dispose of a dead body, and when they all get to the house, Ethan is perp-walked out of his home wearing a disgustingly bloody apron. Turns out Ethan was duped by another criminal into setting up the victim in order to get some Bitcoin. Wesley promises he’ll try to get him a good deal since he didn’t actually kill the guy, but this case is a sobering one for Wesley and Sean, who are wondering whether they have what it takes to head back into the world of criminal defense.

I’m definitely tiring of the Monica storylines, but she’s back again in this episode. She claims she’s working as a “double agent,” and has set up a ploy to get big baddie, Aidan Warner, in her good graces. She sets up his right-hand man, but she’s still a bit surprised when Aidan just turns around and shoots the guy for his perceived disloyalty. Monica states that she’s merely looking for an exit package so that she will have enough money to get out of the game for good. At the end of the episode, she sees a note on her car that simply says, “Cooper Johnson.” We have no idea what this name means, but hopefully, it will set up a final adventure that will allow Monica to bow out of The Rookie for good.

We Finally Get an Exciting Chenford Development in ‘The Rookie’

I’ve been eagerly anticipating some forward movement in the Chenford relationship, and this episode finally provided some. We get a glimpse of Chenford being happy at home when Tim Bradford’s (Eric Winter) mom, Joy (Sela Ward), shows up. We learn that Tim is ready to propose to Lucy Chen (Melissa O’Neil), which sets up the humorous, fun side plot for the whole episode. Because it seems that Joy is set on Tim proposing with his grandmother’s ring, and it turns out to be hideous. When he shows it to Angela, she claims the ring is a “monstrosity,” and Nyla has the same opinion, telling Tim that Lucy will for sure turn him down if he proposes to her with that ugly of a ring. In the end, Tim tells his mother that he got the ring appraised, and it’s actually fake glass. To help with her hurt feelings, he suggests that Joy go ring shopping with him. I love this whole storyline, not only because it offers the episode some light-hearted energy, but also because it feels hopeful. Tim is finally resolving a lot of his emotional issues, and including Joy in more scenes is always a plus in my mind.

It seems several of The Rookie relationships are thriving now. We also get two scenes with Nolan and Bailey (Jenna Dewan) being sweet, especially after Nolan is injured saving Glasser. It’s nice to see that their connection is still strong, and I don’t mind Bailey popping in for scenes like this, which allow her character to fit in nicely with the group. I’m excited to see where the Glasser storyline will head next, and am truly rooting for our gang to finally nail him.

New episodes of The Rookie air on Monday nights on ABC, with episodes available to stream on Hulu in the U.S.