The Rookie – Season 6 Episode 5 “The Vow” Recap & Review

The Vow

Episode 5 of The Rookie Season 6 starts with Nolan and Juarez on the night shift. Juarez says the night shift has been brutal, which is evident given that she forgets the suspect in the car. They later respond to a gunshot call, and Juarez forgets to check the closet after spotting a victim hanging on to life by the side of the bed. By the time Nolan realises this, the paramedics are also in the house. Thankfully, they only find a cute baby hiding in the closet.

They rush the mom to the hospital while Luna tries to find a temporary home for the toddler, Anna. Nolan offers to take Anna for the night until Luna can find her next of kin or a foster home.

At first, Bailey hesitates, but Nolan assures her it is for a short period. The period takes longer than expected after the mom dies in the hospital, and Bailey starts getting scared. She is holding onto a past trauma of a child she was babysitting nearly drowning.

She confides her fears in Luna, who tries to advise her that parenting is scary, but what matters is that the kid is okay. At one point, Anna hides in the closet again when Nolan leaves to deal with Oscar’s deposition. This causes Bailey to panic. However, after this, Bailey starts coming around to the idea of keeping Anna. She even discusses it with Nolan, who is happy she changed her mind. Unfortunately, once they decide to keep Anna, her uncle flies in to take her.

Elsewhere, Bradford surprises Chen with a thoughtful gift to cheer her up. The couple is about to have their date night, and Tamara offers to stay in her room, but Bradford gets a call and abruptly leaves. Chen finds it weird that he refuses to tell her what is happening. Chen spends the whole night lying in bed, awake and leaving Bradford a message on his phone.

It turns out Bradford made a vow with an old army pal, Mark Greer, to kill a man who committed fraud in the army and caused the death of their friends. The man in question is Ray, and legally, he is presumed dead.

However, Mark has been sleuthing and has heard rumours that he is alive. His sleuthing eventually paid off as he managed to find Ray flying into town following his mom’s cancer diagnosis. He convinces Bradford to stake out Ray’s mom’s house to make sure Ray is in the house.

After a long night, Bradford gets tired of arguing with Mark about the morality of their vow. He breaks their cover and approaches Ray’s mom’s house. Initially, she acts like she doesn’t know her son is alive, but that is short-lived. Bradford finds his carrier bag in the room, and Ray makes his appearance.

For a man assumed dead, he looks to be doing alright. He is manipulative and calls Bradford and Mark’s bluff about reporting him. It turns out that Mark and Bradford kept Ray’s fraudulent activities a secret to allow his wife to collect the benefits.

If they report Ray, they will have to come clean about this, which will cost them their current careers. After the meeting with Ray, Bradford refuses to go along with Mark’s plans to kill Ray. He vows to arrest Mark if he goes through with his plan. He offers to take the fall and come clean, but Mark refuses to see this as a solution. Honestly, it doesn’t look like one. Mark agrees to drop the revenge but says if Ray hurts more people, the blood will be on Bradford’s hands. Sadly, the Ray situation is causing tensions between Chen and Bradford.

Chen wants to know what is happening, but Bradford refuses to open up to her. He claims he is protecting her since she will be at risk of losing her job if she knows. Chen refuses to drop the matter and asks him to leave. She later asks Nolan to help her figure out what Bradford is hiding. Nolan thinks it is a bad idea.

On the other hand, Thorsen runs into Blair in a bar. He offers to buy her a drink and drop her off at home. Initially, she is hesitant but says yes. To be fair, she is vulnerable after being stood up. After this, Thorsen drops her home, and things briefly get awkward during the drop-off.

In the end, Blair forgets her jacket in his car. The following day, Thorsen starts to wonder if there is a mutual attraction between them and confides in Chen. She agrees to let him stop by Blair’s office to return her jacket and teases him when Blair seems uninterested. Thorsen starts to wonder if he is one of those guys who thinks every girl he meets is in love with him.

As for Anna’s mom’s case, Harper and Lopez investigate and discover the dad was affiliated with drugs but changed. Further investigation reveals the family took on a tenant who fled after the family was murdered. They ID the guy and bring him in for questioning. The man reveals that the family had won a lottery ticket for $1500, and someone close to the family seemed interested in the ticket.

The police quickly organise themselves and move to arrest the guy. Unfortunately, his mom tries to protect him. The criminal opens fire, but the police quickly take him down and arrest him. After solving the case, Wesley drops by to inform Nolan that the judge has dismissed Oscar’s lawsuit.

At the same time, Thorsen and Blair clear the air, but she is adamant that she has never been attracted to him. Meanwhile, Chen confides her relationship trouble to Tamara, who tries to cheer her up. The scene cuts to Bradford staking out Ray’s place. He follows Ray after an associate picks him up.

The Episode Review

The writers have decided to put us through the emotional wringers again! Will ChenFord break up? Bradford is in a tight spot and can’t ask for help since it will jeopardise Chen’s and his other friends’ careers. He also needs to keep tabs on Ray as long as he is in town. Talk about a rock and a hard place!

What is concerning is that we know Chen won’t drop the issue; she will start looking into Bradford’s latest movements. If she discovers the truth, she is legally compelled to report it. Whatever happens in the next episode won’t be easy for ChenFord.

We felt the chemistry between Thorsen and Blair. Did we also imagine it since Blair denies anything is going on? She is likely lying because she can’t romantically fraternise with her patients. However, if Thorsen switches therapists, will she reconsider?

Lastly, our newlyweds are now questioning if they should have a baby. It is exciting to think of Nolan and Bailey having a kid. They would make great parents. However, is it the right time for them to make this significant change?