The Rookie (2018)
Film details
Crime · Drama · Comedy · Alexi Hawley
Synopsis
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 higher-ups who see him as just a walking midlife crisis.
Verdict
Police series with heroism and discipline, but with moderate harshness and ideological twists in advanced seasons.
In-depth analysis
The Rookie is situated on the moral and philosophical plane, exploring the tension between free will and responsibility in a context of natural law enforcement. John Nolan embodies ordinary heroism: a mature man who exercises his freedom towards the common good, defending order against chaos. The series values filiation and legitimate authority within the police force, presenting discipline as a path to personal maturation. However, it introduces surreptitious ideological contraband in later seasons, normalizing homosexual relationships and relativistic ethical dilemmas where compassion overrides objective justice. The violence, calibrated to TV-14, shows realistic shootings and pursuits without excessive gore, creating tension but not poisoning the soul. Sex is incidental, with romances and mild nudity that do not celebrate promiscuity. The language includes everyday profanity. At its anthropological core, it promotes human dignity through responsibility, but errs in social engineering by presenting bonds contrary to natural complementarity as normative. Absent of explicit transcendence, it leaves room for wonder at selfless sacrifice. For parents, it invites discernment: does it strengthen family roots or erode them with modern sentimentality? Its cheerful Chestertonian realism shines in episodes of redemption, but demands vigilance for integral human flourishing.