The Rookie Season 8 Owes This Underrated Character A Major Storyline

Throughout The Rookie’s run, there have been complicated plots that have pulled characters from all over the show’s universe into the mix, but one underrated steady character deserves another big arc after years of service. Throughout The Rookie season 7, it was clear that the major plots were consistently going to focus on the show’s core cast, but some had more to do than others.

The Rookie’s most recent season saw a lot from Tim Bradford (Eric Winter) and Lucy Chen (Melissa O’Neil), as well as from John Nolan (Nathan Fillion), Angela Lopez (Alyssa Diaz), and Nyla Harper (Mekia Cox), but only seemed to utilize some of the show’s larger personalities in smaller doses. While the core cast had the majority of storylines, other characters felt sidelined.

Bringing in Celina Juarez (Lisseth Chavez), Miles Penn (Deric Augustine), and Seth Ridley (Patrick Keleher) in as the rookies of the season, each in different phases of their journey in the FTO program, was an expected touch, but still saw one larger-than-life presence looming over the cast without truly getting their due. Wade Grey (Richard T. Jones) is often one of the more overlooked Rookie characters.

The Rookie’s Storylines Typically Revolve Around Patrol Cops

Grey Is The Watch Commander Of Mid-Wilshire

Although it makes sense from season to season, the way The Rookie’s stories revolve around patrol cops can sometimes become challenging to watch. Throughout the seasons, the scope of the show has changed considerably, moving from the original trio of rookies into a larger cast of characters. Still, the series has traditionally focused on weekly cases solved by the patrol cops.

While the patrol cops like Tim, Lucy, and Nolan can be interesting as they work through figuring out a case, it’s often difficult to balance the different plots happening all at once. Seeing each of the officers with their rookies can create some confusion if their plots are separate, especially in the way The Rookie has mapped out their stories in recent years.

Though Mid-Wilshire is the team’s home base, it can be difficult for three or more plots in an episode to consistently go back and forth between the station and the locations of their investigations. This means we frequently see scenes filmed on location or in other areas of the fictional Rookie version of LA, taking us away from the Mid-Wilshire station entirely.

Even so, the way that The Rookie has shaken things up in recent years has allowed the show to stand out in different ways. By amplifying some plots that have a more over-arching theme for the cast, others can fall to the wayside. Similarly, some characters can find themselves doing a bit less on screen, as they’re relegated to staying back at the station.

Lieutenant Grey Hasn’t Had A Big Storyline Since The Rookie Season 5

His Last Major Storyline Was Years Ago

Although Grey, who’s frequently featured in the more informational scenes of The Rookie, is often seen on screen, he hasn’t had much to do on his own in the last few years. Despite the fact that Grey’s wife, Luna Grey (Angel Parker), has become a bigger fixture on the show, his personal plots have almost completely fallen off from the show’s narrative.

The last time viewers saw Grey in action, featured in a story that impacted his own life significantly, was during The Rookie season 5. When Grey’s daughter, Dominique Grey (Jade Payton) is kidnapped while they’re visiting her in New York City, he and Luna use every resource at their disposal, even disobeying the NYPD in moments to get her back.

While Grey’s story with Dominique was quickly resolved within the episode, the intensity of the storyline was palpable and proved that he should be more heavily featured in his work on The Rookie. Instead of continuing to give Grey big plotlines, however, he’s since been relegated to more of a side character than a main piece of the overall show.

Grey is an important part of the Mid-Wilshire team, but his lack of personal stories is tough for viewers to grapple with. Rather than Grey having consistent personal or professional growth, he’s often treated as a hurdle to jump over or an authority figure to handle. The Rookie underutilizes the character consistently, relying on others to bring drama.

Grey Deserves Another Major Plot That Could Potentially Serve Others

The Show Traditionally Gives More Screentime To Guest Stars

While several stories that need to unfold within The Rookie season 8, giving Grey another big plot could impact him along with other characters on the show. Grey leading a story that’s personally or professionally impactful would ripple out to the officers at Mid-Wilshire, regardless of the subject matter. While some may feel investing time in Grey is less exciting, the repercussions would be worth it.

As The Rookie season 8 gets underway, viewers could see Grey as the center of attention in some way, especially knowing that there are others who have been promoted at Mid-Wilshire in the recent past. Grey, who was promoted to Lieutenant during The Rookie season 7, could have more responsibilities surrounding Chen’s recent promotion, which could lead for him to do more.

While Grey may be better suited for a storyline focused on a crime, bringing a personal element into the mix doesn’t usually hurt on The Rookie. Viewers have had the chance to see other characters have bigger arcs than Grey in recent seasons, like Oscar Hutchinson (Matthew Glave) or bumbling officer Smitty (Brent Huff). Giving a mainstay on The Rookie more of a story isn’t much to ask.

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