The Rookie

Hello?

Officer Nolan, this is Detective Nyla Harper.

I'm your new training officer.

My... Great!

Um, I'm sorry, did you say "detective"?

Yeah. Isn't that a little unusual for...

I thought we should get a drink,

size each other up a bit before shift tomorrow.

Meet me at Third Strike. 20 minutes.

Third Strike. Okay, got it.

I'm gonna... I'm gonna need like 30.

20, or I'm gone.

Oh, uh, okay.

Um...

I'm meeting someone here, a Nyla Harper.

Um...

I'll grab a draft when you got a minute.

Let me guess. First date?

Worried she's not gonna show?

Oh, no, no. I wouldn't bring a first date here.

No offense.

Oh, none taken.

I am meeting someone, though.

My, um... My TO.

My training officer.

I'm a rookie. LAPD.

You're a rookie? Yeah.

Mid-life career change.

Oh. Good for you. Thanks.

You wouldn't happen to see her, did you,

someone probably just checking her watch,

looking annoyed? Maybe.

I-I don't really pay attention

to people sitting at the bar.

So, why the change?

Hmm.

Uh, you know, uh,

sometimes life just gives you a nudge.

For me, it was a divorce,

my son moving off to college,

and an ill-timed trip to the bank.

Makes sense.

Wife left you, kid left you.

Nothing like a gun in hand

to make you feel powerful again.

No, that's not why at all.

Are there maybe some other customers

that could use your help?

You're her. You're my TO.

Took you long enough.

Wow. Okay.

Why the game?

Wanted to see if you could play.

So, if it wasn't about your gun,

why do you want the badge?

Well, because when people are having their worst day,

I want to be there, try to help make it right.

Oh, God, you're one of those.

One of what? A guardian.

There are two kinds of cops, Officer Nolan...

There are Warriors and Guardians.

One's a hunter, the other's a nurturer.

One is only alive when they're in the fight.

The other is happy to clock out after 12.

One is worth my time.

The other is not.

That went well.

I don't understand.

So, she's a detective,

but she's coming back to patrol?

Is that allowed?

Well, it's not unheard of.

Actually, I've never heard of it.

Lucky me.

Well, I've been through a lot of TO mind games,

and it's really not that bad.

All you need to remember is

be absolutely perfect at all times. Thanks.

Look, seriously, you are a great cop.

You just need to keep being a great cop,

and she'll see that.

Oh, Rachel.

Uh, I'll see you guys in there.

Hey! Hi!

Happy birthday!

Thank you!

It's... It's your birthday? Yeah!

And I am spending it doing what I love...

Picking up juvenile contact reports.

I got your gift.

How do you always find the perfect thing?

Mm, just six months of scouring

every used book store in Los Angeles.

I tracked down a copy of "Aeronautics Through the Ages."

Sounds like a page turner.

Well, my grandfather did the illustrations.

He was obsessed with planes.

When I was a kid,

we spent every weekend at local airfields.

Well, until security crackdowns.

Anyway, um, I should get to work.

We still on for Friday?

Yeah.

I'll pick you up at 8:00.

Happy birthday.

Thanks.

Whatever you're about to say, don't.

We have a new Training Officer joining us this morning,

Detective Nyla Harper.

Nyla?

What's up? You're late for roll call.

Oh, that's still a thing? Take a seat.

As I was saying, Detective Harper just completed

four years of undercover work.

She has volunteered to bring

her wealth of experience to the FTO program.

Officer Nolan, I'm sure you'll learn a lot.

Looking forward to it, sir.

If you need anything, ask Lopez and Bradford.

They'll bring you up to speed.

Yes, sir.

Alright, that's it. Be safe out there.

Hey. Angela Lopez.

Hi. He's Bradford.

Surprised to see a detective volunteer as a TO.

Most would see it as a step backward.

While clearly, you've never moved forward.

I get the appeal, though... Surround yourself with kids

who don't know enough to see through your bull.

Look, solid policing is anything but bull.

Whereas cops like you spend so much time over the edge

you don't even know where the line is.

Don't get your panties in a bunch, handsome.

I'm not saying you're not tough.

I'm just saying you're not me.

I love her so much.

Thank you. You're welcome.

What's all this? Our gear.

Ticket book? You're not gonna need that.

Or that. Or this.

Okay, well, Sergeant Grey likes to see two citations a week.

Grey's not your TO.

Give me an AR-15

with PVS-14 night vision and a laser sight.

You're AR certified?

Card's on file.

Coming up.

You really think we're gonna need an AR-15?

Sure hope so.

L-Look, um, about last night.

I-I really don't understand the ruse.

If you wanted to know why I wanted to be a cop,

you could have just asked me, and I would have told you.

I wanted to see who you were

when you weren't kissing your new TO's ass.

And I found out you can't be trusted.

Because I want to help people?

Because you started spilling secrets

to a complete stranger.

What if that waitress had a brother in the Rolling 60s

who would just love to smoke an off-duty cop?

I didn't think of that. Clearly.

Okay, look, I'm sorry. That won't happen again.

You obviously have a wealth of experience.

And I'm looking forward to learning everything you have to teach.

Oh, I won't be teaching you.

You're my training officer.

Which earns me a 5% pay bump.

Whether you learn or not.

I know you're probably worrying about

what to get Rachel.

Don't.

You are riding with the world's best gift-giver.

So let's start brainstorming.

What are you thinking about getting her?

Nothing.

It's her birthday.

We've been dating for two weeks.

If I get her something, it'd be weird.

So, you just wished her happy birthday,

and now you're done?

Yep.

Okay.

Maybe I should get her something small.

Broken taillight.

Which he clearly can't afford to fix.

Ah, look, she barely stopped.

She could have caused an accident.

But she didn't.

Is this why you became a cop, Five Percent?

To harass hard-working people just trying to get by?

Doesn't sound very guardian-like to me.

No, ma'am, but Sergeant Grey likes to see 2, 2, and 2...

Two citations, two misdemeanors, and two felony arrests a week.

Yeah, we won't be doing that.

And if he fires us?

I can't get fired.

I have a golden ticket.

Like in "Willy Wonka"?

Like in the LAPD.