The Rookie

Everything was actually going fine until we hit the nuns.

- You assaulted a nun? - No, no.

The suspect I was chasing...

made a beeline for a group of nuns.

A gathering... is it a flock of nuns?

I know it's not a murder of nuns.

- Ow! - Sorry.

Tell me the truth. Do I look like a porcupine?

You don't not look like a porcupine.

Officer Nolan, focus.

We split up. I came back with a suspect,

and you came back with a new hairdo and empty cuffs.

Yes. As I was saying... ow... the nuns slowed me down,

allowing the suspect to get away, jumping over a fence.

How many times have I told you not to hop a fence

without knowing what's on the other side?

- Enough that I shouldn't have done it? - Mm-hmm.

But he was getting away,

so I just... I just... I went over.

And landed headfirst on a cactus.

No, no.

First, I had to get away from the dog.

The cactus was over the second fence.

This is really the lowest point

in my rookie experience, isn't it?

Hey.

I'm looking for Officer John Nolan?

That's me.

You've been served.

Thanks. Wait. What?

No. I'd say this is the lowest point.

Hey. Heard you're officially a cop now.

Got hit with your first lawsuit.

Oh, it's ridiculous.

This guy says I dislocated his shoulder

pushing past him in a pursuit.

I-I don't think I even touched him.

And now he wants fifty thousand to settle.

Don't take it personally. Being sued's part of the job.

It's why we're required to have liability insurance.

Union assign a lawyer yet?

Yeah. Some guy named Simon Parks.

You're lucky. Guy's a legend.

Saved my ass a couple times.

He's a cranky old S.O.B., but he gets the job done.

You've got nothing to worry about.

- What's going on? - IA arrested Jenkins.

The Robbery Homicide detective?

Yeah.

Why?

All right. Grab a seat.

See, look, it's never a good day

when one of your own gets arrested.

I'm sure you have questions.

Commander West from IA is here to answer.

- Commander? - Thank you, Sergeant.

After an extensive investigation,

we found clear evidence that, ten years ago,

Detective Jenkins lied on the witness stand.

Because of his lies, an innocent woman

was convicted of murder in the first.

She's been in jail this whole time?

Yes. Samantha Bennett. She was released two days ago.

In addition to charging Jenkins with perjury,

we've placed him on the Brady List.

Uh, what is the Brady List?

Uh, it's a record of law enforcement officers

who've withheld exculpatory evidence...

It's a list of dirty cops.

IA has reviewed all of Jenkins' past convictions.

Of them, three others were deemed suspect enough

to warrant the release of those felons.

But you're not sure those three are innocent.

No, but their convictions were overturned.

When this gets out, every lawyer in town

is gonna want to get a Jenkins conviction overturned.

That's tomorrow's problem.

Today, protocol dictates

that we make voluntary contact with these released felons.

So, Lopez and West, you will talk to Samantha Bennett.

Bradford, Chen, you got Max Kegel,

who was doing 25 to life for drug trafficking.

And, Bishop and Nolan, take Terry Wright,

who was in for armed robbery and attempted murder.

If you observe anything actionable,

send it up to Major Crimes.

And what if we don't see anything actionable?

Leave it alone.

Observe, report. That's it.

All right. Be safe out there.

Oh. My lawyer's here.

Hmm. You're lucky to be getting Simon Parks.

He's been doing this for 40 years.

Can't beat that kind of experience.

- Officer Nolan? - Yes?

I thought we should meet before this afternoon's arbitration.

Go over the game plan, answer any questions you might have.

Great. Uh, who are you?

Y-Your lawyer. Simon Parks Junior.

Oh, I-I thought...

You thought I was my father.

Believe me, I know I have some big shoes to fill,

but I'm excited to get started on my first case with you.

The oldest Boot paired with the youngest lawyer.

Sounds like a match made in heaven.

Right? Now, as far as your role in today's mediation goes,

less is more.

They will try to get under your skin,

so let me do the talking.

And 2:00 is 2:00, so don't be late.

- Right. - Um,

let me know if you have any questions, okay?

Did he say "first case"?

Mm-hmm.

So, you and your mother finally make up,

and now you're giving me the cold shoulder?

No. I, um... things have just been really crazy.

Oh, too crazy to respond to texts? Return phone calls?

Yeah. I'm sorry. I've just been focused

on the job and the exam.

What I know is that you're not ready to have a man-to-man

about what's going on with you,

but I expect you to be by end of day.

So come find me when you're ready.

What was that about?

Nothing.

Hey, um, do you remember, uh, that felon Oscar

from the prison bus crash?

Stole a car, tried to run us over? That Oscar?

Yeah. Um, when I was booking him,

he told me some stories about my dad.

What kind of stories?

That he was my dad's CI back in the day.

Said that my dad used to give him intel

in exchange for turning a blind eye.

Lots of cops do that.

Yeah, he also said that my dad

planted a gun on him.

Got him sent away for life.

Let me guess. Oscar insisted he was innocent.

No. He said he was guilty, but no one could prove it.

- So my dad crossed the line. - I don't believe it.

Your dad is the straightest arrow I've ever met...

besides you.

No, no. I understand. Okay. Thank you. Bye.

Well, the union says I can't switch lawyers.

They said, and I quote, "You get what you get,"

which is exactly what I said to my son

when he wouldn't eat his peas.

He's a lawyer, Officer Nolan, not a fish.

You can't just throw him back

because you think he's too small.

Thought I might be seeing police at some point.

Oh, we're just checking in on you

after your unexpected recent release.

What, five years into a 20-year sentence

for attempted murder and armed robbery?

It's a miracle. The man upstairs looking out for me.

- Huh. - Mind telling us what you've

been doing since you got back into town?

Of course. Moved back in with my old lady here,

been eating way too much fast food.

Soon as I get the old van up and running,

I'm gonna start looking for work.

Right.

You look familiar. Are you...

Don't I know you from somewhere?

With your rap sheet, I'm sure we've crossed paths.

I used to run with this kid named Dylan.

I think you know him.

Doesn't ring a bell.

You must have me mixed up with somebody else.

Okay.

Do yourself a favor, Mr. Wright.

You've been given a rare second chance.

Take advantage of it. Stay out of trouble.

Yes, ma'am.

So what do you think?

That he's gonna be trouble.

Why all the extra shifts?

Why not? I've got hours to fill when I'm not studying.

Yeah, but don't you need time off to recharge?

What do you do to unwind?

Work out. And don't tell me, "If it has 'work'"

in the title, it can't be relaxing."

It's true. You need a hobby,

something you do for fun.

No, I don't.

Mr. Kegel, I hear you've had a bit of bad luck

since you got out of prison.

Tell me about it.

Eight years of prison food without as much as the runs,

and one bad bowl of clams lands me in the hospital.

Mr. Kegel, I'm sure that your recent release

has brought up some strong emotions.

Only good ones.

Hell, I thought I'd never get to consummate this marriage.

Alicia and I were, uh, pen pals.

She wrote to me in prison for a year before we got hitched.

Huh. I've always wondered about women marrying guys in prison.