Thanksgiving is usually a happy occasion for many people. For some, however, it just might be the worst day of their lives. The dad and his daughter can attest to this.
For those who had thanksgiving plans, they are halted on The Rookie: Feds Season 1 Episode 8. Simone’s twins visit their mother and grandfather, and Wesley is held hostage while working. This prompts Angela to intervene in the FBI negotiations.
Brendon and Laura’s thanksgiving is like any other day. They spend it in the office after Brendon turns down a Hollywood party.
Someone needs to drag Garza out of that building, kicking and screaming, if he so wishes. That man has zero social interactions. If he Is not working, he is preparing to work. He is lucky to have Elena around to roast him and point out the mistakes he’s making with his life.
There wasn’t much interaction between my favorite duo because we got a kidnapping and a hostage situation.
Coming off the high of a nuclear threat on The Rookie: Feds Season 1 Episode 7, this installment felt like a continuation. The stakes are always high in many cases they handle, but this one felt a little extra because a child’s life was on the line.
Novak is insane, and there isn’t a doubt that he would kill the child if need be.
We also got a treat of a mini-crossover with characters from The Rookie.
It is so typical of Wesley to go above and beyond when working. Novak is smart, so he agrees to do the deal when everyone is out of the office. This would allow them to escape with little to no casualties involved.
His problem was that he overestimated himself. Or maybe it’s because of his blind spots he didn’t think someone like Simone could be fed.
It was surprising when he agreed to let the man who was shot out and even gave him the option to make a choice. He might not be a good person, but he is a good boss. I half-expected him to shoot the guy and be done with it.
Often, first responders and cop shows paint technology as a bad thing. And in all honesty, it can be.
This episode reminded me of one in 9-1-1 when an ex-nanny used a nanny cam to spy on a kid. The kid was called Katy, I believe.
Technology, in this instance, helped. The nanny cam in the doll made all the difference. Otherwise, they may have never found the kid.
Also, having and listening to young people on your team cannot be overstated. Brendon has helped the team in countless ways in the many cases they have handled by just knowing the current world and its technology.
Dad: … it has a nanny cam maybe that could help us find her
Laura: Do you have access to the feed?
Dad: No. it’s set up to connect to the Wi-Fi router back at home.
Brendon: Max reach is like four or five hundred feet. But if we could mimic the home Wi-Fi we drive around the right neighborhood, we could find it.
There is no way Simone or Carter, or even Garza could have gotten the idea to spoof the WiFi the cam is used to connect to. They would need an IT guy to follow them around.
Angela Lopez is no stranger to kidnappings and hostage situations. She has been through it when pregnant with Jackson.
It was a little different then because she was the one whose life was in danger, and I think she would prefer that instead of Wesley. She is a trained detective and can handle herself.
It is understandable why she was impatient with the unit. She felt like she was of more use in the active efforts to save the hostages than she was standing there and listening to the FBI bow to every demand by Novak.
Simone: I checked the security login. There are two deputies and three employees being held. One is Wesley Evers.
Garza: I know him. His wife is Angela Lopez. She’s a detective.
Simone: We gotta tell her.
Carter: That may not be a good idea.
Lopez: Too bad. I already know.
Every chain has a weak link. A chain is as strong as its weakest link. So goes teams.
The strongest link in Novak’s team was Novak, and the weakest link was the kid Simone manipulated.
I would love to dive into this kid’s backstory. The only thing we knew was that he lived with his mother.
Simone turned on that Simone charm, and the moment that happened, the kid was done for. She could grasp what he feared the most and run with it until he broke. He used a lot of willpower, but few people can reject Simone’s charm.
Simone: I can’t see your face, but I can see your eyes. They tell a story.
Kid: What kind of story?
Simone: That you’re kind. And young.
The episode served a tense moment after another. It was terrifying when Simone was outnumbered, but the rescue team breached in time.
Novak being captured was underwhelming. Was this how a self-confident criminal like him was going to go down? Because of a kid?
Lucky for him, he had another kid in the cards. But not for long because the Laura-Brendon team is the best.
Never trust cops and the district attorney.
Cops will twist your words or add a catch to use you a little longer. And they are surprised when people don’t trust them? The kid only wanted a reduced sentence, an apartment, and a Maserati. That wasn’t too much to ask for. He helped; give him his deal.
Only one person knows that Brendon is an alcoholic.
He might have told Laura that he didn’t feel like he fit in with the Hollywood clique anymore because of what he has experienced, and I think it might be true.
Running towards danger, saving entire cities and, more importantly, lives beats sitting around guilting each other for not “helping save the planet by eating plant-based diets,” or “having pronouns in bio,” or even “who slept with who to get a role” am I right?
It is not a huge stretch to imagine that he avoids that scene because of alcohol. Hollywood parties are legendary — so I’ve heard — and there has never been a legendary party without a good dose of alcohol.
Carter learning that his ex-wife was now dating is a wake-up call to him. He needs to get out there as soon as possible, or he is doomed to stay solo.
Elena: What are you watching?
Carter: It’s my ex-wife’s Thanksgiving.
Elena [looking at the phone]: Oh, he’s into her and she likes him enough to post it.
Garza [clears throat]: mmmmh hhhm!
Elena: or, I could be wrong.
Simone’s talk with her daughter was honestly refreshing. Shows have started exploring the idea of parents letting kids choose what they want to do with their lives instead of pushing them to university courses to pursue degrees they don’t like or even need.
Walker has explored this to a great degree.
Everyone in the unit could have used a place to be for thanksgiving, and Simone inviting them was very considerate of her. She seems to be the only one with a stable relationship with her family and friends.
Should Carter get out there and meet someone new?
WILL THE KID REALLY GET A MASERATI?
It is always interesting to see your reactions and comments on the events in the episode, so don’t hesitate to leave a comment about what you think.
Catch a new episode of The Rookie: Feds on Tuesday at 10 pm ET on ABC.
It is yours to watch The Rookie: Feds online anytime right here on TV Fanatic.
Denis Kimathi is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. He has watched more dramas and comedies than he cares to remember. Catch him on social media obsessing over [excellent] past, current, and upcoming shows or going off about the politics of representation on TV. Follow him on Twitter.