As a cop, I never find shows about cops to be all that accurate. So, let's see what I think about the show The Rookie. I'll be scoring it on realism, officer conduct, tactics, and of course, entertainment. So, let's jump in. Hey, he's already ahead of the game. Most cops only work a few years and get their first divorce, so he'll go on having one under his belt. Right now, I'm just trying to remember to wear pants. You know, I thought I'd be relieved. Sharon I agreed to stay together until Henry went to college. I knew this was coming for 2 years. So, >> [sighs] >> what you always wanted to do? Uh Chippendales or the NFL. I'm not picky. I'm trying to help you, John. I bought a self-help book, but I had the cashier put it in a brown paper bag. Can't bring myself to open it. Who am I? When I figure it out, I'll let you know. The customer service at this bank is excellent. >> [music] >> Here we go. Get down! Takeover robberies like this are like very rare nowadays, uh especially with all the technology. The bank's keeping less cash on hand, um surveillance. So, this is pretty rare, but I will say that this incident here is reportedly a true story from William Norcross himself, who the show is based on, a 44-year-old construction worker from Pennsylvania who becomes an LAPD policeman. Now, how much of it actually went down like it's going to go down, I don't know, but at least the event itself is reported to be real. Down! Who's the bank manager? Come on. Get a move on, lady. Come on. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. YOU NEED TO GET DOWN NOW. >> TRACY, you okay? >> You want to die? No. That's ballsy, man. But, honestly, have I even really lived? I mean, Hit the buzzer, looks like. >> nothing that's happened to me. You know, I I met a girl, I fell in love, stick turned blue, so I dropped out of college, and I got a job. I I never really thought about what could have been, never pushed myself to be anything. This bank robbery is the most exciting thing This guy's like, "What the hell are you talking about?" It's exciting. It's not. the coppers. Hey, listen. >> quick. Not that you're in any position to judge. I mean, your life hasn't really turned out the way you wanted, has it? Unless you want to be bank robbers, in which case you're living the dream. I I'm just saying. What's my dream? Wow, good for you, local police. So, how it usually goes down is someone in the bank will hit a silent alarm. The police will be notified. There'll be a procedure on the books with the police department. They'll call the bank sometimes, and they'll have like a code word like, "Do you have a branch in Greenfield, Idaho?" or something like that. And depending on if it's a yes or a no, they know that it's real. So, some kind of procedure like that, then the cops would try to establish contact with the people inside. Uh running in and just blasting somebody, while awesome to watch, um feels a little Hollywood. I love Rookie Day. It's Christmas in the purge in one. And there's my first present. Morning, boot. Good morning. Who said I said you could talk? You better pray I'm not your training officer, boot, [music] cuz I'll make your life a living hell. Sir, I'd be thrilled to have you as a T.O. [music] My father raised me to push myself to the edge of my abilities. He'd be deeply disappointed if I failed to do so, not to have [music] joined them in service. Your father Commander West of Internal Affairs. >> [music] >> Yes, sir. Ooh. That he's got some juice. Pretty common in huge agencies like LAPD, legacy cadets or new officers. Their mom or dad was in the business, now they're in the business, so they pretty much get hips like that. >> Where you going, boot? Uh, locker room then roll call? Oh, no. You need to present yourself to the captain first. It's tradition. Anything going on here? >> Officer Nolan reporting for duty. Did you get punked, Officer Nolan? No, ma'am. I just >> Mhm. So, he got punked. Um, he should know better from the extensive and paramilitary style police academy he just went through. Also, I met some captains while I was working for the city and for LAPD and I did not see any of them in plain clothes. So, usually they're in uniform. Maybe she has court this day or something else going on, but I didn't see that. Penn State, pre-law. Nothing 20 years in construction. Now, you got solid marks at the academy. Certainly have a work ethic. Cholesterol level I've never seen in a rookie. I'm something of a pioneer. Fun side note, uh, when I did my police physical my cholesterol level was also >> [music] >> rated elevated. It wasn't high, but elevated becoming a cop, but interesting. It's interesting they even look at that. Do you think this is a joke? No, ma'am. I'm here to work and I won't let you down. We'll see. Roll call is in 5 minutes and the watch commander is a stickler. Officer Nolan, I'd run. Definitely run because 5 minutes is not even close to enough time to get a uniform on with the duty belt and the keepers and everything else you need. So, we're going to see a little Hollywood magic here with him arriving probably just on time. It's all right. All right. Down. It's okay. We got some new blood this morning. And some pushing the expiration date. Get up. After 6 months together in the academy, you've earned the right to be here, but you'll have to prove yourself to stay. Protocol and tradition are the metal from which [music] every cop in this city is forged. Understand? Yes, sir. True, LAPD is very into into tradition. Their uniforms are awesome. I love them personally. I love how they don't have patches on their sleeves usually. Very plain, very simple. They have that big sun badge that all the agencies around the country copied. So, it's a pretty badass place to work. So, let's play the training officer match game. Officer Bradford, [music] you get our hot shot. Officer Lopez, you get our legacy. Leaving Officer Bishop to ride with the 40-year-old rookie. Now, hear me. Today is your first day. Don't let it be your last. Forget the academy and listen to your TOs. LAPD runs their own academies and they do teach them the LAPD way. So, I mean, this is kind of a trope that a lot of veteran cops will tell new people, "Forget the academy. Now we're on the streets. You got to learn how things actually work." There's some truth to that, but I can't imagine an LAPD watch commander telling you to forget academy cuz a lot of that training is what will keep you alive. Enjoying your little adventure so far? Oh, yes, sir. >> I don't care. See, I don't like you, Officer Nolan. It's not personal. I hate what you represent. A walking midlife crisis. You see, the LAPD isn't a place for you to find yourself. And I believe if you succeed, my house will be flooded with middle-aged losers looking for some kind of eat, pray, love path to reinvention. Pretty hardcore, pretty hurtful. Um, but you know, hazing like this does go on. Stop hazing. It really depends on the person you're hazing because it is certainly against policy to do things like this, but um [music] you know, you're good unless the person cries to management. What the watch commander want? To wish me luck. Boot, this relationship is going to get off to a bad start if you lie to me. Sergeant Grey does not appear to be a fan of my presence in this department. Because you're old as hell? Look, I don't give a damn >> Looks like they have a less lethal shotgun, a normal shotgun, and of course the body cam, which we all love. I want to know if you're going to be a speed bump on my path to chief of police. >> No, ma'am. Six months ago I packed everything I own into a U-Haul, moved here to become a cop. I got to work Quite the lobby they got there. three times as hard, so I'm going to make you look good. Pretty sure that's a Hollywood set. I'm told partners are supposed to have a special bond. We're not partners. This is your shop. Do not call it a car. This is where you work. First, you check the exterior for damage. >> scrapes, or dents, [music] log them in. Has the suspect left anything? I like this scene right here because it reminds me of Adam-12, that old police show that so many people saw and actually became LAPD policemen because of. I actually did the did a background on a guy who grew up watching that show. He was also older and wanted to be a cop because of that show. So, LAPD does kind of open themselves up to TV shows and movies and stuff cuz it really does actually help kind of carry on their legendary status and get them recruits. So, how do you want to do this? Show me what you got. Police, open up. Sir. Hello. Call about a disturbance. You all right, ma'am? She's fine. So, you should leave. Trying to make weight? Why? Used to wrestle a little bit in college. I see the plastic sticking out of your sweat suit. Nothing my girlfriend hated more than when I was trying to make fighting weight. Like my misery was contagious, you know what I mean? Yeah. Yeah, I'll give you a few tips if you like. Probably better the wife doesn't hear, right? Okay, kind of corny, [music] but he's trying to be personable with the guy, trying to get the two parties separated. He is a large man, but um pretty corny. Police! Ma'am, we got a call about a possible burglary in process. I believe it's burglary in progress. I don't think people say process anywhere, but maybe. So, why do you want to be a cop? >> Is this a trick question? You want me to train you, I need to know why you're in this car. Okay. Um my parents are both therapists, so I spent my childhood talking about my feelings. I've been shot! >> What? >> Where are you, boot? >> What? >> I'm bleeding to death. You have to call for help. Where are you? So, this is something that is done um with some field trainers. It could the how intense your field trainer is kind of depends on the agency you're at, but larger agencies that have more paramilitary approach do do this stuff. They'll stop the car suddenly, where are we? I'm bleeding out, you have to call for help. Just to kind of make the boot be aware of their surroundings all the time and be able to know where they are. So, [music] yes to this. Where are you? Um I Now, I'm dead. It's your fault. Get out. What? Get out and walk. You can get back in when you know where you are. I have heard of this happening to people before. >> more times than I can count. I heard >> is always the same. When he hits you, press charges. If you don't, eventually he'll kill you. You got it wrong. My husband just likes to aggravate. Most of the time he's a block of wood, emotionally speaking. I push his buttons just to rile him up. Hey, you can't take things out on her, no matter how much he pushes your buttons. >> Yeah, she's the one who throws down. So, That girl's got a crazy temper. Meaning what? That she hits you? No, no, she she she knows better than that. We good out here? Yeah. So, I I do like they went with this angle cuz this kind of thing does happen if you have a female who like they call a button pusher and just riles the male up till he can't take it. That is a thing with domestic, so it is interesting they took that that take. I think some some good writing and research there. Now, finish your story. Why you became a cop. Here, I'll do it for you. You wanted to piss off your parents for making you an emotional science experiment. Do not beep at the police. I have an honest question for you. Were you grown in a petri dish of stupid? I don't pull that crap with me. Aren't you fancy? Tell him that it's immigrants like them that make Americans like you look bad. If it was up to me, we'd send them all back by catapult. Officer Chen, a word? Do I strike you as a man who means what he says? Yes, sir. seem laid back to you? Wishy-washy in any way? No, sir. I don't says. You're slipping the script. Everything is a test, Officer Chen, you just got another ref. This guy is pretty intense. I think she got the short straw with field trainers here. Um, so typically you would never shut off your body cam until a motor vehicle stop or the investigation is done. It really depends where you work. Some departments allow for you to mute the audio or [music] pause the camera if you're having a private conversation or talking about something that doesn't have to do with the investigation. Yeah, and the things he said to those guys, yeah. Putting yourself out there a bit, bud. Even if you don't mean it and you're just trying to prove a point, you still said it to some citizens. Now we're talking. I just want to say I did live in Los Angeles for a couple years and these calls we're seeing of course are have a Hollywood twist but all of them could and probably have happened just like you're seeing. Like this guy right here in Hollywood, that literally happened while we lived there. We lived in Los Feliz, this wasn't far from Hollywood and some guy was like smashing cars up and going insane. So, the show is, you know, obviously a written show not based on all real events but it's a major city. These things actually do happen. Get in there. Okay, great. We can help you with that. We just need you to get down off the You're trying to trick me. You don't want me to find him. Sir, I can handle unicorns, all right? This is what we train for. I just need you to get off the car and give me a description so we can find him. Exactly. Yeah, just jump down. Put the bat down right there. Excellent. Perfect. What's your name? What's your name? Go get him, Boo. Old fashioned foot pursuit. I think this is the Walk of Fame in Hollywood, but they showed them going into Mid-Wilshire division. So, I think pretty sure this would be a call for the Hollywood division, not for their division, but that's just a small just a small quibble. >> [music] >> Where is the gold briefcase? You have to let me go. You know what you're doing. You know what you're doing. You know what you're doing. I have to find him. I have to find him. Welcome to the arrest. So, this guy would be what they call in California a 5150, which is an involuntary committal to a hospital because he clearly seems like he's out of his mind and also he will face any charges like destruction of all that property and whatever else he did. Lucas, who needs you? Lucas, I can't find him. Please, look over me. All right, this is Officer Bishop. Yes, ma'am, I'm with [music] your husband now. Slow down. Who's Lucas? Sir, where is your boy? I only left him in the car for a minute. Unicorn has to That car's going to be an oven. We got to find that unicorn. Be advised, suspect vehicle is a gray Corolla. >> There's just got to be a better way of doing this than just driving around. >> We got an airship and six cars working a grid pattern. >> This is a nice thing about working in a big city. All the big city cops have access to airships, like she said, and tons of assets to try to find a a missing kid. Oh, unicorns. I like the body cam stuff they put in. Hello. Glass breaker. Yeah, car windows are tougher than you think and a baton can go through them, but it's much more efficient to use a glass breaker. Does beg the question why that guy would have a little kid with him in like a seemingly normal car and be going to a a toy store, um, especially when he has like seems like he's married, like why did you let him take the kid? If he has history of this stuff or is this the first time mental breakdown? Little weird. Man, my heart is still pounding. You feeling good about yourself? Shouldn't I be? You stopped thinking, kept trying to open a car door even after you knew it was locked, used the wrong tool to try and break the window. Those last seconds didn't matter this time, but they may in the future. So, celebrate the victory, but recognize you got work to do. It's a realish moment, you know, a little debriefing with your training officer after an incident like that and she's not wrong, you know, you get such a huge adrenaline rush in the first few emergencies you go to that it is hard to think clearly and and do everything as quickly as possible. So, that seemed pretty good. It's the first [music] day. First day. After shift drinks absolutely goes down, especially when you're new, form that bond with the guys you work with, guys and gals, sorry. And, um, yeah, called, uh, choir practice. Your punishment. Are you going to tell me what it is? More of a show you kind of guy. Ghost head. No, no, hold up a minute. So, it looks like they just experienced a handoff right there on the sidewalk. That's what it looks like. Yo, this is harassment. What? No, it's just good customer service. Kind of like a frequent flyer program for dirt bag drug dealers. Search him, boot. Turn around. Grab the wall. Make me. Boot. Keep your hands up, Chen. Don't let him get on top of you. So, there is a certain amount of baptism by fire when you're a cop and even when you're in field training. The field training officer is going to let you get exposed to everything that he can, but he's really not going to put you in like like severe danger or let it go too far. So, this obviously is insane. Um you know, boots get hazed and they get put in situations and made to be exposed to things obviously, but um just straight up causing a fight to happen one-on-one uh with your trainee and then standing there and watching it. That's way over the top. Of course, this is Hollywood, so this little tiny lady has no problem just beating up this thug and cuffing him on her own. Call in a backup and airship. 7 out of 19 shows code 6 on bolo suspect. Need backup and airship. They got him. Step it up. >> You stay here till we clear them from that car. LAPD, gentlemen. Step away from the car and show me your hands. Is there a problem, officer? There will be if you don't show me those hands. Now! Okay. Last I knew, the door paneling of LAPD police cruisers do have bulletproof inserts to kind of try to take cover behind. Just side note there. 7 Adam 19, officers down. Shots fired. In the alley at Selby and Clinton. I repeat, officer down. The most terrifying call to get on the radio is officer in need of assistance. Cops rip to those, get there as quick as you can. So, we have a classic rifle versus handgun here. Rifle wins every time. High capacity, much more powerful rounds, and easier to shoot and easier to hit your target. You good? Yeah. Cover me. I'll cover him. Nolan, wait. [music] Oop, disobeying your training officer. Going to get a little slap for that one. Exploded in flame? >> Officer Webb, get out there AND COVER ME. I THINK HE'S FREAKING OUT. GARRETT, GET YOUR HANDS up or I'm going TO GET THE SUSPECT. HE'S FREAKING OUT. I MEAN, it happens. No one really knows how you're going to react or what you're going to do when you're taking fire, and this kid is brand new. So, [music] it's not that surprising. Mark, I can't DO THAT. I CAN'T DO THAT. >> [screaming] >> WE ARE IN THIS MOMENT TOGETHER. All right? He's in with me. >> is going to change both of our lives. Look, I became a cop to help people, not kill them. But if you hurt her, I will pull this trigger, and you will die. I'll see your face every time I close my eyes, but you'll never see anything ever again. Very dramatic. Very corny. But we shall continue. Here's what we're going to do. I'm going to lower my gun, and you're going to let her go, okay? Nice and easy. Lower that knife. Nice and easy. You're going to let her go. I'm lowering my Okay. >> [laughter] >> That was way over the top. Just like one-hand shot, not even raising the sights up, hits him in the leg. Um very difficult shot to do and just wouldn't happen. Bishop, PUT YOUR HANDS BEHIND YOUR BACK. Call it in, Officer Nolan. Suspect in custody, code four. A tender moment. Somebody's noticing that. So, that was episode one of The Rookie. Let's see how it scores. I'll be generous and give it a seven out of 10 for realism. They did get some of the training components right and some of the things officers are exposed to, but I I don't know about the frequency of the way they showed it. Like that many traumatic events stacked back-to-back-to-back. I mean, they're not going to show a cop just sitting around in his cruiser waiting for a call. So, um that was of course had a a sprinkling of Hollywood, but yeah, I'll stick with seven out of 10. For officer conduct, of course, they have to make it more dramatic than [music] it might be in real life. Like you're not just going to like expose your a trainee to possibly getting beat up or like set up a fight for them with the some guy doing a drug handoff. So, and there's other parts of it that were just kind of over the top like the the the um watch commander going after the star of the show so harshly. So, for that, I'm going to give it a two out of 10. As for officer tactics, keeping in mind this is a TV production, I it was pretty good. I mean, they have a consultant on the show, the actual guy that this show is based on, um William Norcross. So, he he helps out with like uniform appearance and and some other procedural stuff, how cops would handle it. And that stuff was pretty good. Um like I said, there is there is some poetic license there because it is Hollywood and we'll have to keep in mind that they are rookies also. So, I'd give it a seven out of 10. And lastly, for entertainment, I liked it. I thought it was a good show. I mean, it's corny in places, but it kind of gets away with it. It's got a pretty good storyline. It's It's fun to watch. I was getting into it while I reviewed it. I've never actually seen the show before and I was actually surprised that it was pretty enjoyable. I'm just not one of those cops that watches like cop TV shows, so I'd never been exposed to it, but yeah, seven out of 10, not bad. So, this puts The Rookie in spot number one of Sergeant Steve uh recommendation board for TV and entertainment. Spot number one of one because it's the first one I've done. Thanks for joining me on this video, guys. Please like, subscribe, comment below. Let me know what you think. If you want me to do more reviews like this, I'm more than happy to do it. And don't forget to hit that bell notification so you know when the next video has dropped. And also, check out the Things Police Podcast where I interview the men and women of law enforcement about their most intense, bizarre, and sometimes humorous moments on the job. Available everywhere you get podcasts and the link to the YouTube channel is in the show notes. Thanks, guys, and I'll see you next time.