Pilot

This is what you get when you mix End of Watch with Nate Fillion: an entertaining look at the workplace of an LA cop with depth, reality, action and some winking. Plus with Melissa O'Neil we have two ex-spaceship captains we don't want to miss out on! I'm thrilled!

This one had been loitering on my watchlist for years, but seeing Nathan Fillion swagger in the latest Superman finally gave me the nudge. Having adored him in Castle, I was curious how he'd fare swapping quips for Kevlar. And honestly? He's still got it.

The Rookie kicks off with a slick, if slightly formulaic, pilot... part police procedural, part personal reinvention tale. Fillion plays John Nolan, a freshly minted LAPD rookie pushing 40, navigating police academy flashbacks and real-time first-day chaos. The premise sounds like it could tilt into cliché, but Fillion sells it with that trademark mix of sincerity and wry charm. He's not just playing older... he feels weathered, without being weighed down.

The ensemble cast shows promise too, even if some characters are still in blueprint phase. Eric Winter as the hotshot training officer has presence, and the show's tone strikes a confident balance between stakes and levity. Direction and pacing are tight, with just enough action to keep it engaging without drowning in dramatics.

Verdict: A solid, polished start - and Fillion makes it worth the belated watch.

Rating: 7.5/10 - and yes, I'm finally in.

In Foxburg, Pennsylvania, the constructor John Nolan has just divorced his wife and former sweetheart. He goes to the bank and meets the manager Stacy to open his safe deposit box. Out of the blue, there is a heist and John protects Stacy that presses the alarm and summons the police.

Nine months later, the forties Nolan leaves the academy and joins LAPD as a rookie with his colleagues Lucy Chen and Jackson West. Sergeant Wade Grey immediately does not like Nolan, believing that he is living a mid-life crisis. Talia Bishop, Tim Bradford and Angela Lopez are assigned as training officers of Nolan, Chen and West respectively that need to prove their value in the police department. But the life of a rookie is not easy in the LAPD...

"Pilot" is the first episode of "The Rookie" and indicates a promising series that entwines crime and drama. Nathan Fillion, from "Firefly", uses his life experience to improve his training with Afton Williamson, but he does not have experience in police business. The gorgeous Melissa O'Neil finds a tough TO performed by Eric Winter that seems that will make her life not easy in the police department. And Titus Makin Jr. Has the burden of being the son of the powerful officer. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): Pilot"

This show is about serious subject matters, such as crime, violence, racism, and the dangers of being a cop. However, in this first episode they bring up all of these themes, but in such a lazy way that it feels condescending. There's a real lack of identity and personality to this first episode. At times it feels like I'm not supposed to take any of it seriously, but at other times it feels like the show takes itself really seriously. The presentation is way off the mark, and makes for a slightly confusing watch. The music choice doesn't jive with me, personally, as I feel like it is a massive factor in the tone of the show being all over the place (no pun intended).

I was not impressed with this first episode. The bad writing sunk it. It's clear which characters we're supposed to like and which ones we're not -- because they are written as villains. Sadly, I didn't care about any of the characters as they were all stereotypes. The behavior of most of these officers would get them fired for countless violations of employment law.