In May of last year, the season finale of “The Rookie” left off with a huge cliffhanger where the Mid-Wilshire crew went out of the country in order to follow a fiery case. After being left in suspense for eight months, viewers finally got to start the new season on Jan. 7 with 42-minute episodes following each week on Tuesday. Going into the new season with high expectations after watching the previous six, I have found that, so far in its airing, there are many things to love about season seven of “The Rookie”—from the writing to the acting.

Originally, “The Rookie” started with three new rookies arriving in the LAPD—the main character being a 40-something man who decided a change in course was due after being divorced and experiencing a bank robbery. The show then followed the three through their new lives as they figured out the ways of being a police officer, and since that first season, they have dealt with the absence of important characters and the process of advancement in the department. With six seasons under its belt, “The Rookie” left off with the case that took the crew to Guatemala along with the prison escape of notorious serial killer Oscar Hutchinson and master-manipulator Jason Wyler. Going into the seventh season, which takes place only a few weeks after the events of season six, the main character and one of the original rookies, John Nolan, played by Nathan Fillion, is put under major stress with Wyler, Nolan’s wife’s crazy ex-husband, being at large along with Hutchinson, who has been a pain for Nolan since his appearance on the show. While Hutchinson is mostly just along for the ride, Wyler has plans to go after both Nolan and his wife. To top it all off, two new rookies arrive to the station as a serial killer is caught and another is revealed to be at large.

Personally, I think that “The Rookie,” throughout its seven years of being on the air, has done a really good job at being socially aware. It has done phenomenally at tackling issues in the real world—such as racism and police injustice—along with focusing on the bad reputation that police officers have gotten in recent years, without making things sound cheesy and overdone. Instead, all the issues and responses sound real, which is something I always enjoy in any form of media. There is always some type of conflict that needs to be resolved in any form of media, but sometimes people tend to roll their eyes and have that “oh, brother” moment because something is over-exaggerated or dramatized. In season seven so far, I think the writers have done a really good job at showing how much the characters on the force truly care about what they’re doing and helping the community.

Another part of the writing I think has been done really well is that the show has  well-thought-out storytelling throughout all the seasons, especially this season. “The Rookie” has always had a lot going on, but in a good way. This season, it feels like there is something new every episode—including various attacks by different forces. While sometimes this can be seen as annoying and overbearing, I think that it has been executed really well so far, and most of the things can be seen tying together. While serving Mid-Wilshire is hectic, the characters aren’t always focused on just one thing. Because of that, it is more realistic than just having one focus the entire season, in my opinion, and this is something the show has done well in all its season so far.

Given six previous seasons, there is a lot of time to build up various storylines and relationships between characters, and I think that exploring some of those in the newest season has been done really well. Each relationship, whether platonic or romantic, has been deeper explored thus far in the newest season. Whether it is insecurity or actual actions coming into play, every relationship has gone farther and more in-depth. Personally, my favorite relationship this season is the friendship between Angela Lopez, played by Alyssa Diaz, and Nyla Harper, played by Makia Cox. The two training-officers-turned-detectives have grown extra close over the seasons, and I’ve been really happy to see them continue on with their friendship by going to each other for advice and always working together on their detective cases and even just joking around with each other. I also really enjoy the written relationship building of Tim Bradford, played by Eric Winter, and Lucy Chen, played by Melissa O’Neal. The two have had a whirlwind relationship throughout all seasons, starting from when Chen was a rookie with Bradford as her training officer. I think that after the most recent season, watching as their relationship was tested, causing it to change drastically, it’s been really fun to watch how they play out working with each other now. 

While these relationships were written well, I don’t think that they could really be as enjoyable without the actors’ capabilities. Every actor on this show has done an amazing job stepping into their characters, so it’s hard to pick between them all. If I had to choose, though, I would say that Diaz and Cox seem to very easily step into the friendship their characters have while also showing their individual qualities as they deal with their own issues in their lives—like issues with their husbands. As for Winter and O’Neal, they have undeniable chemistry when they are together that makes their characters’ relationship easy to root for. The two are also really talented when it comes to showing instead of telling. There are many times throughout the season where the two have shown the epiphanies they experience without just speaking their feelings. 

So far, this newest season of “The Rookie” hasn’t disappointed in the slightest. Although there is a lot going on, it’s extremely entertaining and keeps viewers on their toes. From the writing to the acting, this show really satisfies me as a fan who has loved all the seasons that have come before this. Coming off both a cliffhanger and a bye week, I can’t wait for the next episode, or the rest of the season for that matter, to see where the characters end up. Even though the show is not necessarily a short one, I think it is definitely worth the watch because of its good balance and mixture of drama and action. Overall, I would definitely recommend this series to anyone who is looking for a good show to indulge in. For existing fans, this new season is a great way to keep the love for “The Rookie” alive, and for anyone who hasn’t watched yet, season one is a great place to start.