#The Rookie Season 3 Episode 14 Review: Threshold

I was enthusiastic about watching The Rookie Season 3 Episode 14. I expected to be excited when it ended.

And there was plenty of solid storytelling to enjoy.

Lucy’s undercover operation was intriguing. Nolan being partnered with Smitty was a varied twist I hadn’t anticipated. And having Patrice team up with Silas and Tamara to find a new wedding venue was delightful.

But I’m so tired of the interrupted wedding trope that I could scream. 

Maybe showrunners think it’s fun to string fans along. Perhaps they think that getting to see our favorite characters dressed in wedding attire is enough of a tease and we’ll somehow be satisfied by the nonwedding wedding. 

There’s also the strong possibility that I’m still triggered by the Castle Season 6 finale when fans were fooled into thinking there would be a long awaited wedding only to have the groom stolen away at the last moment. 

Sound familiar?

Now, this isn’t quite the same. We’re only three seasons into The Rookie, but this ending didn’t make me gasp in suspense as much as groan in disdain. Why aren’t fans allowed to see a lovely wedding with a couple who actually ties the knot in front of family and friends?

Can’t they wait until after the nuptials to have someone abducted if you need to have the cliched dramatic cliffhanger? 

But alas, here we go again. I just hope they don’t drag out finding Angela next season, or stick us with some quickie wedding at the courthouse or in her hospital room while she’s giving birth to the baby. Wesley and Angela deserve better and so do we. 

Worst of all, the abduction didn’t feel like a shock, because the moment Angela told off La Fiera, it was clear the drug kingpin would have her revenge.

Lopez: You can lie to yourself about it if you want, just like you lied about Diego.

La Fiera: What the hell are you talking about?

Lopez: Cesar might have sent the shooter who killed him, but you loaded the gun. You crossed a line with Diego you said you never would. You used him as a cover to talk to Cesar’s father. You hung the target around your son’s neck. He’s dead because of you, Hermana, and deep down, you know it.

I’m just relieved that Smitty wasn’t shot and killed as La Fiera made her escape. He’ll likely blame this string of violent incidents and bad luck on Nolan for years to come, and I look forward to hearing it. 

Twenty-two years on the job without incident. One shift with the unlucky charm, a freaking sniper.


Smitty

Speaking of Nolan, I’m happy to see he’s dating someone new because the guy needs a personal life that doesn’t revolve around school or his son. But am I the only one who rolled their eyes when the first meeting was her showing up on his doorstep in nothing but a towel?

That aside, I truly enjoyed Jenna Dewan as Bailey and I hope she sticks around for a little while. 

As much as I appreciated the look into the unfair practice of prosecutors upcharging criminals, does anyone really believe that all cops are going to feel like Nolan does and be against it? That felt extremely naive.

And  as much as I applaud the series for trying to show the need for criminal justice reform, just how many times is Nolan going to drag his ethics professor in on his cases? 

The highlight of this installment was Officer Lucy Chen going undercover as Nova, the Chemist. My favorite moments came in the very beginning with Harper as Lucy’s mentor going over the undercover protocols. 

Harper: Tell me the number one rule of undercover work.

Lucy: No case is worth my life.

However, I did think Lucy almost blew it when Tim pulled her over. It seemed like she should have at least showed him ID or flirted a little more. It felt like Bradford let her go far too easily. 

When Lucy didn’t make her check-in, Bradford knew she wasn’t likely to bow out of this operation even if it got bad. As he said of his former rookie, “There’s no quit in Chen.”

Lucy is tough as nails and Tim knows it. It’s gratifying to see how much he’s grown to respect her since they were first paired together.

When the bullets started flying around the meth lab, and that seems like a really bad idea, I wasn’t expecting La Fiera herself to walk in, in a white lace top, no less. But looking her competition in the eye certainly conveyed the attitude that she was the one in charge now.

That is until Lucy arrested her. 

Having Lucy be the cop to arrest La Fiera and not Lopez was a surprise, even to Angela! But Chen earned the honor, even if the new cartel leader spent less than 24 hours behind bars. 

However, I was expecting Lucy’s undercover op to last more than one episode as they kept playing up how this was going to be a long-term assignment.  Then again, Lucy’s had little training, and it would be nice to see them address that next season.

And if it had been any longer, we wouldn’t have seen Lucy in that dress for the wedding. Green is definitely her color!

But that leads me to my other major disappointment from this episode. Since there was no wedding, there was no dance between Lucy and Tim! 

A dance, one little dance! Is that too much to ask for shippers who tune in regularly and hold on to these small moments while holding out hope for more?

I’ve learned never to get my hopes up too high after watching promos. Things rarely work out the way they tease it will.

And I should remember that when it comes to weddings. It feels as though the more I want one to happen, the less likely it will come to fruition. 

So what do you think, TV Fanatics?

Am I just a jaded TV reviewer who has seen too many season finale cliffhangers, or were you disappointed by the lack of a real wedding for Wesley and Angela, not to mention a dance for Lucy and Tim? 

Were you expecting Lucy’s undercover assignment to last longer?

What do you think of Nolan’s new girlfriend?

How worried should we be about Angela and her baby as we look forward to The Rookie Season 4? And yes, for those who haven’t heard, ABC has renewed The Rookie for next fall. 

So hit that big, blue SHOW COMMENTS button down below and give us a shout-out. Did you love this season finale, hate it, or somewhere in between?

Then check back in for our The Rookie Season 3 Report Card coming soon…

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C. Orlando is a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. Follow her on Twitter.