#The Rookie Season 3 Episode 12 Review: Brave Heart

Multiple lives were on the line during The Rookie Season 3 Episode 12, and the sharp turns in and out of emotional and physical turmoil made my heart lurch more than once. 

With Henry’s collapse, it was obvious his life was at risk but what I didn’t expect was the danger that Angela and Wesley would face while trying to get through a simple hospital visit.

But first, let’s cover Nolan and Henry…

Harper was the first to check on Nolan and Sgt. Grey was soon to follow, but I was a little surprised that we didn’t see West and Chen touch base with Nolan, considering how close the three of them have been. 

I know they had their hands full babysitting their drug mule, but that neither Lucy nor Jackson seem to mention Nolan being at the hospital with Henry seemed odd. 

I was thrilled to see Emily Deschanel as Nolan’s ex-wife and Henry’s mom, Sarah. I’m a big fan and haven’t seen much of her since Bones. 

John and Sarah are both good people who share a long history and love their son very much, but we quickly got glimpses into why their marriage didn’t work. 

Sarah: Maybe this will end up being the worst day of our lives.

Nolan: I can’t think like that.

Sarah: And I can’t think like you.

Sarah called John a compulsive optimist, and I can see how that can be both a wonderful trait and exhausting to live with. When things are bad, sometimes people just need to be able to wallow for a bit, and I can see how John’s constant cheerleading could be difficult to take. 

I also disagreed with Nolan pushing for the riskier surgery because it was what Henry wanted. 

Yes, Henry wanted to get this over with and not have to deal with it again, hence the desire to have the major surgery right now. John felt Henry would feel betrayed if they didn’t go along with his wishes.

But in the middle of carefully going over all of the options with Henry, his heart literally stopped! I don’t believe Sarah was unreasonable for wanting to do the less invasive procedure, which would have stabilized their son’s condition.

Then they could have researched doctors and procedures and made a more informed decision without the panic of losing Henry at that moment. 

That Henry might be mad at them afterward seemed far less of an issue than Henry being alive to be mad at them at all.

Even when it came to Abigail, John and Sarah saw things differently, although in this case, I felt they were both correct.

Henry hadn’t had any issues with his heart since he was a child. He likely felt as though it was in the past, or at least that’s what he wanted to believe.

But if he and Abigail are going to make a lifetime commitment to one another, Abigail has the right to know all of the very real possibilities of Henry’s condition, whether he wants to acknowledge them or not. 

Optimism is a beautiful thing, but it needs to be tempered with some realism, or else it becomes a danger all its own. 

I appreciated this storyline for the insights it gave us into Nolan and Sarah’s relationship and their history, but I wasn’t surprised when Henry pulled through the surgery.

I know some fans speculated that Henry could die, but I never thought that was possible. Losing his son would intrinsically change John Nolan, and where would the show be without its most optimistic rookie?

Elsewhere, Angela ran into Sandra de la Cruz, aka La Fiera, once again, and this plot took a dark turn I hadn’t expected. 

Not much scares Angela Lopez, but when La Fiera dropped Wesley’s name on their wiretap, two things were clear. That La Fiera knew they were listening and that she was more than willing to threaten someone Angela loved.

But the most impressive development was Wesley’s reaction to being threatened by one of La Fiera’s minions…

Wesley: Listen to me. I have represented hundreds of guys like you. You all think that you’re pure evil. You’re willing to do whatever your master asks, but you don’t know anything about Angela or me. If you hurt her, I will call in every favor I am owed, and there’s a lot. Rabid animals who will burn you to your component molecules while you beg me for mercy. Do you hear me?

Galeno: I love it. Such passion. Let’s just hope you never have to follow through. Let’s just hope your beloved does the smart thing for yourself and for your baby.

Damn Wesley! I half expected Wesley to back out of that garage or try and call for help, but the man didn’t flinch. Wesley must be terrified for himself, Angela, and their baby, but when confronted with evil, Wesley not only stood up to it, he shoved back.

If anyone doubted that Wesley was the right match for Angela, this scene should have quelled any hesitation moving forward.

Now, if they can only keep themselves and their baby safe. 

Angela did her best to protect Diego and La Fiera, but with Diego dead, I’m not sure her efforts will matter.

Harper: Her son was her humanity, with him gone…

Grey: War is coming.

Finally, we get to Jackson spying on Tamara, and for all of Lucy’s indignation, I can’t say I really blame him. 

Jackson was working off the premise that something valuable of his had gone missing, and it had happened during the time that Tamara had moved in. 

You are a lying liar who lies.
Lucy

But it was Lucy who had lied or at least fallen into a lie of omission. If Lucy had told him the truth about his baby Yoda, Jackson probably wouldn’t have been quite so suspicious. 

I almost wish that Lucy and Jackson had a three-bedroom apartment for Tamara’s sake. The girl has no family, and living with them is good for her, but I imagine she’ll be moving into her own place soon.

Now it’s your turn, TV Fanatics…

• Did Nolan and Sarah make the right decision about Henry’s surgery?

• Did you ever think Henry might actually die?

• Is Nolan’s eternal optimism annoying?

• Were you surprised by Wesley’s reaction to La Fiera’s threats?

• And can Angela and Wesley keep their growing family safe?

Hit that big, blue, SHOW COMMENTS button down below to let us know what your think, then check back in for our next The Rookie review. And until then, you can watch The Rookie online here at TV Fanatic. 

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