Nathan Fillion Returns to TV in “The Rookie”

A year-and-a-half. That’s how long it’s been since Nathan Fillion last starred as the lead in a major network TV show. He hasn’t been completely missing. He’s done all kinds of voice work for animation and video games, as well as making guest appearances in shows like “A Series of Unfortunate Events” and “Modern Family.” But it’s nice to see him once again headlining a big network TV series, “The Rookie.” TV is just more fun when Fillion is involved.

“The Rookie” star Fillion as John Nolan, a forty-year-old construction worker looking to reinvent himself. After foiling a bank robbery, John decides to become a police officer and moves to California to join the Los Angeles Police Department. Along with a pair of fellow rookies, John struggles to learn the ropes of daily cop life and prove himself to those who doubt him.

From the standpoint of originality, “The Rookie” doesn’t offer much. It’s fairly formulaic and plays out like a number of TV shows and films we’ve seen over the years. The wildcard is Fillion, who is just too much fun to watch for this show to be boring.

“The Rookie” plays to all of Fillion’s strengths. It tasks Nolan with situations he’s not equal to and lets us watch him formulate a solution. Sometimes it works, sometimes it fails. And the Nolan fail involving a chain link fence is pretty hilarious.

Fillion is one of the better straight men out there and he has a hunky charisma that helps him play overwhelmed yet cocky really well. He also knows how to deliver a line so he can get a laugh. But he’s also grown in his ability to emote and play vulnerable. He gets several scenes where he has to deal with the results of his mistakes and he pulls them off beautifully.

The cast surrounding Fillion provides some good work in support. In particular, Afton Williamson and Melissa O’Neil give Fillion great foils to work off. Eric Winter is great as a tough cop with possibly questionable morals. Along with effective acting, the writing on “The Rookie” helps create a sturdy scaffolding for building the characters. Put the performances together with the writing and you get believable characters who make understandable choices and react to events in convincing ways.

One of the most interesting filmmaking choices in “The Rookie” is the use of footage shot by body cameras. There’s a noticeable difference in the quality of the footage, but the body cam stuff helps add energy to the action scene and lends a layer of chaotic reality to the show. Just this little touch helps “The Rookie” stand out from similar shows.

But the biggest reason to watch “The Rookie” is Fillion, who is just so much fun to watch. I’m interested to see how the story strands set up in the pilot play out and I can’t wait to see John Nolan prove his detractors wrong. If you’re looking for a new police drama to watch, give this “Rookie” a shot.