Rookie Blue is back with more relationship drama, police work drama and people out to get 15. Though it premiered in Canada in May, the first episode on ABC aired June 25. It picked up where last year's finale left off, with everyone recouping and recovering from the bomb that left their station in shambles. And while some are also recovering from relationships in shambles, others are basking in the glow of re-kindled or new romance. Read on to learn all about what went down in the season premiere:
The case:
The first case of Season 6 kicks off with Andy getting attacked in Traci's apartment by a masked man. She's able to fight him off (because she's awesome that way) and he flees through a window. The next day, 15 Division gets to work trying to catch the perp.
At Sam's questioning. Andy insists the suspect didn't follow her home, and when asked about people who'd want to hurt her, Traci doesn't think there is anyone, but mentions a guy named Cory who works at her coffee shop and is always extra attentive to her. Cory is brought in for questioning by Sam and he admits that he likes Traci but provides an alibi and at some point tells Sam about a man who is always at the shop, looking at Traci's house when Traci comes home, and even sometimes takes pictures. Dov quickly confirms that Cory's alibi checks out and discovers there was a similar incident involving a woman who lives near Traci.
Andy and Traci head to that victim's house. They discuss the facts of the initial report — she'd left her window open while away from home and when she returned, a man was there. Then, through some prodding, the victim, a woman named Pria, confesses a part of the story she hadn't told police: the man raped her at knife point before leaving the scene. He'd also known her name and before the attack, said he didn't want to hurt her. He also said he'd come back. Pria hadn't told police because she blamed herself and had been drunk and panicked when police arrived. She now uses a security system and keeps her lights low so he doesn't know when she's home.
Three similar cases are dug up; in each one, the victims were single women and were attacked in their homes between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. Entry was gained through an open door or window.
Detective Inez Capello from the Sex Unit arrives and takes over the case. She assesses that the suspect is a rapist who has delusional fantasies about knowing the victim and being invited in, and he tracks his victims for four weeks before he attacks. She provides a profile of him but adds that he is escalating more quickly and is more violent than others fitting that profile.
Capello tells 15 to not do anything because if the public is tipped off, the suspect will disappear and relocate elsewhere, starting over. This infuriates the righteous (sometimes annoyingly holier-than-thou) Andy because she feels women in the area should know what's happening to protect themselves. After Capello leaves, Sam suggests a loophole: knocking on people's doors and doubling patrols.
Several scenes later, Dov gets a lead. After Traci mentions yellow lilies she thought were from Steve, Dov tells her it's part of the suspect's game. From the florist, they then learn that someone anonymously purchases lilies via phone with a prepaid card. Since they can't identify the buyer, Traci and Dov set their sights on tracking down the potential next victim.
They succeed and Sam and Andy go to the woman's home. They find her safe, send her away with other officers and set up camp in her apartment waiting for the rapist to show up. Somebody does but it turns out to just be an ex-boyfriend trying to get his laptop back, which means 15 screwed up big time. Capello flips out at them and calls Inspector Jarvis to the station, but Sam still thinks taking action instead of waiting around for the next attack was the right decision.
However, the guy is still on the loose as of the end of the episode.
The relationships:
I. Sam and Andy
At the end of last season, following a series of unfortunate events, the on-and-off couple reunited. In the opening scene of the season premiere, they are on vacation in a log cabin, happy and adorable.
I wanted these two reunited for a while, but — maybe it's how noble/ sweet Nick is, maybe I got sick of the Sam-Andy roller coaster — a part of me is still shipping her and Nick.
When they return to work, Andy is clearly giddy over their rekindled romance. Little does she or Sam know what's about to be thrown their way...
II. The Marlo baby bomb
In Marlo's first scene of the episode, Dov urges her to tell Sam about the baby just after he's returned from his vacation. When she later sees Sam leaving the bar, they share an awkward conversation. After some stalling, she finally tells him she's pregnant. She says she's not asking for anything, but it's definitely his and she wanted him to know. Sam is speechless, and has a panicked expression on his face as he digests the information and its implications.
Later, Sam learns how far along Marlo is and how long she's known: 4 months and two months. She fills him in on her status and asks if he's told Andy yet, to which he says no.
He'd tried to almost immediately but then Andy got attacked. He tries again when they're in the would-be-next-victim's house waiting for the rapist to arrive, prefacing the confession by asking if she knows he loves her and rehashing how great their vacation was. Just as Andy asks if something's wrong with Marlo, the intruder (the woman's ex-boyfriend) arrives.
Back at the station, after nabbing the wrong guy, Sam, using the context of a conversation about their mistake, says to Andy, as if talking himself into the confession, "it's better to know the truth no matter how bad it is, that's what you think, what you believe right?"
When Andy urges him to come out with whatever he's trying to say, Sam finally tells her. A stunned Andy ignores his apology, storms out of the car and in response to his pleas to discuss the issue, says she needs a second or a day or three, and essentially runs away from him. In the last scene, Traci finds Andy crying and Andy asks her for a ride home.
(Neither Sam nor Andy are good at handling emotional situations, am I right?)
III. Nick and his mystery girl, identified at last as Juliet Ward
Early in the episode Nick tells Chloe (who deserves her own show where she just adorkably rambles for 20 minutes) that he is applying to the Emergency Task Force. This upsets Chloe since, as she tells him, he's her only friend. Nick insists he has to — not because of Gail, Andy or anyone — but because he needs a change.
Cut to a few scenes later. Nick's mystery girl — who he sexily kissed at the end of last season — appears at the station. She mentions his name like she doesn't really remember and he says, charmingly, yeah "the guy you bailed on that pretty great kiss with, the loser who's logged too many hours at the coffee shop hoping to see you again."
She explains that she's a police officer and is starting at 15. She didn't want to get involved with another cop. She can tell from Nick's wordless reaction that he's been in that kind of relationship and it is indeed problematic. She says she didn't tell him who she was because she was afraid he'd change her mind. In response, Nick, suavely and sweetly says he would have.
Later while talking to Ward at the station, Chloe mentions Nick, prompting Ward to ask if they're close. This sets her off on a typical motor-mouth ramble in which she reveals Nick isn't one for group bonding, was in the army, was an orphan and had two romantic relationships within 15 that both "went Kaboom right in front of that chiseled face of his." Chloe adds that amid all that, he's a really good guy. Ward then asks if Chloe and Nick are an item, to which Chloe says no and soon begins a tangent about Oliver and Celery.
At the end of the episode, Nick asks Chloe about Ward. Chloe calls her rad, then reveals that Ward was asking questions about him. This elates Nick and he walks away smiling as Chloe berates him for his plan to leave ETF because "there's nothing for him at 15."
Soon after, Ward finds Nick in the locker room and apologizes for essentially lying to him. Before she leaves Nick asks about her first shift. She mentions getting to know Chloe and says she likes her because she seems genuine. They have a flirtatious goodbye, leaving Nick giddy.
However, in the second to last scene of the show, Ward gets into the car with someone who asks if there were any questions about her presence in 15. She said the staff sergeant (Oliver) was merely curious about the transfer but that's it. The man then asks if she has anything so far and Ward says, "there's a lot going on in there but just drive, I'll brief you on the way." Um what?
Poor Nick, can't he catch a break already?
IV. Chloe and Dov
Chloe is still upset about losing Dov, but it seems Dov has moved on. He's painted over the wall they painted together — Chloe had made it a "map of their love" — and Dov is cold to her when she confronts him about it. He also flirts with a bartender at the beginning of the episode.
Dov is dumb. If awesome Chloe doesn't get him back, she better get someone new - a stud!
V. Traci and Steve.
They're back together. She's going to live with him.
The Others
I. Chris
Although he's clean and sober now, Chris is still not his original wholesome self. The first time we see him the woman he's in a car about to get steamy with casually mentions she's married.
At the end of the episode, the woman appears at 15. But she's there for her husband, not Chris so Chris learns who the husband is: Inspector Jarvis (aka Mr. grumpy, meanie pants).
Poor Chris, can he catch a break already?
II. Gail
Gail is still single and still trying to adopt a child, but she's struggling to make a video for her adoption case worker about why she wants to adopt. She notes that she's too sarcastic. That's all we hear of that situation for the episode.
This is a more absurd story line than her becoming a lesbian (not knocking LGBTs, just saying it seems so forced and out of place).
III. Duncan.
The walking disaster that is Duncan is back — unfortunately. He tells Nick he thinks he needs a bro and wants it to be Nick, to Nick's chagrin.
A few scenes later Duncan proves he hasn't changed because as he and Nick are out working on the rapist case, Duncan is his usual lazy, immature self, making complaints about the mission. Nick tells him he can go sit in the car, update his status, check his email, etc. Duncan complains some more but follows Nick anyway.
About that bomb
I was disappointed with this season opener for one reason: It's bad enough that Andy came out of that giant explosion at the end of last season virtually without a scratch (I didn't want to see her killed but totally unharmed was just a little absurd), but to treat the bomb like it was nothing by dedicating so little time to it... come on!
The first (of only two) substantial mentions is early in the episode. Marlo tells Dov that the chemical signature of the bomb is different from that of a bomb set by their suspect Ted McDonald in a separate, past incident. Dov then points out that it doesn't make sense that McDonald planted the bomb because it destroyed the evidence he'd wanted everyone to see.
At the end of the episode Dov finds Marlo staring at the case information. When he interrupts her thoughts she shares an idea. Through asking him a series of questions and pointing out that there were many other arrests that day which could have involved someone bringing in evidence that wasn't swept for bombs. The implication? That it was an inside job. (Cue dramatic music).
Ok, so the show will get to it, I still wish that plot played more of a role in the premiere.