How Celina and Lucy’s team-up in The Rookie season 7 episode 14 stopped the episode from being a disaster
With The Rookie season 7 coming to an end, the show is buckling down to wrap up serial storylines and resolve loose ends. While it needs to happen in order to have a satisfying ending, the ride hasn't always been smooth. Take episode 14, Mad About Murder, for instance.
While it strives to fix the arc of forgettable villain Malvado and introduces familiar faces such as The Rookie: Feds' Laura Stensen, the episode falls flat with a poor main plot and an uninspiring lack of momentum.
That said, saving the hour from being a complete misfire is the surprisingly powerful and emotional team-up between Celina Juarez and Lucy Chen. Their emotional subplot, which revolves around a missing persons investigation, becomes the episode's heart—giving us some real character growth, great chemistry, and some compelling storytelling that trumps the rest.
The Rookie season 7: A forgettable plot
The Rookie season 7 episode's central plot involves the return of Malvado, a somewhat underwhelming villain who has stuck around The Rookie universe for way too long. When the LAPD finds out about a site selling hitmen for hire on the dark web, they call in The Rookie: Feds crossover character Laura Stensen to help track him down.
Although Britt Robertson's return as Laura brings some pep to the episode, Malvado's plotline goes out with a whimper rather than a bang. His demise, while long delayed, comes off as predictable and lacking impact. Other plot threads—such as Miles's cheesy LAPD training videos and a flag football match between the LAPD and LAFD—provide some laughs but seem remote from the overall drama.
The Rookie season 7: The real heart of the episode- Celina and Lucy
While the show attempts to make Malvado the focal point of the episode, it’s Celina and Lucy’s subplot that steals the spotlight. What begins as a seemingly unrelated investigation quickly becomes the emotional anchor of the hour. The two partners take on a missing persons case involving a young woman and her newborn child. The stakes are high, the danger is real, and the storyline mirrors Celina’s personal trauma in powerful ways.
Since her entrance in season 5, Lucy and Celina have quietly cemented a good relationship—one that is no longer purely professional. They are roommates now, and their friendship grows with each day. Mad About Murder centers around their relationship by portraying Lucy supporting Celina when the latter gets herself into trouble in an attempt by a true-crime podcaster to exploit the past. Lucy appear not only as a co-worker but also as a friend who looks after her.
As the story progresses, the emotional stakes become higher. Celina and Lucy track down the missing woman and find that she's being held by a crazed captor. In a suspenseful finale, Lucy is compelled to kill the kidnapper to rescue the baby's life. The tension is palpable, and the emotional aftermath of the scene tightens the bond between the two women.
Celina's vulnerability and Lucy's strength complement each other to perfection, which is the reason their combination is so successful. Their collaboration is not only effective—it's emotional. The personal urgency, mirrored backgrounds, and trust they have for each other turn a subplot into something greater than the main plot could achieve.
The Rookie season 7: A missed opportunity
Sadly, the same can't be said for the rest of the episode. Malvado's exit is hasty, and although Laura Stensen's guest appearance adds some sparkle, it's not enough to save the weak A-plot. Viewers are left with the impression that the villain arc concluded with a whimper, not a bang.
Meanwhile, lighter moments such as the flag football game and Miles's videos provide some comic relief but ultimately seem like filler in an episode that generally lacks direction—except for one bright storyline.
The Rookie season 7 episode 14 might not be remembered for its large villain or crossover guest star, but it definitely deserves praise for Celina and Lucy's excellent partnership. Their plot introduces emotional depth, character growth, and female friendship into the forefront—everything the show requires more of as it approaches its finale.
Catch the latest episode of The Rookie season 7 streaming on ABC.
