Poetic Justice

Poetic Justice
Season	4
Episode	6
Air date	November 7, 2021
Written by	Bill Rinier and Natalie Callaghan
Directed by	C. Chi Yoon Chung
Episode Order
← Previous	A.C.H.
Next →	Fire Fight
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"Poetic Justice" is the sixth episode of the fourth season of The Rookie. This is the sixtieth episode of the series overall.

Summary

Officer Nolan and team are on a hunt to retrieve a buried stash of gold before any treasure seekers get hurt. Meanwhile, Bradford is tasked with encouraging the oldest cop at the station to retire and invites him to ride with him.

Plot

A prisoner posts a poem on Reddit, presenting a riddle that promises to lead to buried treasure, and some of the citizens of Los Angeles take the riddle far too seriously. Hatchet attacks, damage to public property, and accidental explosions ensue, at which point Sergeant Grey assign his team to solving the riddle and preventing any further mayhem.

Grey also assigns Sergeant Tim Bradford to break it to an aging officer that it's time for the officer to retire. Officer Jerry McGrady has been on the job for 43 years and is a hard-working and encouraging presence in the LAPD; Bradford attempts several times to have "a serious conversation" with McGrady but finds it difficult to broach the subject of retirement. Instead, Bradford ends up inviting McGrady to ride with him that day, and McGrady shares his memories and experiences with the Sarge.

Chen, who shows some aptitude at interpreting the riddle, spends some time with Harper and Nolan deciphering it. They end up making a bet with Bradford on who could find the gold first. While driving with him, Bradford tries again to broach the subject about McGrady retiring but the latter cuts them off by revealing he thinks he knows where the gold is.

Meanwhile, Chen and her group check out the Santa Monica Pier, then at Griffith Park Observatory, and finally searching an abandoned subway station and finding two treasure hunters at each other's throats, before one ends up shot. While Chen and Harper chase down the shooter, Nolan stays with the wounded. Chen and Harper are shot at by the fleeing assailant until they're unexpectedly joined by Bradford and McGrady, who assist in their arrest and claim to know where the treasure is hidden. Bradford and McGrady show the trio the gold, as McGrady realized the location from simple clues. As the last saddened treasure hunter is taken away, McGrady acknowledges to Bradford that he's had a great day and that it's his last day on the job.

Bradford, McGrady, Harper, and Chen return to the station, where Bradford announces McGrady's "end of watch" and everyone sends him off with great respect. Happy with this, McGrady makes a last request on behalf of the city of Los Angeles: "Take care of her, now that I'm gone."

Cast

Main

• Nathan Fillion as John Nolan
• Shawn Ashmore as Wesley Evers
• Mekia Cox as Nyla Harper
• Alyssa Diaz as Angela Lopez
• Richard T. Jones as Wade Grey
• Melissa O'Neil as Lucy Chen
• Eric Winter as Tim Bradford

Guest starring

• Peter Onorati as Officer Jerry McGrady
• Tru Valentino as Aaron Thorsen
• Sean Gunn as Treasure Hunter
• Michael Reilly Burke as Fred Mitchell
• Helena Mattsson as Ashley McGrady
• Maury Sterling as Marcus Lindsey
• Jon Sklaroff as Stuart Packer
• Roland Buck III as Spike
• Jenna Dewan as Bailey Nune

Co-starring

• Keylor Leigh as Cleo
• Keith Coogan as J.J.
• Carol Kiernan as Tourist
• Shaun Bedgood as Finder
• Nash Carter as Keeper
• Matt Kaminsky as Hatchet Man

Trivia

• Guest star Roland Buck III had previously co-starred with Mekia Cox in the NBC series Chicago Med.
• Sean Gunn, who plays one of the treasure hunters, is the brother of director James Gunn; Sean played Weasel in The Suicide Squad and Kraglin in Guardians of the Galaxy, and was the on-set green-screen double for Rocket in the MCU.
• "Inside L.A.'s dark network of deserted underground tunnels" by Nathan Masters, LAMAG Feb 3, 2015.

Quotes