Real Crime

Real Crime
Season	4
Episode	16
Air date	March 13, 2022
Written by	Bill Rinier & Paula Puryear
Directed by	Rob Seidenglanz
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"Real Crime" is the sixteenth episode of the fourth season of The Rookie. This is the seventieth episode of the series overall. This is also the second documentary episode.

Summary

Desperate to reset the way the world sees him, Officer Thorsen reluctantly decides to be a part of a reality show to help rebrand his image, only to be thrust back into yet another deadly situation. With cameras rolling, the show’s producer is found murdered and the team must investigate before Aaron is made suspect number one.

Plot

Lopez interviews Ever about Rowan and asks if he ever did drugs on parties. Ever confirms that Rowan would let loose on parties but thought nothing of a college boy just having fun, before taking notice of Lopez's reaction. Ever tries to inquire on this while Lopez leaves to find Nolan and asks him on what happen to Rowan and is told he left, as she explains he is the real culprit. Through an interview, Lopez reveals she investigated Rowan, discovering his financially struggling family and how in spite of that Rowan had a lavish lifestyle. She reveals after he befriended Aaron, he started drug trafficking and was able to amass a fortune, but Patrick discovered, resulting in the latter's murder.

At the golf course, Rowan is seen playing with a friend named Keith, boasting of how his social media account got a boost while Keith inquiries about his thoughts of Aaron possibly killing Morris Mackey. Rowan voices his belief that Aaron likely did it, while calling his supposed friend a psycho. He and Keith are surprised when Bradford and Chen arrive to speak with Rowan. Confused, Rowan questions them and they reveal that they have come to arrest him for the murders of Patrick Hayes and Morris Mackey, surprising Keith, who is recording this. Rowan quickly denies it and asks how they can prove it, as Chen theorizes that Rowan silenced Hayes and Morris because of drug smuggling and to avoid being exposed respectively. She notes he framed Aaron both times to avoid detection. Rowan nervously tries to explain but suddenly runs to escape in the golf cart, as more cops appear on the scene and the cart topples over in a sand pit. Chen helps Rowan out and places him under arrest.

In his interview, Aaron recalls how Rowan was the one who always made plans in other countries, and now that he knows Rowan was smuggling drugs, he voices how he couldn't tell something was up, but Patrick did - which got him killed. Aaron notes if Patrick told him, things might have been different. Much later, Aaron clocks out of work for the night before he is shocked to be approached by Dexter Hayes, who has received word of Rowan's arrest and asks him if it's true. Aaron tells him how Rowan confessed to the murder of Patrick, as the remorseful Dexter apologizes for ever suspecting Aaron and begs forgiveness. Aaron easily does so, because he knew Dexter was grieving over his son, and they share a hug.

Through interviews, the squad express joy that Aaron has gotten his name cleared. When asked if they think Aaron will recover, they voice certainty that he will face adversity but are confident that he will gain strength to be a better cop. Aaron's mother voices her happiness to let people know Aaron was innocent and while he may be upset with her, they will move past it soon. Aaron is then asked what he will do now and he asserts he intends to live and honor Patrick's memory.

Cast

Main

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

Guest starring

• Tru Valentino as Aaron Thorsen
• Tamala Reneé Jones as Yvonne Thorsen
• Rome Flynn as Morris Mackey
• Josh Stamberg as Dexter Hayes
• Don Franklin as Lincoln Thorsen
• Gilles Marini as Olivier Marceille
• Sadie Calvano as Everest Sanders
• Brent Huff as Officer Smitty
• Derek Smith as Connor Hart
• Cyd Strittmatter as QAnon Supporter
• Luke Cosgrove as Rowan Clausen

Co-starring

• Chase Yi as Keith
• Timothy Taratchila as Patrick Hayes
• Darius Levante as Young Flex
• Brandon Mitchell as Young Flow

Trivia

• Aaron's father and late friend Patrick Hayes are introduced.
• Aaron's name is cleared after it is revealed his former friend Rowan committed the murder.
• Smitty is revealed to have amassed a cult of supporters from writing a fan fiction.
• Sgt. Grey as a 'rookie' officer is actually a press photo of his character, Sgt. Jonah Cole, from Phone Booth (2002). He is shown wearing an NYPD uniform with the precinct numbers attached to the collars of the shirt.
• This is the fourth lowest-rated episode of the series according to the Internet Movie Database.
• This is the second episode set in a documentary crime setting, preceded by "True Crime" and followed by "Double Trouble" and "A Deadly Secret".
• Patrick's murder occurred on April 23, 2018, as seen in the security camera footage when Yvonne Thorsen was walking out of a shop in Paris.
• Bailey's past as a dancer is likely a nod to her portrayer Jenna Dewan's past as a dancer, most notably in the "Step Up" franchise.