"Three Billboards"

"Three Billboards"
Season	7
Episode	13
Air date	April 8, 2025
Written by	Aleks Biskis & Chelsea Urech
Directed by	Gina Lamar
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Next →	Mad About Murder
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"Three Billboards" is the thirteenth episode of the seventh season of The Rookie. This is the one hundred twenty-first episode of the series overall.

Summary

When anti-LAPD billboards emerge throughout the city, the team searches for who’s responsible. Meanwhile, a car bombing prompts an investigation, Miles reconnects with an old friend, and John and Bailey assess their ability to adopt.

Plot

Harper and Lopez interview the wife of the murder victim Viggo and she reveals that her husband was part of a robbery crew led by Mac Wheeler who he ran with in Vegas. However, once he learned what the crew intended to do to the wealthy target he backed out because of this and the crew saw him as a loose end, especially when Viggo intended to warn the man. Unfortunately, Wheeler witnessed this and killed him before he could while she was tortured for knowing of the event. Harper asked who the target was, and she tells him it was the football star AJ Knox, surprising them.

At the Knox mansion, Chen and Juarez continue to search for Rachel but have no leads. They call Penn but he does not have a clue, before Sean comes out with smoothies. Penn declines the smoothie before he tells Chen that he is getting a call from Harper. After answering, he confirms his whereabouts to Harper who tells him that a home invasion crew is coming to the mansion, alarming him. As he processes this, Harper proceeds to tell him that the robbery crew has an inside man. Penn then witnesses AJ, and his bouncer pass out, just as Wheeler and a partner show up.

Penn quickly realized Sean is the mole and kicked him away, before grabbing AJ and running when Wheeler and his partner open fire. Penn tells Harper the robbery is happening and to call for back up as he returns fire against the robbers. Sean quickly recovers, grabs the bouncer's gun and joins in the pursuit. Meanwhile, Chen and Juarez find Rachel passed out on a bed next to Rodge who found her and says he sung to her and she fell asleep. They are relieved until they hear the gun fire from outside and the two officers quickly have Rodge hunker down with Rachel while they help Penn.

Arriving at a pool inside the house, Penn tells a waking AJ that Sean has betrayed him just as Chen and Juarez arrives. Penn quickly tells them of the situation and who they're up against, as Chen states they have to wait for back-up. Wheeler and the other man show up and a shoot-out occurs. As both sides enter a stand-off, Sean's voice heard, and remarks Penn has really put him in a tough spot. An outraged AJ shouts Sean sold him out, while the latter asserts that he had no choice once he got into a massive debt with some dangerous people and he needed the robbery to go down so that he can make the money and pay them off. Sean even states that the robbery was supposed to be easy, giving the look that AJ got hurt so that he wouldn't be able to play in the season. Sean states he would've reaped in the profit from AJ not playing and pay off his debt, but the plan hit a hitch when he invited the nosy Penn to the party. AJ notices Sean's shadow approaching and moves Penn to safety. This noise alerts Sean who enters the room, before getting thrown into the pool by Penn, where the two struggle until Penn overcomes him while impressing AJ. Juarez and Chen managed to wound Wheeler and his partner who promptly flee the scene. However, once they exit the mansion, Nolan, Bradford, and backup have arrived and demand they surrender.

Having put the hectic day behind him, Penn talks to Bradford about the job offer from AJ and he is unsure of whether he wants to take it. Bradford tells him the choices of ultimately hears but remind him that it really would not be his life but him in the shadow of AJ. Soon AJ comes down while talking with Smitty before he addresses Penn about the offer with the latter deciding to reject it. AJ is surprised though accepts Penn saying he wants to focus on his own path. However, AJ still wants to pay him back for saving him and Bradford tells him he could spare two tickets to the next game with AJ promising to do so.

Meanwhile, Wesley approaches Nolan and reveals to him that he found that the cause of the billboards is because of Liam Glaser trying to discredit him because of Nolan being a witness in the case, along with Harper and Lopez. Nolan is angry and Wesley tells him that he will ensure that the billboards are taken down and if he finds out that Glasser's lawyer is involved, he will have him disbarred.

Cast

Main

• Nathan Fillion as John Nolan
• Shawn Ashmore as Wesley Evers
• Lisseth Chavez as Celina Juarez
• 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

• Deric Augustine as Miles Penn
• Jasmine Mathews as Rachel Hall
• Justin Cornwell as AJ Knox
• Chibuikem Uche as Sean Larson
• Kevin Negandhi as Himself
• Brent Huff as Quigley Smitty
• Zander Hawley as Rodge Bronson
• Tamara Austin as Ms. Greer
• Summer Spiro as Sadie Nash

Co-starring

• Neil Rodriguez as Duncan
• Elijah Jones as Kelly

Trivia

• This was the twelfth episode produced for the season, but it aired as the thirteenth.
• Rachel reveals that her father has passed away from cancer.
• Various references to previous episodes are made.
  • Nolan references the events of season 2, by bringing up his suspension because of Nick Armstrong framing him.
  • Greer brings up Nolan and Bailey being held captive on their honeymoon in "Trouble in Paradise" and on a bus in "Speed".
  • Bailey mentions Jason Wyler's death by Malvado in "Til Death".
  • Bailey references the events of drowning in "The Choice".
• Kevin Negandhi, who plays himself in this episode, has been an anchorman for ESPN's SportsCenter since 2008.