‘The Rookie’ Turned a Nice Character Right into a Cartoon Villain

It’s time to speak about Monica Stevens (Bridget Regan), a personality within the hit ABC sequence, The Rookie, who emerged as the series’ big bad in Season 6. In her preliminary appearances, Monica got here off as a lawyer with doubtful morals and a Machiavellian streak. Nevertheless, her transformation right into a full-on supervillain in Season 6 took issues too far. Bridget Regan is an amazing actress, and with Monica’s flip to the darkish aspect, the sequence turned a terrific antagonistic character right into a cartoonish villain.

Monica Stevens Did not Initially Have This Villainous Edge

In Season 5 of The Rookie, Monica Stevens was launched as a protection legal professional and the lawyer for an additional recurring villain, Elijah Stone (Brandon Jay McLaren). Monica got here off as an formidable particular person with a malleable ethical character. When she realized Elijah was prepared to place her by a wooden chipper, she enabled the Los Angeles Police Division’s Mid-Wilshire Division to lastly arrest Elijah. The truth that Monica lastly noticed match to activate Elijah advised that she had a glimmer of a conscience. Even somebody of morally doubtful character, akin to Monica, had a restrict when it got here to Elijah, however maybe she was solely performing out of self-preservation. It is believable for Monica to symbolize LA’s felony elite, however it’s much less lifelike for Monica, as an legal professional for the unhealthy guys, to emerge because the sequence’ huge unhealthy.

‘The Rookie’ Season 6 Poorly Set Up Monica’s Transition Into Villainy

Season 6 exhibits Monica performing as a rising info dealer within the felony underworld of Los Angeles. Monica makes use of Dr. Blair London (Danielle Campbell) as her mole contained in the LAPD and sells the intel from Dr. London’s classes to the felony underworld. The issue is that Season 6 did not correctly construct up the villainous flip for Monica. Monica at all times got here off like somebody who would work for criminals, nevertheless it at all times appeared there have been sure boundaries she wouldn’t cross. In Season 6, Monica acts like a felony kingpin who needs to grab the facility vacuum left by Elijah Stone and Sandra de la Cruz (Camille Guaty). It is plausible for Monica to symbolize felony scumbags and hold them out of jail, however her flip to felony conspiracy towards the LAPD goes too far. Monica is a well-paid protection legal professional representing rich criminals, so why did Monica really feel she wanted to enter the gangster enterprise? Maybe the shortened Season 6 had one thing to do with these points, however Monica’s path to villainy did not have sufficient room to breathe.

Monica’s Actions in Season 6 Got here Off as Cartoonishly Evil

Within the latter half of Season 6, Monica orchestrates a conspiracy to aim to border Tim Bradford (Eric Winter) for the homicide of Metro PD officer Matt “Mad Canine” Dominques (Nick Gomez). After Dr. London agrees to flip on Monica, Monica has one other corrupt LAPD detective who labored for her executed and kidnaps Dr. London. Monica then takes Dr. London to Argentina, trying to commerce her to the Swiss trafficker, Jakob Olmstead (Casper Andreas). Monica additionally participated within the torture and interrogation of one of many hitmen employed by Eric Ramsey (Neil Hopkins). Beforehand, she appeared like a wise lawyer who wouldn’t wish to get her palms soiled to keep up some believable deniability. Monica’s actions in Season 6 come off as unrealistic when she begins spying on the LAPD and actively sabotages police operations that result in the deaths of officers within the discipline.

Season 7 Wants To Showcase Extra of Monica’s Backstory

To present the writers of The Rookie some credit score, there’s nonetheless time to repair the Monica problem in Season 7. Season 6 ended with Monica escaping a shootout in Argentina, so Monica will doubtless reappear in Season 7. The Rookie should showcase the pivotal occasions in Monica’s life that set her down her present path. The answer doesn’t essentially contain strolling again Monica’s villain standing, however the writers should additional develop Monica’s backstory and reveal how she grew to become so sinister and irredeemable. Possibly the writers might embody some flashbacks of Monica’s life with Wesley Evers (Shawn Ashmore) earlier than their breakup, in addition to flashback scenes displaying Monica’s transformation right into a ruthless particular person. Maybe beginning a felony empire offered Monica with the facility and respect she by no means achieved as a high-powered protection legal professional.

It could be thrilling to see a fleshed-out model of Monica’s backstory if she continues as a significant sequence villain. The Rookie Season 7 is scheduled for eighteen episodes, and hopefully, upcoming installments will characteristic new perception into Monica’s background. It could be fascinating to see if the character suffers any regret or regrets when she’s lastly delivered to justice.

The Rookie Season 7 debuts on Tuesday, January 7 on ABC. All six seasons of the sequence can be found to stream now on Hulu.

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