"Integrity Test"
Original Airdate: August 13, 2015
There are people in your life who you have an unspoken pact with. They understand you, you understand them, and you stand by each other. Let’s call these kinds people "kindred spirits," even though you’re often very different from one other. You can’t actively decide who these people will be. You can’t search them out – instead, they find you by accident or fate. They come into your life and you realize you were meant to be friends. The group of main characters on Rookie Blue is like that. None of them question Oliver’s innocence. And none of them shy away from putting their jobs on the line to prove it. Andy makes the bold statement that she’ll take the fall if they get found out, that "if we can’t clear Oliver’s name, I don’t want this job anyway." These characters are so fiercely loyal to each other. They’ve all saved each other at some point, but they’re not keeping tabs on who owes whom. They’re a unit, and if one of them is framed, it’s a betrayal to all of them. And it’s their duty to set things straight. THAT is one reason why this group of characters is so amazing. Their dynamics and strong connections with each other are the heart of the show. Without their friendship, Rookie Blue as we know it would cease to exist.
Rookie Team-Up
Dov, Andy, Gail, and Nick joined forces to prove that Santana framed Oliver. They created an "integrity test" – basically luring Santana with fake evidence that could prove who really set the bomb, and making him go out of his way to get to it before they did. They used Nick’s brother as the fake evidence bearer (I love when they connect previous storylines together), and they used Duncan as bait for Santana because OF COURSE. They told Duncan he was part of their super-secret operation, and he was beyond happy to be included… and was bursting with so much excitement that he gloated about it to Santana, exactly according to plan.
Gail and Nick went to the fake evidence location to wait for Santana to show up (any stakeout involving the two of them is always golden, and somehow usually involves food), but they were called away. So Andy went there by herself to wait, only to have STEVE PECK walk in. Missy Peregrym did a great job in this scene (as did Adam MacDonald). There was just so much emotion. Steve seemed truly sorry, and full of regret for getting caught up in Santana’s schemes, one little job at a time.
Then he tells Andy to simply "look the other way," just this once and it’s insane because that is exactly what he described had happened to him. And therein lies an integral difference between these two characters. Andy couldn’t be swayed. She’s shocked, and she’s betrayed, but being a good cop comes first to Andy, and no matter how much Steve tries to reason with her, she’s not going to let him walk away for Gail OR Traci. She raises her gun and he argues that she’s not going to shoot him. But she is prepared to.
But she doesn’t need to, because Nick and Gail are on the other side of the door as he leaves and hear the whole thing. It’s just this quiet moment where Steve realizes what he’s done and Gail watches him sadly. Again, here is the fundamental difference between the brother and sister: she, too, has strong-rooted loyalties. Gail immediately jumped into the plan to save Oliver, without really knowing the plan and before anyone actually said there was one. She is a hundred percent and selflessly Team Rookies, no questions asked. She has loyalty to her brother, I’m sure, but he broke everyone’s trust, not just hers. It’s not something I see her forgiving easily.
What followed was a glorious scene were Steve and Santana are both arrested and locked away. Duncan got the last word with his stepfather and say what you will about Duncan, but that was equally glorious.
Traci
While the others banded together, Traci was on her own with Steve, who she continued to feel super uncomfortable around. She snooped through his phone. He went out on a case and she insisted on tagging along. He did some suspicious stuff, but she was relieved when he had logical excuses for all of it. There was this one moment where Traci seemed to decompress a little, as if she’d temporarily forgotten that he WAS the "Oliver" the explosives dealer had seen. As if, for a moment, she let herself believe in him one more time.
Of course, things changed. When they brought Steve back in handcuffs, Traci visited him in the interrogation room to say goodbye. She essentially disowned him. She put all her trust in him, she trusted Steve with her kid, and she even refrained from telling anyone about her suspicions because she TRUSTED him. He broke that trust a million ways. If Steve had wronged the mob, they could’ve gone after her and Theo. And he must have known that. He betrayed her, her friends – Oliver and Gail included – and the entire police force.
Oliver
Santana (before he was caught) went to Oliver and offered him a private sector job and an easy out – basically, he would stay resigned, and the case would fade away. Sam spent most of the episode talking to Oliver at the Black Penny about this. I think Oliver actually liked the idea of getting to spend more time with his daughter, and I think he – at least a little – welcomed not having to be staff sergeant anymore. He also had known for a very long time that Santana – his own training officer – was a dirty cop, so he wasn’t surprised. I liked the contrast between Oliver and Santana. I think Oliver got to train all the rookies at some point in season one, and he "raised" them to be good cops with integrity and loyalty. He’s their father figure in the force and I’m glad the season isn’t going to end with him still in jeopardy.
This was an all-around exciting episode that resolved some things, but left plenty of storylines open for the rest of the season. Three episodes left, guys. I’m in denial.
Notepad
- "How long until he spills the beans?" "Give him an hour." More like five minutes.
- "Send in a real cop." Ouch, Santana. Duncan isn’t THAT bad.
- "You were very close to Oliver Shaw. He was very fond of you. I guess that’s why he took the hit for you." I’d forgotten that Oliver became staff sergeant – even though he didn’t want to – so Andy could keep her job, during that blowup with Duncan. Really, this worked against Santana. It just shows that Oliver was there for her. Threats or not, it was her turn to save Oliver.
- "Well, good luck with whatever’s going on there."
- Nick: "Do you mind?" Gail: *continues crunching* She’s always eating. Not that I’m one to judge…
- Gail: "Nicholas, I do not do touchy feely… You have to cut them out of your life, like a bad piece of apple."
- *Steve explains how he took precautions with the bomb.* Andy: "I WAS IN THERE." Solid point.
- "You say I’m not a real cop. What kind of cop are you? … Here’s the thing. I would’ve [helped them catch you] anyway." One point for Duncan, negative two points for Santana.
- "I jumped in, both feet… I’m not going to come and visit you. Don’t contact me ever again." GO TRACI!
- Juliet told Nick the truth about being Internal Affairs and it didn’t go so well. At least she and Andy were on better terms? There’s no winning for this character.
- Oliver and Noelle are still friends!
- Dov and Chloe started talking again… until Chloe told him she couldn’t pretend everything was fine and walked away.
- "I just want to… be completely boring with you."
- So… Jarvis has known about his wife and Chris… and he’s rather happy (?!) because now he knows she’ll be okay when he leaves her to move in with his girlfriend. Chris did all that stressing for nothing and that’s kind of hilarious? But this was pretty sad. Yikes.
- Fine. My Jarvis theory is officially packed up and stored away. I still don’t think he’s trustworthy.
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