Upamanyu Biswas
The season 7 finale of ‘The Rookie,’ titled ‘The Good, The Bad, And The Oscar,’ ends on a huge cliffhanger as the Mid-Wilshire Division is surprised to see the return of a villainous character who has seemingly kept herself out of the main storyline for a while – Monica Stevens. The episode also brings back another dubious character, Oscar Hutchinson, who makes life difficult for Nolan, particularly as the latter gets involved in an old heist plot with a lot of riches and lives at stake. However, Oscar’s shenanigans only pave the way for the grand entrance of Monica, who has previously been associated with the criminal through her attorney roots. It leaves our main characters with a headache to sort out, especially considering what Monica is capable of and her victory lap at the end. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Monica Leverages a Deal to Procure Her Immunity and Freedom
The Machiavellian antics of Monica Stevens have made her a name to be feared in ‘The Rookie.’ Although the character originally appeared as a defense attorney in season 5, she is incredibly corrupt and has no moral scruples about bending the law to get what she wants. In season 7, episode 11, she tries to obtain a government employee’s secure data card by using an innocent woman as her proxy, threatening to kill the lady’s child if she did not keep the matter a secret. It shows the depths Monica is willing to go to when her interests hang in the balance. Intriguingly, she also backs Oscar Hutchinson, the main bad guy in the season 7 finale, as his defense attorney through season 6, putting her at odds with the Mid-Wilshire Division’s objectives and Nolan.
In ‘The Good, The Bad, And The Oscar,’ the Mid-Wilshire Division receives a call from FBI Agent Matt Garza, who gathers them together for a major development. Apparently, someone has gotten their hands on top-secret NSA intelligence, constituting a serious security breach of the highest order. When the government learned about the theft, they decided to give in to the demands of the thief because the intelligence was too valuable to let go. Unfortunately, the person who used it as leverage to grant herself immunity and freedom is Monica Stevens. She walks down the corridor with a smug expression on her face as the main gang watches her slip through the cracks of the justice system. It leaves everything wide open going into season 8, with creator Alexi Hawley stating, “The fact that she (Monica) is now untouchable for her past crimes is really incredibly frustrating.”
Bridget Regan Captures Monica’s Chicanery in The Rookie
One of the big reasons Monica is such a memorable character is Bridget Regan’s stellar performance as the antagonistic figure. The actress embodies the character with all her evil charm and wit. Speaking specifically about her brief cameo at the end of season 7, which serves as the perfect cliffhanger going into the eighth season, creator Alexi Hawley said, “Obviously, Bridget owned that scene and that walk away and all that kind of stuff was really great.” The depth of her role stands out even further, considering how much Monica has changed from her early days as an attorney to full-fledged supervillain from season 6 onwards. Although her methods can be cruel, she is a compelling screen presence whose complexity is captured in abundance by Regan and taken to new levels later in the story.
While her prominence in ‘The Rookie’ cannot be understated, Regan has also lit up the screen as Sasha Cooper in ‘The Last Ship,’ Addy in ‘John Wick,’ Rose in ‘Jane the Virgin,’ and Dottie Underwood in ‘Agent Carter.’ She is also known for playing the lead role of Kahlan Amnell in ABC’s adventure romance series ‘Legend of the Seeker.’ Notably, the actress has portrayed several characters with a murky background, such as Rebecca Lowe/Rachel Turner in the police procedural drama series ‘White Collar,’ a similarly jaded and mischievous figure as Monica Stevens. As the latter, Bridget steals the limelight by personifying a formidable opponent for the Mid-Wilshire Division, who constantly find themselves a step behind Monica in their effort to apprehend her for good.
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