In our view, 'The Rookie' frequently foregrounds identity over personality or skill, with storylines and casting that appear driven by modern diversity checklists. Forced representation occasionally overrides realism, with some characters feeling like they’re included more for their demographic than unique role within the plot. This can sometimes come at the expense of more traditional character development or organic conflict.

The show has a clear tendency to undercut traditional institutions like family and masculinity, presenting conventional values as either problematic or naïve. Male leads are often depicted as flawed or out-of-touch, while female or marginalized characters are regularly elevated as models of virtue or competence, sometimes to unrealistic extents.

Alternative viewpoints, especially those that don’t conform to a progressive orthodoxy, are largely absent or represented by one-dimensional antagonists. The show doesn’t leave much room for genuine debate or moral complexity, instead defaulting to consensus around modern cultural assumptions.