After a bevy of cast turnovers, like Officer Jackson West's untimely exit, The Rookie's newest addition was trainee Celina Juarez. From the beginning, Celina was introduced as a character that wouldn't fit The Rookie's mold. While Nolan, Bradford and the rest of the team have always been rigid fact-followers, Celina was in-tune with the spiritual realm. She was even able to solve a few cases using dreams and feelings. That might have initially hurt the series' credibility, but it begged the question of why Celina was so connected to her spiritual side.
It didn't take long for Celina to explain. Her younger sister had been kidnapped as a child, and the trauma of that event made Celina's subconscious ultra-perceptive. Unfortunately, the kidnapper was never identified, and wondering who it was hindered Celina and her mother's grieving process. Luckily, that mystery was solved in Episode 19, "A Hole in the World," and it completely changed Celina's world.
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The Rookie Solves Finally Celina's Sister's Murder
Celina's backstory was filled with tragedy. When she was nine, her younger sister, Blanca, was kidnaped from their home in Los Angeles. The police found Blanca, but she died in the hospital. As a result, Celina's mother decided never to leave their house again. She couldn't bear not knowing who had taken her daughter. For Celina, the experience was traumatic, but she decided to become a cop to help other people who experienced what she did.
"A Hole in the World" jumped right on that storyline. It was the anniversary of Blanca's death when another kidnapping was reported. Unfortunately, those two cases were part of a list of kidnappings with overwhelming similarities. So, the team investigated, and it turned out that the culprit was a cop. In fact, it was the same cop who had spent so much time "comforting" Celina and her mother after Blanca was taken. Naturally, the scenario turned Celina's world upside down, possibly changing her future.
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How Celina Is Developing As a Character
Finding Blanca's kidnapper will definitely affect Celina as a cop. She may start to distrust the system, but she might also start doubting herself. The trauma of losing Blanca was what made Celina so intuitive to spiritual beliefs, and that intuition has served her well. However, she was wrong in this case. She didn't get any bad vibes from the cop that had taken her sister — in the past or the present. She wasn't happy that he was even being treated like a suspect. The fact that she couldn't see the evidence right in front of her could mean she won't always trust her intuition. That would mean that she might start to focus on factual evidence to reinforce her feelings. That would be the logical next step in Celina's development as a cop, and it will help her to fit in with Nolan's more rigid teaching style.
Everything that happened will also change Celina's personal life. There were many times this season when she leaned on Blanca's memory for strength. But during this episode, Celina could feel that Blanca's spirit had moved on, and she knew what that meant. She didn't need her sister anymore because she was strong enough on her own. Additionally, Celina forgave her mother for lying about the drug use, allowing both women to begin grieving and moving forward. Finding Blanca's kidnapper was a challenging experience for the Juarez family, but today, their relationship could improve with newfound strength to carry them toward healing.
The Rookie airs Tuesdays at 8:00 pm on ABC.
