As writers, we strive to make our characters engaging. But how do we make them stand out? In this blog, I’m going to use ABC’s The Rookie as an example on what makes good complex characters. So, beware there will be spoilers from Season one to eight!
What is The Rookie?
This American TV show follows John Nolan, the LAPD’s oldest rookie as he joins the force alongside fellow rookies (also referred to as boots) Lucy Chen and Jackson West. The trio go through many challenges to prove they can stay and be good police officers. It’s also got an ensemble of other characters you learn to love or hate, depending on which side of the law you are. Be warned that there will most definitely be spoilers to the show.
So, let’s introduce you to the complex characters of The Rookie!
1. Stereotype Twists
Stereotypes are familiar because we know them so well. They’re used again and again. So how do we make them fresh and new?
Angela Lopez
Angela Lopez, one of the training officers, is a fiery Latina. She doesn’t take BS from anyone. While she has this harder shell, on the inside she has insecurities that can get her into trouble when misreading the situation with Wesley Evers, a lawyer she later hooks up with and marries. The banter with these two is ridiculous and it adds to her sometimes kooky personality.
Tim Bradford
Another of the training officers, Tim Bradford, is another example. Many army officers turn to join the police when they leave and Tim isn’t any different. He comes across as a tough nut with crazy Tim Tests to try and catch his rookies out. Just when we think that’s all there is to Tim, we get introduced to his softer side thanks to his wife, Isobel, who used to be an undercover officer until she became a drug addict from the cases she worked.
Nyla Harper
From Season two, we’re introduced to a new training officer, Nyla Harper, who has just come off some seriously scary undercover jobs. She comes across as cold, forgets to look after her boot, John Nolan, and is more than happy to dish out seriously blunt criticism alongside not taking any BS from anyone. As John perseveres under her management, events reveal her softer side that she’s come back to patrol to try and regain access to her daughter, Lila.
It’s as she reveals this softer side that she begins to earn the trust of the rest of patrol. It even gets her a chance to move over to be detective and pair up with Angela. And that duo is quite a pairing!
2. Relationship Changes
These characters don’t exist in a vacuum. They interact with one another and it’s those interactions that bring some of those character stereotype twists to life.
Tim Bradford
No matter how much Tim tries to stay the later coined #GrumpyCop, it’s his relationship with his Boot, Lucy Chen, that softens him and it even encourages him to try and be more emotionally open and less toxic to make the Chenford relationship work.
His relationship with Angela and fellow training officer Talia Bishop comes across as quite sweet. That trio changes when Talia leaves in Season two, but as Nyla slides into the patrol team, she slips into that space and it is epic. Tim’s relationships, with Angela in particular, goes as far as having Angela call him to help her pick out a wedding dress and her labelling Tim “one of the girls” later into the series.
John Nolan
John Nolan is hilarious by himself. His deadpan is so good. It gets even funnier when joined with Nyla, Lucy, Angela, Sergeant Wade Grey, Bailey Nune and even Tim. He pushes his luck sometimes but his interactions with others brings out his more paternal side. As a father, he brings different skills. His interactions with others brings out his seriously loyal side. He brings out the best of the officers around him. He strives to be the best training officer and it certainly worked with Celina Juarez.
3. Skills Galore
Giving your character a skill isn’t just a passing fancy to resolve an issue in your story. It gives them an advantage when planned in properly. Not only does it give you a backstory to feed into, it allows you to use those skills to move your story forward.
John Nolan
Before he became the oldest rookie of LAPD, John was a construction worker for about twenty years. He’d had to graft and step up when he’d made his girlfriend pregnant with his son, Henry. Being in construction for so long meant he’s been able to raise red flags on properties they were due to do raids on. He advised where criminals would hide in plain sight with construction vehicles already nearby to give cover, renovated his own home and his knowledge of blueprints got them help when trying to save fellow officers. He even helped Tim and his sister Genny out with doing work to their old family home.
Lucy Chen
Before becoming a rookie, Lucy was heading for grad school. Her parents wanted her to be a doctor like they were. That background helped her to develop a knowledge of science that was crucial in a few undercover cases. She was able to pose as a “chemist” to cook meth for criminals. Her use of languages, especially Cantonese and Spanish, really helped her when she needed to bail out other officers or members of the public in trouble.
Angela Lopez
Not only is she a great officer, Angela also has many skills up her sleeves. She’s a seriously good sharp shooter, known as La Adelita on the range for her sniper skills. She even manages to make a criminal cave in interrogation, all while pregnant by constantly needing toilet breaks, nearly falling asleep and needing replenishment of food and drink, making the criminal plead to get out that room!
4. Red Herrings
When your characters are investigating or searching for something, planning in red herrings and traps for your other characters is really important. Sometimes you need to deceive your readers or viewers to bring the bigger twist when you reveal who did really do it.
Nick Armstrong
Nick was a detective that initially came across as trying to help our patrol officers as much as he could. The façade only started to unravel as they tried to uncover the missing bodies of female serial killer Rosalind Dyer that Nick had brought to justice. As the events unfold, Nick’s actions and his attempts to avoid being seen as a bent cop bring about his end when he tries to frame John as the one behind the lies.
Nick got under the radar as a friend to the officers for a while but it was really interesting to watch the series as the other characters begun uncovering his lies, nearly costing John his career, that resulted in Nick’s death in the end.
Adding layers to your characters means they come across as more three dimensional. Once you know what stereotype character you want to put your twist on, play around with what causes those twists. It might be other characters, skills or their actions that reveal their heart. The Rookie is one example of shows showing us how it’s done. If there’s a show you know that has created complex characters well, I’d love to hear them in the comments.
Happy writing!