While Simone works her connection with Zeke to learn that he was paid to build several sophisticated detonators, the rest of the team tracks a mysterious Russian terrorist. The investigation leads them to a National Guard Armory, where the suspect has already compromised the facility to steal C4 explosives.
While heavily focused on the spin-off setup, the episode continues to tease fans with "Chenford" content, maintaining the slow-burn romantic tension between Tim Bradford and Lucy Chen. Meanwhile, Nyla Harper and Angela Lopez deal with a more eccentric "alien" sighting call that surprisingly leads back to the main terrorist investigation. Reception and Impact [S4E19] Live Ammo
A central highlight is the bonding between Nolan and Simone. Both characters face skepticism due to their age, but they find common ground in how their life experiences—Simone as a counselor and Nolan as a former construction worker—give them an edge in de-escalating situations and reading people. While Simone works her connection with Zeke to
Critics generally praised the chemistry between Nathan Fillion and Niecy Nash-Betts, though some viewers felt the episode's focus on a new character made the regular cast feel like "strangers in their own show". Despite some criticism of the "G.I. Jane" portrayal of Bailey Nune during the armory raid, the episode successfully launched the Feds spin-off by establishing Simone as a compassionate, bold, and capable force. 'The Rookie' Recap: Season 4, Episode 19 “Simone” Meanwhile, Nyla Harper and Angela Lopez deal with
is the 19th episode of the fourth season of The Rookie , famously serving as the first half of a two-part backdoor pilot for the spin-off series, The Rookie: Feds .