Whenever David Krumholtz shows up on TV, many people instantly think of one of the most haunting episodes ever made. That famous ER episode still follows him. So when he appears in The Rookie, it already sets a certain mood. This episode wastes no time proving that feeling right. His role starts quiet. Almost harmless. But it slowly turns into something deeply unsettling. At least this time, no one from the LAPD is bleeding on the floor during a party.
Krumholtz plays Ezra Kane. At first, he looks like a homeless man caught trespassing in a rec center. He says he just needed a place to sleep. That story falls apart fast. Angela and Nyla discover his fingerprints match the only print found at a triple murder scene in Oregon from 3 years ago. Nolan steps in to question him. He keeps the tone calm. He pretends the focus is on stolen credit cards. Ezra talks back smoothly. He always has an answer. No birth certificate. No past. No problem. Every question Nolan asks, Ezra flips with ease.
The interrogation scenes are intense. They carry the episode. Ezra feels sharp. Nolan feels steady. Neither gives much away. It becomes a quiet battle of control. And it works.
Things shift when Lucy and Celina check a motel room linked to one of the stolen cards. Inside, they find Samantha. She is the teenage girl everyone thought Ezra killed along with her parents. She explains everything. Ezra threatened her. He said he would kill her parents if she left. She believed they were still alive. He made her call him Amon. A demon. He claimed he controlled 40 legions, including the police. The drawings in the room back it up. He told her she was his soulmate. He also took another girl. Samantha helps the police understand that. She mentions a car. She talks about something Ezra called “after.” She thought it meant after he killed her.
Once Nolan brings up the motel, Ezra snaps. He knows they ran his prints. The mask drops. Krumholtz turns terrifying. Angela, Nyla, and Wesley take over the interrogation. Nolan and Tim head back to the rec center. They find keys. Blood. And an ID. Another girl named Julie.
Ezra admits he planned to kill Samantha that day. He knows there will be no deal. No lighter sentence. He offers information only if he can say goodbye to Samantha. They refuse. He still plants one last seed. He tells them Julie is near the red place. When Samantha hears the police repeat those words, she breaks. She locks her hospital door. She stabs herself with a syringe. Ezra got exactly what he wanted. He pulled her back into the nightmare. Lucy saves her in time. Nolan uses the car description. He finds Julie in the trunk. She is badly hurt. But alive. Ezra is arrested. He looks back at Nolan. Empty. Cold.
This case also opens old wounds for Lucy. Celina notices they never talk about it. The sergeant later speaks with Samantha. Lucy tells her the hardest truth. Recovery starts when you stop blaming yourself. She shares her own story. Her rookie year. A date. A kidnapping. She thought she would die. For months, she replayed every detail. What she should have done. Then she focused on what she did do. She survived. Samantha survived too. Her aunt is coming. The female officers will stay close until she feels safe.
Outside the case, life keeps moving. Lucy and Tim plan to unpack her boxes. Mostly, Tim will unpack. Lucy will supervise. It has been a long day. Angela and Wesley forget their anniversary. They laugh it off. She throws together last-minute decorations. They remind us why they work so well together.
The weakest moment comes with Seth returning. Miles gives him another chance. Honesty is the condition. It feels unnecessary. Not every character needs a comeback.
Overall, this episode hits hard. David Krumholtz delivers a chilling performance. It stays with you. Would you want to see him return to The Rookie? That question alone says a lot.
