The Rookie: Feds Season 1 Episode 16 Review: For Love and Money
Denis Kimathi
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Hello, Valentine's day!
Even though it was a week later than the real life Valentine's Day, The Rookie Universe did their due diligence and celebrated the holiday on The Rookie: Feds Season 1 Episode 16.
It covered all the bases on all potential scenarios that may arise from romantic relationships, from budding romances to love skeptics and con artists.
The team decided to kill two birds with one stone when they had related cases. We revisited Kazan, whose wife was cheating on him with a con artist.
Despite being openly skeptical about Valentine's Day, Laura was thrilled when Atlas sent her flowers and other gifts.
Brendon used reverse psychology on Antoinette and got her to admit that she cares about the holiday despite stating earlier that she doesn't like the related theatrics.
Brendon: I thought greasy drive through on Valentine's day? Yuck! I have a cauliflower pizza in my freezer, so I thought maybe we'll jsut do that.
Antoinette: [looking dissapointed] Yeah.
Brendon: You are the worst actress in the world. You do care about Valentine's day don't you?
And look, Valentine's Day can be emotionally taxing on some people. It is the day society has allowed people to flaunt their relationships and happiness.
Many people want to impress their lovers, sometimes cutting their coats without considering their cloth. The pitfalls of romance are many, and overspending is just one of them. Many people, desperate for affection, fall for people looking to swindle them.
In the news, there have been many cases of women duped by guys who claim their money is held up someplace, and they need to be fronted some cash, only to take thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, from the women before they leave.
Duncan's story was straight out of the headlines.
Duncan: You know that pains me. It's just that my enemies have tied up my fortune wiht their frivolous lawsuits. But as soon as I'm victorious, I am taking you to Forensie Italia.
Simone: What's the matter? Darling, is everything OK?
Duncan: Well, I told you coming here. It's dangerous. That's why I have to travel covertly. Simone: Is there anything I can do?
Duncan: A slight injection of funds right now would help me stay one step ahead of my enemies.
Simone: Of course. How much do you need?
Duncan: $25000 should more than suffice.
Remember the case of The Tinder Swindler? The Tinder Swindler is the name given to an Israeli man who had conned millions from multiple women across Europe by contacting them on Tinder and pretending to be rich.
He would spoil them with lavish gifts and later fake his life being in danger, only to have the women take out loans and max their credit cards to help their "lover." He would disappear, not to be heard from again -- if the woman was lucky.
There is a documentary on Netflix of the same name.
One would think it was an isolated case, but another film called Swindler Seduction shows another way a con artist could swindle women out of their money.
It can't be overstated how careful one should be when meeting strangers from dating apps. Sometimes people invite people they know into their beds, who turn out to be monsters, so extra caution is needed when dealing with strangers.
"For Love and Money" showed many scenarios in which people might find themselves during an hour.
First, there was Laura, who tried to act like Valentine's Day didn't mean anything to her, but when Mark sent the flowers, she squealed like a pig. That was the best scene in the whole episode.
Laura: Valentine's day is so lame, but all the sheep will continue to fall for it.
Simone: Well, I love it, and there's no shame in my nosy game. Sir, who are those for?
Deliverly Guy: Someone named Laura Stensen.
Laura: Stensen? That's me. Oh, my God! Atlas! So Sweet.
Antoinette also pretended to be uninterested in grand romantic gestures, but Brendon had something else in mind. He made some of the most ludicrous suggestions for their Valentine's Day date, and for a moment, I was convinced that he was serious.
Brendon: So, still coming over tonight? Do a little ramen. Watch a documentary.
Antoinette: Yes, 8:00.
Brendon: Great. You got a secret admirer I should know about?
Antoinette: Oh, Jackie's husband always sends her a bunch of gifts throughout the day.
Brendon: It's a big ol' waste of money on things you are going to throw away two days later, you know. No, thank you.
What betrayed him was how much he tried to ignore Antoinette when her face communicated her annoyance.
Carter nearly lost his relationship before it began when his current life intersected with his past life.
One of the most annoying things about divorcing is that it doesn't separate you from your ex, especially when you have a child together.
But in retrospect, it was incredibly naïve of Carter to take Fortune for a date where he and his ex-wife used to go. There was no way he could have known that she would be there, but wasn't he concerned about the feelings that may arise from going there?
All factors considered, his wife handled the scenario better than most would. Fortune wanted to remove herself from the situation, but she should know that some baggage comes with dating divorcees, and drama is, unfortunately, one of those things.
The team's case was related to one they had worked on The Rookie: Feds Season 1 Episode 3, where they posed as undercover detectives to arrest a notorious weapons dealer.
The case was marked with twists, making it even more complicated at every turn.
Like The Rookie, The Rookie: Feds has also started bringing back former villains, but it serves the show positively in this case. It makes it feel like a well-put-together show that is not disenfranchised.
Simone met someone quite similar to her. While Simone is a romantic, Diana doesn't seem thrilled with the whole thing. But I think she is just one of those people who loved being chased instead of doing the chasing.
Even though they are similar in their temperaments, they have some differences, and if they decide to go there, they will make an adorable couple.
This was a great episode that weaved together an entertaining, informative, and complex narrative that had us either on the floor laughing or at the edge of our seats in anticipation.
What did you think of it?
Which couple are you rooting for the most?
Is it time Garza found someone new?
We always love hearing your thoughts, so don't hesitate to let us know.
As always, you can watch The Rookie: Feds online right here on TV Fanatic.
Denis Kimathi was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. He has watched more dramas and comedies than he cares to remember. Catch him on social media obsessing over [excellent] past, current, and upcoming shows or going off about the politics of representation on TV. Follow him on X.
