Rookie Blue: Poison Pill

‘Rookie Blue’ Recap: Poison Pill – Season 4, Episode 5

Rookie Blue: Poison Pill
Is that anthrax? I’m afraid so …

On “Rookie Blue,” things are definitely getting much more complicated among the rookies no matter who you’re looking at!

In the aftermath of what should have been a standard drug arrest, Andy and Marlo find themselves waiting for the hazmat guys: the heroin used by the guy they’ve just arrested – which, during the course of arrest, he showered all over them – has been contaminated with anthrax.

Anthrax is serious stuff; without treatment, victims die within 48 hours, and death from anthrax results in corpses that release more deadly spores. The contaminated drugs have already put two people in the hospital; the team knows the tally will continue to rise until they can get the heroin off the streets, and the addicts get some drug addiction help.

Fortunately, it’s also very preventable as long as medication is given soon after exposure. Andy and Marlo have to spend some together time through the decontamination process, but they’ll be fine.

Sam and Traci, working with Jacob Blackstone, the drug squad guy who oversaw Andy and Nick’s undercover operation a while back, frantically try to pinpoint the source of the drugs. They and the rest of the squad track down lead after lead, until they finally get to the source of the contaminated heroin.

There’s only one problem: there are no signs of anthrax in any of the drugs they’ve just confiscated from the supplier. The team assesses the evidence again, and realize that all the victims came into contact with the contaminated heroin from one victim’s personal supply. The only obvious answer is that someone spiked that personal stash with anthrax.

But it’s hard to get access to anthrax. Jacob points out things are always locked down tight where anthrax is concerned; even in the case of a natural outbreak – among cattle or other farm animals, for instance – the feds are there quick. That’s when Dov makes the connection: the husband of one of the victims is a veterinarian. He’s the most likely one to have gotten access to the anthrax.

So, case solved. But the real juice of this episode is in how all the individual characters’ storylines are advanced. There’s poor little rich girl Gail, so certain something’s up between Nick and Andy; Gail volunteers to help out the drug squad guy, Jacob, so she can find out the down and dirty about what really happened between Nick and Andy during their six months of undercover work. She doesn’t like what she hears – the undercover officers got weekends off, when they could return back to their families, but Nick and Andy chose to spend their downtime together.

In the last scene, Gail tells Jacob she just wants to know the truth. And he tells her: “You want to know if something happened between McNally and Collins. I don’t know and that’s the truth, but I don’t think it matters because I think you’ve already decided and the only thing left is for you to decide what you’re going to do about it.” And boy, does Gail make a quick decision what she’s going to do about it. She asks Jacob if he wants to leave with her! What are you doing, Gail?

And is there something going on between Nick and Andy? But it can’t be! Nick’s always seemed to be so head over heels for Gail, and Andy definitely hasn’t gotten over Sam.

Moving right over to Andy and Marlo, Andy starts the show deciding, of course she can be good buds with Marlo, but Marlo is clearly having none of it. During their bit of together time getting ready to be decontaminated, though, Marlo reveals she suffers from bipolar disorder. No-one knows, not even Sam; no-one knows, that is, except for Andy now. It’s a secret that might put Marlo into a desk job, something she really doesn’t want. In that moment, Andy sees Marlo as more than the tough guy she’s always projecting.

I guess it’s nice that Andy and Marlo have a little secret that binds them together, but I seriously want to see Andy getting back with Sam, and this whole new thing between her and Marlo definitely complicates things!

And then there’s Dov, who’s just asked Chloe out at the start of the episode; of course something has to happen to jinx things, right? He thinks the little tin box containing bipolar disorder medication which Chris found in the squad room belongs to Chloe. When he finally comes out with his suspicions, Chloe really lets him have it. She’s quirky but that doesn’t mean she’s bipolar.

And last but not least: Chris tells Oliver it’s his last shift. He’s going to end his time at 15 Division very, very quietly. But is this for real? Is Chris really going to end up in Timmins, with a woman he doesn’t even have anything in common with, much less love? The poor guy, trying so hard to do what’s right.

So, lots of stuff going on in “Poison Pill.” My favorite line? Marlo to Andy: “You know what I hate most in the world? Two girls standing in a room shouting about a guy who’s not even there.” Love it.


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One response to “‘Rookie Blue’ Recap: Poison Pill – Season 4, Episode 5”

  1. Phil Avatar

    Hey Belle, Yes I remember this episode well. Only if in the real life situation the drug addicts knew how to properly detox drug addiction those suffers would be better off. However this is a drama series so real life is not represented here.

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