Torpedo or Team Player? Niecy Nash-Betts is ‘Standing in Her Truth’ as a New FBI Recruit in THE ROOKIE: FEDS

By BILL HARRIS Special to The Lede   Midway through the first episode of the new CTV series THE ROOKIE: FEDS, Niecy Nash-Betts’ character, Simone Clark, has gone rogue – again. Simone, the FBI’s oldest rookie, has even texted an old friend to come and help with the situation: namely, Officer John Nolan from CTV’s THE ROOKIE, played by Nathan Fillion. This obviously displeases veteran FBI agent Carter Hope, played by James Lesure, who turns to Officer Nolan in exasperation and says, “It’s like she’s allergic to listening.” To which Nolan replies warily but admiringly: “You have no idea.” TV viewers will get to hear all of Simone’s ideas – big and small, good and bad – when THE ROOKIE: FEDS debuts on Tuesday, Sept. 27 at 10 p.m. ET on CTV, CTV.ca, and the CTV app. THE ROOKIE: FEDS was introduced as a spinoff in a two-episode arc during the fourth season of THE ROOKIE (Season 5 debuted Sunday on CTV). The first episode of the new series is titled Day One, as Simone – fresh out of the FBI Academy – arrives in Los Angeles with her sights set on joining a newly formed special unit, although her bosses have lesser things in mind for her, at least at first. Simone is told bluntly that the fear among the top brass is that she’s more of a torpedo than a team player. “I just need to prove myself worthy again – I’m on it,” Simone responds to the leader of the special unit, Matthew Garza, played by Felix Solis. “No, no, no, Simone … that is NOT the takeaway,” Garza laments, as a determined Simone marches away. During a virtual panel interview with the cast and creators of THE ROOKIE: FEDS, Nash-Betts said she sees her character as “standing in her truth,” rather than trying to impress, or instinctively questioning authority. “Wanting to be fully seen is different from asking for acceptance, in my economy,” Nash-Betts said. “I don’t think anybody is perfect. Will you get everything right every time? No. But her heart and her passion is definitely going to lead her in ways that sometimes a technical thing you find in a book will not.” Nash-Betts is known primarily for her comedic skills, but her dramatic abilities have been less publicized. The tone of THE ROOKIE: FEDS seems custom-made for her, as a serious show with plenty of room for fun. “I’ve come to know that comedy is the harder of the two,” Nash-Betts said. “I like them both equally. It’s a blessing when you get to marry them, which is what I’m able to do here. I can bake a little bit of that comedy into the seriousness of a script, and I love it. I love being able to have that duality. They say that people who can make you laugh can make you cry, but the reverse is not always true. So I feel very blessed that I can do both.” As mentioned earlier, Fillion makes a cameo appearance as Office Nolan in the first episode of THE ROOKIE: FEDS. Nash-Betts was asked about the relationship between Simone and Nolan. “John Nolan is in love with Simone, and he doesn’t know it,” she said. “I’m just kidding! Wait, don’t print that!” Too late! “Simone thinks everybody is in love with her,” Nash-Betts added. “That’s a fair statement.”   billharristv@gmail.com @billharris_tv