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In The Rookie season 7 episode 14, Mad About Murder, Officer Celina Juarez discovers that a true crime podcast has covered the homicide case of her sister, Blanca.
The podcast, presented by Heather Marie, focuses on crimes perpetrated by a former LAPD officer, Joel Chambers, who had committed several murders, Blanca being one of them. This revelation sparks action against exploiting Celina's family's experience.
The episode depicts a scene where Celina confronts the podcast host about retelling the incident without her permission. Her mother, Karla, is also shown to be participating in the podcast, adding another twist to the plot. These scenes concentrate on the reactions of the people whose past experiences are made public.
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The narrative focuses on how true crime media utilizes actual events. It features dialogue between characters discussing how this coverage can affect the victims' relatives. The episode bases its discussion of this issue upon Celina's background.
Celina's tragedy and career motivation in The Rookie
Officer Celina Juarez's back story has been touched upon previously in season 5 episode 19 of The Rookie. When she was nine, her sister, Blanca, was abducted from their front yard. Even though she was rescued, Blanca ultimately succumbed to her injuries in the hospital.
LAPD officer Joel Chambers was found to be responsible for Blanca's murder. He had a known history of preying upon young children and was subsequently shot dead in the course of an arrest.
Celina's desire to become a cop is directly related to her sister's case. This professional trajectory is presented as a reaction to that early childhood trauma, and the show revisits this background in Mad About Murder.
Podcast sparks conflict and raises ethical concerns in The Rookie
In The Rookie season 7 episode 14, Celina discovers that a podcast named Mad About Murder is discussing her sister's case. Lucy Chen, having listened to the podcast, informs her of its existence. Celina goes to the recording studio and sees her mother, Karla Juarez, in the midst of an interview with the host, Heather Marie.
Celina had not been aware of her mother's involvement in the podcast. In a pivotal scene in the episode, she confronts Heather and objects to the content being made public without her explicit permission.
The show illustrates various responses to the podcast by the people involved. Some issues raised include consent and whether one should tell such stories without consulting the involved family.
The broader debate over true crime media
The episode connects to broader public debates over true crime media. Such issues have been raised over real-life shows like Netflix's Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. When it was aired, victims' relatives came forward with complaints of not being approached before the release of the series. They also criticized the series for factual errors.
This parallel brings up compelling questions regarding public interest and private grief. The use of personal tragedies as entertainment is still a contentious issue.
Celina and Lucy's partnership in The Rookie season 7 episode 14
In episode 14, Lucy Chen and Celina work jointly on a case of a missing woman and infant. The circumstances of the case remind Celina of a time in her past, giving her response to the podcast more meaning.
True crime enthusiast Lucy talks to Celina about the effects of such stories. The dialogue illustrates the reactions of two people with varying viewpoints on the same piece of media.
Their cohesive fieldwork is also depicted throughout the episode. As they work together to solve the case, both show cooperation and professional conduct, something that persists even amidst personal disagreement.
A balanced look at media ethics
The Rookie season 7 episode 14 addresses the ethics of storytelling. It looks at the effect of relaying actual tragedies through fictionalized or dramatized means. The show puts its characters in face-to-face confrontations with such dilemmas, enabling viewers to see how such choices are made.
The show brings a grounded perspective to a broader media discussion by applying Celina's life to a case study. It raises the appropriate questions without providing immediate conclusions, and gets audiences to think about the content creator's responsibilities.
New episodes of The Rookie season 7 air every Tuesday on ABC at 10 pm ET. Viewers can also stream these episodes on Hulu the following day.
