Do You Need to Watch The Rookie: Feds Spin-off to Follow the Original Series?

The ABC crime drama about LAPD’s oldest recruit, played by Nathan Fillion, was another grand television vehicle for the actor who’s proved once again that he is the ultimate leading man in the current TV landscape. People instantly loved the series, praising John Nolan as one of the most interesting procedural characters to follow.

While the series itself is as successful as it was when its first season premiered in 2018, the same cannot be said for its spin-off The Rookie: Feds, which is equally hated by fans and critics alike.

The main problem with the spin-off is the constant crossover episodes with the original series, which makes fans’ lives a living hell. People just feel that ABC is forcing them to watch two shows at the same time in order to better understand the narrative of the original series. Obviously, people aren’t thrilled about it, claiming that constantly watching episodes of Feds feels like a chore rather than entertainment.

But is watching Feds really so important to follow The Rookie?

According to most fans — not really. While crossovers between the series occur frequently, they mean nothing in the grand scheme of things, as the stories told in most of the episodes feel like fillers. Some of the spin-off characters simply appear in the original show, resembling cameos rather than lead roles.

If you want to skip the point of view of Feds in the crossover episodes, you can do so without fear of missing anything important.

However, even if following the spin-off isn’t necessary at all, the idea of crossovers between the two series still bothers fans.

People argue that all these shared stories seem like wasted potential and just take a lot of time away from each season of The Rookie. If the writers of the original show didn’t have to write the connection between the series and its spin-off, they could have developed some of the main characters much better.