Spoilers for “Mad About Murder,” Season 7, Episode 14. Malvado returns in a case involving a dark-web hitman service, but the episode’s most unsettling thread is less a second-villain reveal than Celina’s fight to keep a podcast host from turning her murdered sister’s story into public content.
Episode details
“Mad About Murder” is the 14th episode of The Rookie Season 7. It originally aired in the United States on April 15, 2025, on ABC. Dinh Thai directed the episode, written by Madeleine Coghlan. Rotten Tomatoes lists it as TV-14 (L|V). Rotten Tomatoes episode listing.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
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| 1 |
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The Rookie | Buy on Amazon | |
| 2 |
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The Rookie: Season 2 DVD | NON-USA Format | Region 4 Import - Australia | $66.80 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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The Rookie: Season 8 | $19.97 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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The Rookie: Season 7 DVD | Nathan Fillion | Region 4 (Australia) | $76.66 | Buy on Amazon |
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![The Rookie Complete Series Seasons 1-6 [DVD]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41Malkv6MrL._SL160_.jpg)
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The Rookie Complete Series Seasons 1-6 [DVD] | $80.99 | Buy on Amazon |
How Malvado returns
Tim receives a strange message that points the LAPD toward a dark-web service offering hitmen for hire. As officers investigate people named on the site, they find that hitmen are being killed. Body-camera footage identifies Malvado as the person who killed one of them.
Bailey is frightened by the possibility that Malvado’s arrest could expose her earlier contact with him. When her abusive ex-husband, Jason, threatened her, she had turned to Malvado. His return therefore puts more than the investigation at risk: Bailey worries about the consequences of that history becoming known.
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What happens to Malvado?
Police catch up with Malvado as he pursues the person who hired him. After a confrontation with Nolan and Tim, Angela shoots him. The immediate threat is stopped, while the encounter forces Bailey and Nolan to reckon with the history behind her fear.
Executive producer Alexi Hawley said the storyline was intended to show “the trauma that Bailey had been through.” He described the focus as Bailey confronting what Jason had done to her and the effect of Malvado’s return on her relationship with Nolan. TV Insider’s April 15, 2025 recap and interview with Hawley.
Is Heather Marie the episode’s other villain?
The episode’s unnerving non-criminal conflict concerns Heather Marie, a true-crime podcast host looking into the murder of Celina’s sister, Blanca. Celina distrusts Heather’s motives and objects to the way the host is pursuing the story. That makes Heather a source of tension for Celina, but the available episode coverage does not establish that the show labels her a villain. The sharper point is the conflict over who gets to tell a story rooted in someone else’s private grief.
In a separate case, Lucy and Celina investigate Aria, a missing pregnant woman. The episode places that investigation alongside Celina’s objections to the podcast, but the two threads are distinct.
Rank #3
- SEASON 8: Continues the thrilling drama series following rookie cop John Nolan navigating life in the LAPD.
- PHYSICAL MOVIE FORMAT: Comes as a physical disc, perfect for collectors and fans who prefer a tangible copy.
- ACTION & DRAMA: Packed with intense storylines, character development, and gripping law enforcement narratives.
- GREAT FOR FANS: An ideal addition to any series collection, letting you revisit every episode of Season 8 anytime.
- COMPLETE SEASON: Includes all episodes from Season 8, delivering hours of entertainment for the whole family.
Miles takes on the training videos
Miles questions whether the department’s existing training videos still serve their purpose and proposes updating them. It is a lighter institutional thread alongside the episode’s cases and personal conflicts.
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Rotten Tomatoes lists Disney+ and Hulu for streaming and Fandango for purchase. Those are listings, not a guarantee of current availability: catalogs and access vary by country and can change. Check the services in your region for the current options. Rotten Tomatoes episode listing.
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Rank #4
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