Does Tamara die on The Rookie? Character’s fate, explored

Created by Alexi Hawley, The Rookie is a police procedural series featuring Nathan Fillion, Alyssa Diaz, and others. The show focuses on John Nolan (Fillion), who is in his 40s and joins the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) as a rookie. He therefore becomes the oldest rookie in the force. The series is based on the real-life account of LAPD officer William Norcross, who joined the department in his 40s.

The show has seven seasons and has been airing since 2018. Since the show has been going on for a long time, the cast of The Rookie has also expanded. While Nathan Fillion’s character is still the protagonist, the show now has a large ensemble cast. One of the more interesting characters on the show is a car thief-turned-roommate, Tamara Collins.

However, the character has made few appearances in the past two seasons of the show and many viewers are wondering if the character has been written off from the show. Played by Dylan Conrique, Tamara Collins first appeared in the show as a troubled teenager living on the street and developed a close bond with Melissa O’Neill’s Lucy Chen and became her roommate.

Who is Tamara in The Rookie?

Tamara Collins first appeared in season 3 of the show as a high school student whose parents died when she was young. Living on the street, Collins used to get by by robbing cars, but when she boosted the car of Lucy Chen, Chen caught hold of Tamara and realized that the girl needed a stable living situation.

Tamara would often appear with Lucy or at the community center that the LAPD had established. In the later seasons, Tamara ends up helping Chen, as she has a relationship with Tim Bradford. However, Tamara still feels guilty for leaving behind her less fortunate friends and Lucy continues to be there for her. Tamara even takes up a babysitting job during one of the episodes.

Tamara’s appearances in the later seasons of The Rookie

Collins’ appearances on The Rookie became more infrequent from Season 4, though she was still a roommate with Chen. Whenever she is shown in the show, Tamara has now become engrossed with her college life and while viewers might miss her dynamic with Chen and other police officers, the absence of the character is a positive thing, as Tamara is finally enjoying life as a regular teenage girl and focusing on her education. She is away from the life of crime and the dangerous world of street living.

It seems that the character’s role has been reduced due to the fact that there have been new additions to the cast members in the the show and new regular characters have also been added. Even though viewers might feel that the character of Tamara has been written off, she is still there but will appear less. In an interview with Ones to Watch, actress Conrique states that

“I usually have the weekends off, which is really nice and I can just do whatever I need for myself… Being on The Rookie has been amazing because I’m learning from the actors on the show.”

Why is Tamara important in The Rookie?

Tamara is important in The Rookie, even though it may seem that she is just a child and therefore not consequential to the show. Tamara’s character is the non-police connection in the show and it showcases that the role of the police is not just to fight crime but also to look after the people in one’s community.

The relationship between Tamara and Lucy offers viewers a chance to see Lucy in a different avatar and not as a cop, as she always is in the show. Both the characters, Tamara and Lucy, offer each other support and highlight sisterhood while also bringing depth to their characters. The show is known for its relatable characters and such characters like Tamara, offer the viewers a chance to look at non-police life as well.