The Rookie Crossover with Game Changer Is a Fan Convention Geek’s Dream
Featuring improv comedians from Dropout's Game Changer in an episode of The Rookie is a mashup built for Nathan Fillion fans.
Nathan Fillion built plenty of credibility with sci-fi fans back in 2002 with his starring role as Captain Malcolm “Mal” Reynolds in the one-season cult hit Firefly, and his geek star has never really fallen since. From his role as Captain Hammer in Dr. Horrible’s Sing Along Blog to his turn as Guy Gardner in Superman, he’s the superhero of every cosplaying Comic-Con attendee out there. But that doesn’t necessarily mean all of his adoring fans have watched many episodes of his long-running ABC cop dramedy The Rookie.
That may be about to change with the March 2 installment, which will feature improv comedians from Game Changer, a hilarious and varied game show on the niche streamer Dropout (formerly CollegeHumor). Dropout operates at peak geekdom with shows like Dimension 20 and its compelling live D&D campaigns and Um, Actually in which hardcore fans of video games, fantasy lore, and all of the nerdiest IPs nitpick their favorite franchises. Having Dropout regulars like Vic Michaelis, Jacob Wysocki, and CEO Sam Reich on The Rookie with geek royalty like Fillion seems like a match made in fan heaven.
The crossover is not without controversy, however. Besides being hardcore nerds, the typical Dropout demographic leans to the left, and many of the streamer’s chronically online viewers have been very vocal about their disappointment in seeing their beloved comedians appear on a “copaganda” show like The Rookie. It’s possible that Fillion fans had similar feelings when Captain Mal signed onto the cop show in the first place, never mind his eight-season run as an NYPD consultant on ABC’s Castle.
But Dropout’s star is on the rise, and exposure on a mainstream network like ABC could bring in plenty of new subscribers. Some of its regular stable of comedians have springboarded into bigger projects already with Very Important People host Vic Michaelis starring in Ponies on Peacock and Game Changer veteran Jeremy Culhane joining the cast of Saturday Night Live, among others. And the premise of the crossover episode as depicted in the latest trailer seems genuinely hilarious.
Plus, let’s not forget that The Rookie has another regular cast member that sci-fi fans may recognize. Melissa O’Neil, who plays officer Lucy Chen on the cop show, originally gained recognition as a Broadway performer before landing her television debut on Syfy’s Dark Matter (not to be confused with the more recent show of the same name on Apple TV) from the makers of Stargate SG-1.
Will genre fans become regular viewers of The Rookie because of Game Changer‘s involvement in the show? If nothing else, they might just watch the crossover episode, but even if viewers tune in just to witness their favorite improv comedians doing their thing, the fan convention regulars will probably enjoy seeing their beloved Firefly captain again. And who knows? Maybe some of the Dropout employees geeked out a little on set, too.
The Rookie season 8 episode 9 “Fun and Games” airs Monday, March 2 at 10 p.m. ET on ABC.