Spoilers below for the latest episode of The Rookie, titled "True Crime."
The newest episode of ABC’s The Rookie followed a format unique to the Nathan Fillion drama, if not all of TV. The LAPD officers were being interviewed for a true crime docuseries after a case involving a former child star, Corey Harris, who was the leader of a cult that was later murdered. Frankie Muniz, everyone’s childhood crush from Malcolm In the Middle and Agent Cody Banks, played the actor-turned-wacko cult leader, and it was quite the believable performance from Muniz.
Many fans were delighted to see the return of Frankie Muniz on their TV screens, and CinemaBlend’s own Mick Joest tweeted that it was the best episode of The Rookie he’s seen yet! (No bias, no bias.)
Between the documentary vibe, the surprise guest stars and more fun elements, this episode of The Rookie was different from any previous episode within the show’s three seasons so far! One user thought the episode was 100% perfect, with part of that reason being how great it was seeing Frankie Muniz back on TV.
Some fans were excited to see what Frankie Muniz’s next role would be, as one user made a reference to Muniz’s Malcolm days and envisioned the crossover potential from this latest Rookie role.
Frankie Muniz, whose Malcolm in the Middle work factored into a recent WandaVision episode, was not the only guest star on this week’s The Rookie, either. Rainn Wilson, who many know as Dwight Schrute from The Office, made a surprise appearance being interviewed for the docuseries, playing none other than...himself! The coupling of comedic guest stars made many fans very happy, as one user pointed out:
Fans who grew up watching Frankie Muniz on TV were just excited to see him on their screens yet again, as one fan said:
Others were just as pumped to see Frankie Muniz on The Rookie, and were also quick to champion the actor's skills.
Some fans, however, are finding it a bit too on-the-nose that Frankie Muniz, a former child star himself, played a lifelong actor-turned-cult leader, which goes to show just how amazing his performance was.
Frankie Muniz first got his acting start in 1997, playing mostly minor roles until he landed the titular lead role in Fox’s Malcolm In the Middle, which ran for seven seasons. Arguably his other most noteworthy projects and roles were Big Fat Liar with Amanda Bynes in 2002, the titular role in Agent Cody Banks in 2003, and its sequel in 2004. Muniz also competed in Season 25 of Dancing With the Stars, where it became more widely publicized just how little he remembers about filming Malcolm in the Middle after having suffered health issues in 2012 and 2013.
The Rookie marks Frankie Muniz’s first acting role since 2018 where he didn’t portray himself, and it seems like it was a success, even though it didn’t end too well for his character. The Rookie airs Sundays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.
