Metacritic summarizes the response as “mixed or average reviews Watch Rookie Blue.” One of the more favorable reviews came from Alessandra Stanley of The New York Times, saying “it’s not a groundbreaking police drama, nor is it divertingly cheesy. It’s well made and well meaning.” Robert Lloyd from the Los Angeles Times was also favorable with the show, and agreed with Stanley describing it as nothing new to television, but he rather enjoyed it and saying “Rookie Blue doesn’t oversell itself.
It is modest and plain in a way that makes even its less likely moments feel credible enough.” Rob Salem of the Toronto Star favourably compared the series to Grey’s Anatomy. “Call it Blues Anatomy (or Gray’s Academy, take your pick).” Salem found the show “slickly produced and engagingly acted” and had a particular fondness for Missy Peregrym’s character, which he described as “the Meredith surrogate.” The Globe and Mail’s television critic, John Doyle, described Rookie Blue as “a good cop show with a terrible title.” Doyle went on to say “it’s a very slick, glossy melodrama, all handsome actors and admirably sharp storylines. Yet it’s true to its Toronto roots.”
Among the more negative reviewers was Rob Owen of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Owens calls the show “Grey’s Anatomy in a police station.” He did however hope to see some interaction between religion and police through one of the characters but stated “Given the generally bland nature of Rookie Blue, that’s probably too much to ask.” Paige Wiser from the Chicago Sun-Times describes the show as overly generic and claims that the rookies look more like puppies than police officers. She said “if you’re looking for a new cop drama to serve and protect your entertainment interests, leave the rookies alone to ripen, and go for a ride-along with Jason Lee’s Dwight. “Randee Dawn from The Hollywood Reporter was much harsher, calling the writing lazy and describing the motivation of the rookies as selfish, saying that they are there to make themselves feel good and not to protect the city.
Dawn said “at its core, Rookie is a terrible show.” Alex Strachan of Montreal’s The Gazette was unimpressed, stating that “The acting is uneven, the writing and directing aren’t particularly stylish or inspired, and you’ve seen it countless times before.” Strachan went on to say that Watch Rookie Blue Online is “a harmless enough diversion on another wise (sic) lazy summer TV night.”