The Rookie returned for Season 7 on ABC, and it's missing one familiar face: Tru Valentino's Aaran Thorsen.
After the death of Officer Jackson West, Aaron Thorsen joined The Rookie in Season 5 as a wealthy, famous TikToker-turned-cop, who was once accused of killing his childhood best friend but ultimately cleared his name.
Did Aaron Leave The Rookie in Season 7?
Aaron Thorsen was an active member of the Mid-Wilshire force right up until the Season 6 finale, helping to hunt Monica Stevens and Dr. Blair London. But after a six-month hiatus, the Season 7 premiere came, and Thorsen was nowhere to be seen, much to the confusion of many.
Unfortunately, Thorsen's absence from The Rookie will continue indefinitely, as Tru Valentino departed the ABC procedural ahead of Season 7. As such, Valentino will not be part of the updated cast for the 2025 season, which added two new recruits.
From a story perspective, The Rookie explained Thorsen's departure in off-handed dialogue, as John Nolan asked Celina Juarez, Aaron's close friend, how he was doing. In response, she revealed he is "over in North Hollywood, settling in and happy that no one at the station knows he was a patient of Blair’s.”
As such, it appears Thorsen transferred between seasons from the Mid-Wilshire to North Hollywood department, meaning he is still working under the Los Angeles Police Department, which is only a few miles and a short drive away.
In terms of why Thorsen transferred department, he was among the victims of LAPD psychiatrist Dr. Blair London, who was brought in to council officers, only for her to leak confidential information to Monica Stevens to cause trouble in the force.
After becoming entangled in an LAPD-wide scandal, it stands to reason Thorsen sought out a change of scenery. But as he remains near the Mid-Wilshire department, fans shouldn't count out a return down the line.
Will Aaron Ever Return to The Rookie?
Posting on Instagram stories in August amid his exit announcement, Valentino told fans how he will "always cherish [his] time on The Rookie." He went on to tease a possible return down the line, saying how "you never know who may pop back up in the Mid-Wilshire precinct:"
“I will always cherish my time on 'The Rookie' but couldn’t be more excited for what the future has in store. I adore the friends and relationships made while being there. You never know who may pop back up in the Mid-Wilshire precinct. Until then, 7 Adam 19, this is Officer Thorsen, over and out!”
Showrunner Alexi Hawley addressed Thorsen's possible future in an interview with ScreenRant, saying "of course" to the prospect of him coming back. The series creator added that they would "love to have him back in some capacity," before indicating his exit came as a creative decision:
"Of course. Tru is a great actor, and he was a huge part of our show for several seasons, and so we’d love to have him back in some capacity. It just ultimately felt like, creatively, for where the show was going, that we needed to pivot a bit."
As Valentino's exit from The Rookie seemingly came as a creative one to make way for the two new recruits, Miles and Seth, he will hopefully be up for returning to the series when or if the writing team comes up with the right storyline.
The synopsis for Episode 3, "Out of Pocket," notably teases how "a friendly face resurfaces as the station." While the identity of this returning character is unclear, as Aaron is still living near Mid-Wilshire, perhaps he could stop by to help out with a case or just for a personal call:
"Ahead of Bailey’s return home, John looks for clues to locate Jason Wyler. Then, Tim and Lucy swap rookies; a friendly face resurfaces at the station, and Wesley feels unsettled over Angela."
New episodes of The Rookie air every Tuesday night on ABC (read more about the Season 7 release schedule and upcoming episodes).
Seasons 1-7 are also streaming on Hulu.
