ABC's procedural drama The Rookie has officially been renewed for Season 7, and fans already have plenty of cast, release, and story details to get excited about.
9 Confirmed Details About The Rookie Season 7
Season 7 Won't Premiere Until 2025
The Rookie was renewed for Season 7 in April 2024, midway through the abbreviated sixth season which only featured 10 episodes due to the 2023 Hollywood strikes.
This news was followed by an unfortunate curveball for fans in May as (via TVLine) it was revealed The Rookie won’t return till 2025 in the midseason.
An exact premiere date has yet to be announced for The Rookie Season 7, but its midseason scheduling points to a debut in early 2025.
The Rookie's Longer Seasons are Back
But there is good news, as The Rookie will return with an 18-episode Season 7, stepping back up the length after the shortened Season 6.
Additionally, it was confirmed The Rookie will “go straight through” with no breaks or reruns according to Disney Television Group President Craig Erwich. He added that the “momentum” of new episodes every week would be a “very powerful engine” for the show.
Once this run starts, fans can look forward to new episodes every week for 18 weeks, likely ending around early summer.
Bailey Sits Out Early Episodes
During an interview with TVLine, showrunner Alex Hawley revealed viewers “probably won’t see [Bailey] for the first few episodes” as actress Jenna Dewan prepares to have a baby.
As such, fans may be waiting a while between The Rookie addresses Bailey's criminal ex-boyfriend Jason breaking out from prison.
One Rookie Exits the Series
Unfortunately, one series regular will exit The Rookie with Season 7 as Aaron Thorsen actor Tru Valentino will not be back for the coming episodes.
Valentino’s days as a series regular may be done with no sign of him returning in Season 7. Still, he did tease a potential comeback on Instagram (via Deadline), teasing, “You never know who may pop back up in the Mid-Wilshire precinct.”
The Rookie Adds New Recruits
But Mid-Wilshire fans shouldn’t worry, as, according to Deadline, The Rookie will return with two recruits, played by Deric Augustine and Patrick Keleher.
Augustine will play Miles (a Texas transfer who remains a rookie with two years on the force) while Keleher brings to life Seth, who may seem like the perfect police officer, minus his lack of quick and decisive decision-making.
The Rookie Season 7's Confirmed Cast
For the most part, the cast of The Rookie is expected to be similar to recent seasons as John Nolan and the Mid-Wilshire gang come back for another round of cases to unravel.
The expected main cast for The Rookie Season 6 can be seen below:
- Nathan Fillion - John Nolan
- Lisseth Chavez - Celina Juarez
- Mekia Cox - Nyla Harper
- Jenna Dewan - Bailey Nune
- Alyssa Diaz - Angela Lopez
- Shawn Ashmore - Wesley Evers
- Richard T. Jones - Wade Grey
- Melissa O'Neil - Lucy Chen
- Eric Winter - Tim Bradford
- Deric Augustine - Miles Penn
- Patrick Keleher - Seth Ridley
- Matthew Glave - Oscar Hutchinson
- Steve Kazee - Jason Wyler
The Chenford Saga Continues
Tim Bradford actor Eric Winter teased to Hello! how the breakup between his character and Lucy Chen will play into Season 7 as they “learn how to navigate their feelings while being on the job.”
However, only time will tell if Chenford can rekindle their love in the upcoming 18-episode run:
"I think we're going to see Tim and Lucy continue to learn how to navigate their feelings while being on the job. We'll see them pick up in a place where they've shown that they care about each other and now they have to figure out, 'Can we give each other space to do our job and allow our feelings to stay in a safe place but not rush anything and hope one person doesn't go astray?'”
Jason & Oscar Return to Cause Havok
The Season 6 finale laid the groundwork for Oscar Hutchinson (Matthew Glave) and Jason Wyler (Steve Kazee) to return after breaking out of prison.
With Bailey's criminal ex-boyfriend back on the run and the threat of Oscar Hutchinson looming once more, Hawley told TVLine the pair will “resurface at different times” as they look to “spread stuff out” across Season 7.
The Rookie Season 7 Tackles Adoption
During the same TVLine interview discussed earlier, Alexi Hawley teased how Season 7 will “get into the real” of Nolan and Bailey adopting a child after the latter learned she can’t have kids last season.
The Rookie Season 7 will premiere in 2025.
