Chenford is (nearly) again collectively. After a season of post-breakup heartache, informal hookups and fact serum-induced confessions, The Rookie‘s fan favourite couple took a large step to reconciliation within the finale, which solely bodily exhaustion prevented from completion.
Lucy (Melissa O’Neil) and Tim (Eric Winter) confronted one final impediment after she grew to become his peer by passing the Sergeant examination — engaged on reverse schedules as she was assigned the night time shift. Each wanted some encouragement from mates however lastly bought collectively. Tim cooked Lucy breakfast after her shift and poured his coronary heart out in a speech asking her to maneuver in with him to no response as Lucy had rapidly dozed off. As Tim mentioned to himself whereas masking Lucy with a blanket, “To be continued.”
John Nolan’s (Nathan Fillion) had his arms full chasing a type of who bought away, as Oscar (Matthew Glave), who had escaped from jail alongside Bailey’s (Jenna Dewan) ex Jason in final season’s nearer with shady lawyer Monica’s (Bridget Regan) assist, got here again into the image. Satisfied that Oscar is taking out his former crew members from a Vegas diamond heist years in the past, Nolan and Nyla (Mekia Cox), his companion on the case, set a stakeout at a motel hoping to catch Oscar as he makes contact with the final remaining cohort, suspected to have hidden the loot, who was simply launched from jail.
Nonetheless, Oscar noticed Nolan and kidnapped him after killing his former mate and someway ripped off the person’s arm along with his naked arms for the treasure map tattooed on it (versus, as Nolan recommended later, simply taking a photograph of the tattoo along with his telephone). With Nolan in his trunk, Oscar headed to the desert seeking the buried treasure.
For some cause, Nolan helped Oscar get again on the trail to the diamonds after he took a detour regardless of being advised bluntly by the convict that he would kill him as soon as Nolan dug up the stones. In the meantime, with the help of a teen boy staying on the motel and his drone, Nyla tracked Oscar down with not a minute to spare as Nolan had simply retrieved the diamonds.
Within the taking pictures, Oscar managed to flee with a getaway helicopter whereas Nolan walked away along with his life — and a bag of diamonds.
That was not the one blast from the previous within the episode. Within the last minutes, Nolan and Wesley (Shawn Ashmore) have been summoned by Rookie: Feds‘ Particular Agent Matt Garza (Felix Solis) to tell them of a latest safety breach at an area NSA facility that resulted in somebody leveraging the U.S. authorities with delicate data in an effort to get immunity.
That somebody was none aside from Monica, who, within the Pace homage episode 11 earlier this season, employed a lady to stage a bus hijacking for the only real objective of acquiring a authorities worker’s safety badge.
In a miscellaneous sub-plotline, a person was caught stealing money from a financial institution for the remedy of an unwell Bulgarian girl. Seems he was catfished by his personal spouse who felt entitled to the entire couple’s cash and didn’t wish to share it in a divorce.
In an interview with Deadline, The Rookie creator, government producer and showrunner Alexi Hawley discusses Tim and Lucy’s season arc and what’s subsequent for the (practically) reunited couple. He additionally addresses the massive finale cliffhanger, Monica’s return, her finish sport, Oscar’s newest escape, Seth’s destiny and the potential for including extra rookies subsequent season.
Moreover, hhe seems to be again at Season 7 and its memorable film send-ups and talks about The Rookie’s shock scores resurgence and newfound recognition amongst pre-teens, teenagers and younger adults. For the 2024-25 season, The Rookie completed as No.3 amongst all broadcast collection in multi-platform adults 18-49 scores.
Tim & Lucy
DEADLINE: One of many primary overarching storylines of Season 7 was Tim and Lucy discovering a manner again to one another. There was the post-gala hook-up, the kiss through the wildfire and the entire April’s Idiot’s re-coupling, which I couldn’t perceive how that made sense that they may have intercourse that day.
HAWLEY: I can clarify it — or not, relying whether or not you care. I believe in the end the breakup was heartbreaking, each for the followers, but in addition for Lucy and for Tim. We tried to ascertain that he did it to punish himself, and sadly, it actually punished her, nevertheless it felt like such an emotional bombshell that it simply didn’t really feel proper to have a couple of episodes of mea culpas after which put them again collectively.
I felt like he had points that he needed to cope with primarily based on the entire lifetime of stuff. and it additionally had her reassess slightly bit her priorities and eager to ensure that her profession was vital to her, and that she wasn’t sacrificing issues and all that.
And so it did really feel prefer it warranted a season-long story of them doing the work that wanted to be executed, and seeing if there was a manner again to one another. I do assume that life is filled with hookups or exes getting again collectively after which regretting it or no matter. In order that was, I believe, what the try was there, that that after-gala hook-up, which, they each clearly nonetheless longed for one another, after which the April Idiot’s factor simply felt like a little bit of a egocentric act, which to me, felt human. Clearly, folks have totally different opinions on it. Does that reply your query?
DEADLINE: Yeah, it was a joke however I nonetheless don’t know the way that falls into April Idiot’s in the event that they wish to have intercourse for in the future…
HAWLRE: We leaned into that, as a result of he’s like, I don’t perceive. She’s like, do you wish to discuss this, or do you wish to take off your pants.
DEADLINE: I’m with Tim on that one. When there’s a large breakup like that, new individuals are usually launched for a love triangle or rectangular earlier than the exes return to one another. You didn’t try this. Why? Did you take into account it?
HAWLEY: Within the writers room, we’re clearly very aware of what has come earlier than and the place we’re. I labored on Fortress for a number of seasons, and it at all times felt just like the makes an attempt to introduce a love triangle, and even someone else that both of them is relationship by no means felt good on the present, the followers didn’t prefer it and it was not profitable.
And in the end for us, I believe it was that the problem wasn’t about they broke up as a result of someone wished one thing else. It was he ruined it. After which, in the end, didn’t really feel like there was a necessity for to introduce one thing else into that dynamic.
We did, we introduced Rachel again, and I believe the viewers was instantly going to imagine that she was going to be that love triangle. However for us once more, that wasn’t the purpose of that story, despite the fact that we have been aware of what the viewers would assume we have been going to do there.
DEADLINE: That was a blip, I forgot about that.
HAWLEY: Sure, I really feel you.
DEADLINE: We’ll discuss The Rookie’s enjoyable film style homages in a bit however the finale performed like a basic rom-com for Tim and Lucy. There was one of the best pal on either side making an attempt to encourage their cost to inform the opposite how they really feel. After which Tim’s speech and Lucy falling asleep, we’ve seen it in so many motion pictures. Discuss the way you got here up with that.
HAWLEY:I believe on the finish of the day, it made me snigger within the writers room after we talked about it. We’re all chasing tales which were advised earlier than. They clearly turned a nook within the final a number of episodes of the season, we knew that they have been heading again to one another.
It felt like, given the storytelling of her working nights and him working days and all that simply lent itself to that decision — figuring out, clearly, that it’s not like she’s gonna say no. So, it simply felt like a enjoyable strategy to cope with that. I do know the web thinks my definition of enjoyable will not be their favourite factor.
DEADLINE: Lucy and Tim’s final scene ended with “to be continued,” so what are you able to inform us about what comes subsequent? Them working reverse shifts will not be working very nicely. Is that this one thing you’ll be persevering with, creating extra obstacles for them?
HAWLEY: It’s nonetheless early days, we simply began the room final week for Season 8, however in all probability not. I do really feel like in the end, the Season 7 journey of their repairing their relationship is sort of at an finish, and so I don’t wish to simply introduce obstacles to introduce obstacles..So, no, in all probability not. I believe, we’re heading for a very good place in Season 8.
DEADLINE: Okay, each working days as a result of we don’t care about these lazy night time shift cops Lucy was put answerable for.
HAWLEY: I do know which was the purpose. And in addition, truthfully, we don’t do loads of night time shoots on Rookie. We strive to not for varied causes, some that are, the influence it has on the crew and the solid. And in addition…
DEADLINE: On the price range?
HAWLEY: Not as a lot on the price range. The turnaround occasions now, the wins that the unions bought, particularly IATSE over the past negotiations and the strike, the turnaround makes it arduous to get again to a 7AM begin, and so it snowballs. However I additionally really feel like we’re a daytime motion patrol present for probably the most half.
DEADLINE: So Lucy again on day shift, and her and Tim transfer in collectively. Have I found out subsequent season?
HAWLEY: I’m not going to say sure, I’m not going to say no, however we’re each smiling. So…
Oscar, Monica & Felix
DEADLINE: This yr’s finale appears a bit like a repeat of final yr’s, which additionally concerned Oscar escaping, Monica stirring bother, and Felix making a go to. Was this intentional, one thing that you simply’re seeking to do each season now?
HAWLEY: No, it wasn’t essentially intentional. We ended final season with the escape, Monica and all that type of stuff. Coming into Season 7 — as nice as characters as they’re, and we love having them — I additionally felt like we wished to inform some newer tales, and that Jason, Bailey’s ex-husband, was meant to be extra of the main focus, and the results that she didn’t even understand that she had suffered from that abusive relationship; that to me was the story to inform that felt contemporary.
We did introduce Monica in Episode 11 as being on the market, we wished to maintain that alive. But it surely simply felt, in the end, that we now have loads of story to inform, and driving in the direction of them within the finale felt like the fitting factor to do.
DEADLINE: What’s Monica’s finish sport? Figuring out her, immunity appears slightly small for her. Are you able to tease what sort of bother she’s going to stir this time?
HAWLEY: Once more, it’s early days. However I believe Monica is at all times a little bit of a gadfly. I believe the immunity deal was her 11-and-a-half hour, pulling it out of the fireplace, so to talk, and getting leverage on the federal government.
However I believe what we’ll discover in Season 8 is that there’s different story to inform along with her. There’s different sides to that immunity deal, which might play out in Season 8, after which additionally, what does the subsequent chapter seem like for her and us?
As a result of she’s not getting her regulation license again, so what? That’s stuff we’re investigating within the room within the coming weeks, what’s the fallout? Once more, [Bridget]’s an enormous useful resource for us within the present, in the identical manner that Matthew Glave, who performs Oscar, is and Felix, who performs Garza, is, we love having these actors who’re so good round and accessible to us.
DEADLINE: Talking of Bridget Regan, do you know that she was additionally getting used on 9-1-1? She’s turn out to be ABC’s villain of the spring; she simply killed Bobby.
HAWLEY: I really didn’t know that till you simply mentioned that so, no, I used to be not conscious of that. However what are you going to do about that? She’s been a part of our household, and you’ll’t begrudge her the work, and clearly she’s actually good at that character. We have been fortunate sufficient to work with Annie Wersching earlier than she tragically handed away; she is one other actress who was so good at a particular tone and particular characters. It’s arduous to seek out villains who don’t chew the surroundings and don’t really feel arch, who you consider and who’re intimidating and scary and all that type of stuff, however nonetheless really feel grounded.
DEADLINE: Oscar escaped once more. Will he be this white whale? Will he stay on Nolan’s board and proceed to be large a part of his life, or will probably be he simply parachute in in some unspecified time in the future sooner or later?
HAWLEY: We’ll undoubtedly see him once more. We will solely get so many bites the apple of him getting away, so I believe we’ll see some decision in some form or type subsequent yr. However look, we love Matthew, he’s an ideal instance, we now have a lot of them. You write a job and also you rent an actor, and it was by no means meant to be greater than that.
He was a prisoner, escaped from a jail, bus crash, after which he simply popped on display screen, and also you’re like, oh, I wish to see that man once more. Truthfully, it’s the enjoyment of community tv, and doing as many episodes as we get to do. You actually can develop characters and convey characters alongside; you simply can’t do on streaming the place you solely have six or eight or ten episodes.
DEADLINE: You talked about Felix as Garza. With the finale’s cliffhanger, it looks like the worlds of Rookie and Rookie: Feds are converging once more. Do you assume you’ll incorporate the Feds workforce extra subsequent season and convey again different characters, perhaps Niecy Nash’s Simone?
HAWLRE: We noticed Britt, we’ve seen a number of of the characters this season. A part of my dialog with ABC after Feds was tragically canceled was mainly saying, I like these characters, I’d like to nonetheless see them. It’s not like we’re not going to have FBI brokers in our present, so quite than having to reinvent the wheel, can’t we simply embrace… And, to their credit score, they mentioned sure.
I believe we took a season in between, bringing them again. There’s shorthand with these characters; they exist in our world, they’ve relationships. Felix and Richard [T. Jones], the Garza-Gray relationship is particular, and it’s simply good to see them once more. After which by way of Niecy, she is a really busy girl. I’d doubt that we’d have the ability to get her again on the present, simply given how a lot she’s working however clearly, I’d like to work along with her once more. By no means say by no means.
Misc finale questions
DEADLINE: Why would Nolan assist Oscar with studying the map once they went astray in order that they discover the treasure sooner and Nolan will get killed sooner? That was shocking to me.
HAWLEY: Okay, that’s truthful I assume. I believe he was making an attempt to string it alongside, in search of his alternative, however, yeah, I don’t know that I’ve a satisfying reply for you on that one.
DEADLINE: Second one, will the mother of that teenage boy file a lawsuit in opposition to the LAPD as a result of the boy was undoubtedly not stored out of hazard in that firefight?
HAWLEY: No, I really feel you. I really feel you. So sure, to be continued.
DEADLINE And one other miscellaneous observe. Thanks for giving a shoutout to my homeland, I’m from Bulgaria, and for not dragging it into the catfishing conspiracy. Was the nation picked randomly or was there a cause for that?
HAWLEY: It wasn’t essentially picked for a cause. I believe Japanese Europe was the dialog, and Bulgaria as being a reputation that we would not hear as a lot made it really feel slightly unique. And once more, I hold praising actors, nevertheless it’s one other second the place that actor got here in, and that second of the AI, seven fingers and three fingers, and he’s like, “beginning defect;” that was a humorous second.
New rookies & justice for Seth
DEADLINE: You’ve talked about protecting the present contemporary by biking rookies out and in. Will we see new rookies launched subsequent season with Celina graduating and Seth getting injured?
HAWLEY: I don’t know is the sincere reply. Miles continues to be a rookie, and so I believe that will probably be for many of — if not all — of Season 8, I’m undecided but, it’s nonetheless early days. I believe it’s tremendous vital to point out that we hold that alive, clearly, however the sincere reply is, I’m not fairly certain but.
DEADLINE: I’d prefer to get some justice for Seth. Sure, he was a vilified character however I’m undecided he deserved what occurred to him with the leg wound after he did the fitting factor and saved Nolan’s life. Did you need him to be punished? And since he’s doubtlessly getting desk responsibility as a result of damage, will he be coming again and proceed to be a part of the Rookie universe?
HAWLEY: I believe Seth’s journey for us was A: a couple of pathological liar. I actually do consider that as a personality, Seth noticed himself as a sufferer on a regular basis, which might be his story, however I do assume he confirmed up within the academy eager to be a distinct particular person and to not be a liar anymore.
And I do assume that he simply panicked when he was getting in bother. And in the end it was a weak point of character, that each time he was pushed, he couldn’t come clear, he simply needed to lie extra.
So it did really feel like if we wished to discover a flip, a redemption journey for him, that there did must be some repercussions of his actions, and I did really feel like we would have liked one thing stunning to occur. However I additionally assume that in the end, within the LAPD, if he can find yourself passing the bodily exams to get again into the pressure with a prosthetic, then he could be a cop once more.
For us, it was actually about creating this character who actually simply f*cks up stuff, however but making an attempt to… We at all times need them to be human beings. We at all times wish to see behind the their eyes that there’s grief and regret. And if that’s relevant, after which problem ourselves to see if we will flip them round.
Film Spoofs & bodycam footage
DEADLINE: One of many issues that stood out this season have been the film homages: there was the Pace episode, which hit season excessive scores, The Purge. Is it one thing that you simply’re going to attempt to do frequently since followers are clearly responding to it?
HAWLEY: We perceive the homages once they occur. I do really feel like tonally, I love to do every thing, and as a present, we do type of every thing — we clearly do humorous, we do motion, we attempt to do horror the place we will.
There’s an episode this season the place Lucy and Celina went to research a lacking lady and ended up in that home, which was very a lot an homage to The Silence of the Lambs, the Jame Gumb basement sequence.
So we’re very aware of the tales and the films or TV reveals that we’re bumping up in opposition to. We don’t essentially go down the highway of like, what’s the film we’re doing this week? The bus episode particularly, we name them “pod automobile episodes,” they’re one or two.
Through the pandemic after we have been making an attempt to determine how — or if — we will even make tv, a part of my course of was, how do I invent a couple of episodes the place the actors are the most secure, unmasked. We shoot our driving stuff with a stunt driver on the roof and actors really behind the wheel, which permits us to actually drive across the metropolis and do all that stuff with out course of trailers or rear projection.
Finally, it meant that there was one or two actors in a automobile unmasked with no different crew round them. And so I’m like, Okay, we’re going to do an episode in Season 3 the place we solely inform tales from physique cams and sprint cams and safety cams, and that’s type of how the pod automobile episodes began.
So we’re at all times in search of episodes which can be cell in a manner that warrants that type of storytelling. And clearly Pace is considered one of them. In order that’s how that course of got here round, in search of one of the simplest ways to inform a narrative during which we will put all our characters in these automobiles and having them shifting goal, so to talk. And I really feel like that was considered one of our most profitable pod automobile episodes, it actually did lend itself to the storytelling.
DEADLINE: Additionally Pace is an iconic LA film, in order that made made good sense for a LA present like The Rookie. There was additionally the documentary episode, which freaked me out a bit, I don’t do scary.
HAWLEY: That’s one other one which I got here up with as a manner, if in case you have these static interviews with the characters, which take up an enormous portion of it, and it’s simply Nathan on display screen, or it’s simply two of them. It’s one other one the place we’re like, okay, on the time of the pandemic, that was the most secure factor for the actors. But it surely permits us, each season, to do one thing slightly unconventional, slightly enjoyable.
DEADLINE: I like the body-cam footage concept. We didn’t seen it a lot within the second half of the season. Are you phasing it out?
HAWLEY: No, under no circumstances. It relies on the storytelling, Clearly you want the actors to be in uniform and have it on. Generally editorially, it doesn’t, like within the sequence I used to be speaking about, the Silence of the Lambs scene. They have been each in plain garments, they weren’t carrying the physique cam. That may have been a terrific physique cam second, however we didn’t have it.
So, no, it’s nothing aware. It’s simply the best way the storytelling fell. Identical factor within the finale, clearly, Nolan and Harper on the market within the desert, they’re not carrying physique cams. So it simply didn’t work out that manner.
Scores success
DEADLINE: Throughout a earlier interview you talked about CNN’s Jake Tapper reaching out through the pandemic to let you know what large followers of The Rookie he and his 12-year son have been. That’s not an remoted incident. Earlier than the pandemic, Nathan Fillion stored joking. “I’m in all probability a very large deal to your mother.” Then issues circled, and now the present retains getting found by younger folks, it’s factor on TikTok, How did you handle to make broadcast hip once more?
HAWLEY: I respect the best way you formatted that. I believe it’s a mix of issues. I do assume that the present is enjoyable to observe, despite the fact that there are stakes. In a day and age the place it appears like nervousness and awfulness is round us on a regular basis, it feels slightly bit like an escape. I do assume that we lend ourselves to the clip technology, which is what TikTok and all these issues are. We’ve teasers, we now have little moments. Anytime they get out of their automobile, one thing humorous can occur.
We do have loads of moments which have managed to go viral. “Daddy Cop” was a giant a type of. yeah, all I hear lately is like, my 13-year-old loves to point out, it’s my 11-year outdated’s favourite present. I really feel tremendous fortunate that we’ve gotten to put now, as a result of reveals don’t get extra in style as they get older. And but, beginning in Season 5, our scores actually began to go up and and have continued to and I’m tremendous grateful about that.
