The Rookie may not tell the story of an older rookie cop anymore, as John Oliver mentioned on a recent episode of Last Week Tonight, but it’s still an enjoyable and fascinating series. In season 1, which premiered in 2018, John Nolan (Nathan Fillion) gets a job at the LAPD, and over the next few seasons, he begins dating Bailey Nune (Jenna Dewan) and connects with his new coworkers.
Recently, fans heard the news that The Rookie season 8 won’t premiere until mid-season, and while they wait, they’re thinking about the implications of season 7, episode 22, “The Good, The Bad, and the Oscar.” Recently, showrunner Alexi Hawley gave an interview and talked about whether the next season will feature a time jump, and it’s an interesting question.
Showrunner Alexi Hawley Addresses Whether The Rookie Season 8 Will Feature A Time Jump
In an interview with TV Line after The Rookie season 7 finale, showrunner Alexi Hawley answered a question about whether season 8 will have a time jump. Hawley said:
“I don’t think it’ll be months later. I think it’ll be fairly continuous — not literally next day, but within a fairly short amount of time. There’s some time-sensitive stuff that we left hanging, that feels like we should [resolve soon] for the audience. I don’t think we should jump forward too far in time.”
This is great news as a big time jump would be frustrating for fans who want to know the status of Lucy Chen (Melissa O’Neil) and Tim Bradford’s (Eric Winter) relationship. A time jump wouldn’t answer all the burning questions that viewers have, including when Lucy realizes that Tim asked her to move in with him, and she slept through it. A time jump would also likely result in some corny flashbacks about what happened during the time that has passed, which wouldn’t be the right call.
Since fans were a little disappointed by The Rookie season 7 finale, it makes sense to pick up where this episode left off. While it’s fine if a few weeks or even a month has passed since Nolan and his team saw Monica (Bridget Regan) again, any longer would be a mistake. Although of course Lucy and Tim are now working opposite schedules and they don’t have as much time to talk as they used to, they should allude to the need for a serious conversation. Then, at least a few episodes into The Rookie season 8, they need to get back together and decide to live together. Fans have definitely waited long enough to see this storyline wrapped up.
While time jumps can be exciting and, in the case of Stranger Things season 5, this narrative device can be necessary, The Rookie is already thrilling enough. Since the show’s premise sees each main character digging into intriguing cases in every episode and trying to help people, there’s no need to add the extra element of a long time jump.
What Storylines Were Left Hanging In The Rookie Season 7 Finale?
The Rookie season 7 finale was packed with drama, the return of two significant villains, and big changes in the main characters’ personal lives. While there are several months to go until the popular series comes back in January 2026, fans are already curious about what will happen in the season 8 premiere.
In classic season finale fashion, several storylines haven’t been resolved yet, which makes it hard to wait for more episodes. Of course, the biggest plotline is the question of Chenford. Eric Winter mentioned the complex relationship between these two beloved characters, and while fans know they won’t magically solve all their problems, many would say they have been apart for too long.
Other storylines heading into The Rookie season 8 include how the team will deal with Monica Stevens (Bridget Regan), if Nolan will catch Oscar Hutchinson (Matthew Glave) for good, and how Lucy Chen will find more confidence as a new sergeant.
Also, since Seth Ridley (Patrick Keheler) came back a few episodes before the season 7 finale, fans are still eager to see his character arc wrap up. Will Seth come back in season 8 and redeem himself, and is there any way he could work for the LAPD again? While it will be a long time before fans get answers to their queries, they can catch up on past seasons of The Rookie over the summer and fall and revisit some wild and heartwarming storylines.
