The Rookie showrunner Alexi Hawley promises the return of a fan-favorite character in Season 8.
Speaking to TVLine, Hawley would not answer the question of how many episodes the upcoming eighth season of The Rookie would be. However, Hawley did note that the series would likely be as long as if not longer than Season 7, which came in at 18 episodes total. Flula Borg’s “Skip Tracer Randy comes back to us, I think it’s [Episode] 17, in a really fun storyline,” Hawley said, tacitly admitting that Season 8 will run at least close to the same number of episodes as Season 7.
Created by Hawley, The Rookie premiered on ABC in 2018 to rave reviews from critics and audiences alike. For the past seven years, the series has followed Nathan Fillion’s John Nolan, a member of the LAPD who joined the force relatively late in life after being swept up in a bank robbery as a civilian. The Rookie’s ensemble cast includes Alyssa Diaz, Richard T. Jones, Shawn Ashmore, Eric Winter, Melissa O’Neil, and Mekia Cox, as well as a whole host of featured and guest stars. Among the latter group is comedian Flula Borg, who made his first full appearance as Skip Tracer (and bounty hunter) Randy in the Season 4 episode “Long Shot.”
The Rookie Reaches the End of Season 7
The Rookie is already in the final episodes of its seventh season, with only two premieres left until the finale. It was recently reported that the next of these, “A Deadly Secret,” will feature two special guest stars in the forms of Ghost Files hosts Shane Madej and Ryan Bergara. As per the episode’s official synopsis from ABC, “Documentary filmmakers interview the LAPD on a complicated missing person’s case connected to John.” The episode will air this week on Tuesday, April 22.
A new trailer for the next episode of 9-1-1 gives fans a look at the aftermath of this season’s unexpected death of a major character.
As for what the finale itself will hold, The Rookie star Shawn Ashmore discussed his favorite moments from Season 7 earlier this month, explaining that he “Got to do some great work with one of our recurring castmates who’s very, very strong, but I don’t want to give it away. But it’s a strong storyline.” Ashmore continued, “I really, really enjoyed it. So I don’t want to spoil too much. But yeah, there’s some good stuff coming up. And the end of the season is pretty exciting too. I remember shooting that last scene being like, ‘Oh yeah, this is going to be a good one.’ There’s a lot to look forward to.”
