As The Rookie season 8 gets closer, we’re learning more and more about what’s to come, and, unfortunately, one tease regarding John Nolan’s story is discouraging. The ABC police procedural TV series is technically an ensemble show, but Nathan Fillion is undoubtedly the face of it. As such, his character’s storylines matter, which is what makes this recent update unnerving.
At the beginning of The Rookie, Nolan was the oldest rookie in the Los Angeles Police Department. Since then, he has slowly but surely proved himself to be a great police officer and has made tremendous progress in his career. Nolan’s biggest change came in The Rookie season 5 when he became a training officer, forever altering the makeup of the cop show.
Nolan Likely Won’t Have A New Rookie At The Beginning Of Season 8
Showrunner Addressed Whether Season 8 Will Have Any Newbies
During an interview with Collider, Nathan Fillion and The Rookie showrunner Alexi Hawley discussed the upcoming season. Of course, they talked about what Monica Stevens’ arrival at the end of The Rookie season 7 means for the series and what the future holds for Chenford. However, when asked if Nolan would take on a new rookie in season 8, Hawley said:
“I don’t know that I can tease anything like that coming into season 8. Ultimately, down the line… Yeah, I can’t really tease that yet. There are some spoilers in there. I don’t want to get into it.”
The showrunner was obviously reluctant to discuss anything regarding new rookies and how they would affect Nolan’s character. He didn’t give too much away, but his answer implies Nolan’s status as a training officer at the beginning of The Rookie season 8. In particular, Hawley’s “down the line” comment suggests that Nolan won’t have a new rookie when the season opens.
If Nolan received a new assignment during the first few episodes of The Rookie season 8 (which have already been filmed), we likely would’ve heard about it by now. Or ABC would’ve announced the casting update. Hawley also wouldn’t call it a spoiler. So, the showrunner’s answer proves that Nolan won’t begin the season with a rookie, putting him at a disadvantage.
Nolan Is At His Best When He’s A Training Officer
Nathan Fillion’s Character Thrives As A Teacher
Ever since Celina Juarez graduated in The Rookie season 7, Nolan hasn’t had much to do. Well, he hasn’t had anything intriguing to do. Yes, Nolan tracked down Oscar Hutchinson during the finale of The Rookie season 7, but the wanted convict ultimately got away, meaning all of Nolan’s work was for naught. His search for his son’s ex-fiancée also wasn’t exciting.
After Celina left him, the only times that Nolan’s character was interesting were when he served as a training officer. In episode 12, Lieutenant Grey assigned Nolan a new rookie, Connor Craig. The young man was quite a mess, and Nolan had his work cut out for him. However, Nolan pulled off the impossible and turned Connor into a competent cop.
In The Rookie season 7, episode 16, Nolan became Seth Ridley’s training officer (much to his dismay). Even then, when Seth’s character was infuriating to no end, Nolan managed to steer him in the right direction. Ultimately, Nolan is the best version of himself when he’s teaching newbies. Consequently, season 8 delaying the inevitability of Nolan getting a new rookie is a mistake.
The good news is that Hawley’s “down the line” comment indicates that Nolan won’t be rookie-less forever. It will just take more time for that day to come. Hopefully, for both Nolan and the audience, it’s sooner rather than later. Fillion’s Rookie character deserves to be set up for success.
Who Will Become Nolan’s Next Rookie?
The Possibilities For Celina’s Replacement Are Endless
Not many characters are worthy of following in Celina’s footsteps in The Rookie season 8. Her up-and-down relationship with Nolan when he first became her training officer was special, and Celina has grown to be an extraordinary police officer. Now, Nolan and Celina are quite close, and she is killing it as a P2, meaning her replacement has big shoes to fill.
That doesn’t mean that The Rookie won’t try to find Nolan’s next perfect match, though. There are really only two options when it comes to his new rookie — either they could be someone we have already met, or it could be a new character. Both possibilities have merit. Unfortunately, we won’t know which is true until the time comes.
Perhaps Connor could return and resume his role as Nolan’s rookie. Or Seth could somehow have a quick recovery and rejoin Nolan in season 8 (this option is much less probable, but The Rookie has never claimed to be a completely realistic representation of real life). Even Miles Penn is a candidate if Tim Bradford is no longer able to train him.
At the end of the day, the most likely person to replace Celina in The Rookie season 8 is someone we don’t know. The police procedural has already ended Connor and Seth’s arcs. Meanwhile, there’s no reason to believe that Tim would pass Miles off to Nolan. Only time will tell who the lucky cop will be, though, in The Rookie season 8.
The Rookie season 8, which will consist of 18 episodes, is set to premiere in early 2026.
