The Rookie Season 7 is heavy on Nyla Harper (Mekia Cox). She is engaged in a cat-and-mouse game with a serial killer and is convinced she has the right guy. She’s struggling with the potential havoc the serial killer could wreak if not put behind bars as soon as possible. Her private life is not going well, too, as her relationship with James (Arjay Smith) hits turbulent waters. Cox told TV Insider that the couple will “be tested a lot” in the upcoming episodes. When Valentine’s arrives on The Rookie Season 7, Episode 6, “The Gala,” “there is a relationship that comes to a head surrounding the two of them,” teased Cox. These comments by the actress echo similar sentiments she expressed when she told Collider’s Therese Lacson:
“I think Nyla and James really do love each other, but their relationship is hard, and like every relationship, it has its ups and downs. So, you, as an audience, get a little peek into what their life is like this season. They are trying hard to work together in terms of what’s going on here in the department, as well as for their kids, but they butt heads. They butt heads a little bit, and you’ll see that.”
What’s Coming Up for Nyla in ‘The Rookie’ Season 7?
The Rookie’s showrunner, Alexi Hawley, also revealed the couple’s main conflict. “She does agree with him [that there are problems with how policing is done.] The problem is that she also is a police officer who loves her job and is good at her job and does think that there’s incredible value in policing, and so therefore, where do you go from there when you just keep having the same conversation over and over again?” he said.
As she deals with work and personal life, Nyla will also get a visit from her family. “I’ll just say you get to meet a family member,” Cox previously said, refusing to spoil who visits and what the visit is about. She said the episode had been filmed, but she didn’t reveal which episode it was.
In “The Gala,” — airing on Tuesday, February 11 — “It’s Valentine’s Day, and Lieutenant Grey (Richard T. Jones) gives Tim (Eric Winter) and Lucy (Melissa O’Neil) an unromantic assignment, while John (Nathan Fillion) and Celina (Lisseth Chavez) track down a missing girl. Later, the team sharpens up for a charity gala where multiple relationships come to a head,” reads the official logline.
