The penultimate episode of The Rookie Season 5 was great. “Going Under” was one of the highest-rated episodes because it successfully kicked off several new narratives. Notably, it showed a new side of Officer Juarez and gave her a love interest. At the same time, it showed how Officer Thorsen has a bright future as a detective. However, both plot points were dramatically put on hold in the finale, “Under Siege.”
Going into the finale, fans knew that things would be intense. The episode synopsis warned that one of the LAPD cops would be shot as masked assailants targeted the team. Knowing that fans braced for the worst — and the worst might have happened. Much to viewers’ dismay, it appeared that Aaron Thorsen may have died from his wounds at the end of the episode. It’s the worst kind of cliffhanger for The Rookie fans, and Season 6 was delayed as its actors and writers were forced to strike in 2023 to get a fair contract.
Updated August 22, 2024, by Joshua M. Patton: In early February, ABC released the first trailer for The Rookie Season 6, and eagle-eyed fans spotted Thorsen in the precinct bullpen in the background of a scene in which Nolan and Bailey hug. The actor’s face wasn’t seen clearly, but the fit of his short sleeves and the hairstyle gave him away. Also, actor Tru Valentino is leaving The Rookie series, and he was seen in Melissa O’Neill’s Instagram video celebrating series’ 100th episode. Yet, while Thorsen was safe for Season 6, that’s not the case for The Rookie Season 7.
Officer Aaron Thorsen Was Shot in The Rookie’s Season 5 Finale
The Rookie Officer’s Fate Was Part of the Cliffhanger Ending
When “Under Siege” opened, situations were already tense. Juarez and Thorsen were walking home at 4 a.m. They had just finished an extended Dungeons & Dragons campaign, and as they walked the dark and foreboding streets, they heard a scream coming from inside a warehouse. Even though they were off duty, they went to investigate. Against all D&D logic, they split the party, and it wasn’t long before masked assailants captured them. Thorsen was shot in the back, and Celina was beaten.
In an odd twist, they didn’t kill or kidnap either of them. Celina managed to call for help, and it wasn’t long before they were at the hospital. The team spent the rest of the Season 5 finale trying to hunt down the perpetrators while Thorsen fought for his life. He made it out of surgery, and everyone thought he might be in the clear. But as “Under Siege” was wrapping up, there was a code blue at the hospital. It was Thorsen, and he was crashing.
Did Officer Aaron Thorsen Die In the Season 5 Finale?
So, did Officer Thorsen die? The short answer: No. He survived the shooting and was rushed into surgery. The surgery was successful, but Thorsen didn’t regain consciousness in the episode. In the final moments of The Rookie Season 5 finale, as the real mastermind describes going after “their real target,” a short scene shows Aaron going into cardiac arrest. Doctors and nurses rushed in as Juarez called his name. The scene cut off before revealing what happened to him. It was a very intentional cliffhanger, and fans had to wait until the first episode of Season 6 to find out Thorsen’s fate.
The Rookie ‘s producers wanted Aaron Thorsen’s fate to be part of the cliffhanger ending leading into Season 6.
All things considered, it was unlikely that Thorsen will die. The character, played by Tru Valentino, was upgraded to series regular for the first time in Season 5. So, it would be really odd to kill him off after a single season. Also, worth mentioning is his character’s growth, going from underdog rookie to training to become a detective. However, none of that precludes Thorsen’s death. The Rookie has killed series regulars before, notably Officer Jackson West. While the former occurred because Titus Makin Jr. wanted to leave the show, neither ABC nor Valentino announced an exit for Thorsen before Season 6 of The Rookie.
Who Is Officer Araron Thorsen on The Rookie?
The Rookie‘s Aaron Thorsen at a glance
Played by Tru Valentino
First appearance: Season 4, Episode 2 “Five Minutes”
Most recent appearance: Season 6, Episode 10 “Escape Plan”
Total appearances: 43 Episodes
Ironically, considering he may be killed off in a season premiere, Aaron Thorsen was a character introduced in the fourth season to replace West in the ensemble. He was a recurring character for his first season, and he was promoted both in the show and in the cast to a series regular. Whereas West was the son of a police officer who sought to follow in his father’s footsteps while proving he belonged on the force, Thorsen had a much different upbringing. He is the son of a famous rapper, Lincoln Thorsen, and garnered his own fame on social media for showing off his privileged lifestyle. He became friends with a man named Patrick Hayes, who was murdered while Aaron was the only other person in the apartment. His trial was a media sensation, and after his acquittal, he joined the force to make sure what happened to him didn’t happen to anyone else. He had to sue the department to get his spot, and he faced even more derision than Nolan did as the LAPD’s oldest rookie.
Season 4, Episode 16, “Real Crime,” is shot like an episode of his mother Yvonne’s reality show featuring handheld camera scenes and sit-down talking-head interviews with the characters. Two of Thorsen’s friends, Rowan Clausen and Everest Sanders appear to discuss Patrick’s murder and the murder of the show’s producer Morris Mackey. Detective Angela Lopez investigated Rowan, learning he sold drugs to fund his lavish lifestyle, and she found evidence that he was the one who murdered Patrick. Patrick’s father, Dexter still blamed Aaron for his son’s death, attacking him during a traffic stop. Once Rowan is arrested, Dexter comes to Aaron and apologizes and the two share a hug. Cleared of wrongdoing, Thorsen throws himself into his career, eager to make detective. He also becomes close friends with the rest of the characters.
Aaron Thorsen Survived His Shooting and Appeared In The Rookie Season 6
When Titus Makin, Jr. left the series, his departure was kept a secret even with his guest role on NCIS: Hawaii less than a month after The Rookie Season 4 debuted. Makin has maintained he left the show to focus on his music career, and usually, news of an actor’s departure from a series comes via booking another role. However, Makin didn’t even return to film his character’s death, with the scene being shot using a double. In Melissa O’Neill’s Instagram post celebrating the 100th episode of The Rookie, Valentino is on set (though wearing “civilian” clothes) amidst a celebratory atmosphere.
Thorsen’s fate was revealed in Season 6’s early episodes. He was in therapy with Dr. Blair London, one of The Rookie’s new villains, who cleared him for a return to duty. The show even seemed to hint at a potential romance for the two characters, however this was upended when she was revealed to be working with attorney and wannabe-crime-lord Monica Stevens. While Nolan and Harper went abroad to chase Stevens and Dr. London, Thorsen stayed behind with the rest of the cast to bring down the other part of Monica’s criminal conspiracy.
The Rookie killed off Mercedes Mason’s character in Season 1 to condition audiences that no character (presumably other than Nathan Fillion’s John Nolan) is truly “safe.” However, Thorsen’s death was a red herring for audiences to chew on while waiting for the new season. Over those ten episodes, Thorsen continued to grow as a police officer, solving cases and looking out for suspects he believed were wrongly accused. However, despite the lack of a cliffhanger ending in Season 6, fans of Officer Thorsen have some bad news ahead of them.
Tru Valentino Is Out as a Series Regular on The Rookie
Officer Aaron Thorsen’s Fate Is Unknown Until the 2025 Season 7 Premiere
Because of the Hollywood strikes in 2023, The Rookie Season 6 was only 10 episodes long, but the next season will have more episodes. Still, the 18-episode order is fewer episodes than The Rookie usually gets for a season. Perhaps there are budget concerns going into Season 7. Amid the news of two new castmembers being added, Tru Valentino is leaving The Rookie. However, just because Thorsen won’t be back as a series regular it doesn’t mean the character won’t return for a guest spot. In fact, the actor implied he just might be back for an episode or two.
I will always cherish my time on The Rookie but couldn’t be more excited for what the future has in store – Tru Valentino regarding his exit from The Rookie.
While it might seem like he was fired from the show, it’s not unheard of for the cast to step away from the rigors of a broadcast television shooting schedule. For his part, Valentino does not seem to be bitter. “I will always cherish my time on The Rookie but couldn’t be more excited for what the future has in store,” Valentino wrote via Instagram. “I adore the friends and relationships made while being there. It was such an amazing opportunity and feel so lucky to have had the last 3 seasons. Thank you to the best fans in the world. I know I don’t talk much, but I appreciate you all so much. You never know who may pop back up in the mid-Wilshire precinct. Until then, 7 Adam 19, this is Officer Thorsen, over and out!”
Joining The Rookie cast of characters in Season 7 will be two new faces. Deric Augustine will play Miles, a transfer officer from Texas, and Patrick Keheler will play Seth, an indecisive rookie cop. While neither Titus Makin, Jr. nor Afton Williamson, who played Talia Bishop in Season 1, returned to film their exits from The Rookie, Valentino may break that mold. He might appear in an early episode to make his exit or, as the actor suggested, he may return for a guest spot on a future episode. Still, fans of The Rookie will be sad to see Thorsen go
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