The following will contain spoilers for The Rookie, Season 7, Episode 8, “Wildfire,” now streaming on Hulu.
The Rookie originally began with Nathan Fillion’s John Nolan being the oldest rookie officer in the history of the LAPD. Since Season 5, The Rookie shifted to that premise, making Nolan a training officer. However, he currently doesn’t have his own trainee to guide, but there are still two new rookie officers with Deric Augustine’s Miles Penn, a former police officer from Texas, and Seth Ridley, a nervous kid who makes terrible decisions.
Returning on March 11th after a week hiatus, The Rookie Season 7, Episode 9, “The Kiss” will pick up from the previous episode’s cliffhanger ending where one of the regular characters’ lives hangs in the balance. It promises to be a deeply emotional episode.
Where and When to Watch The Rookie Season 7, Episode 9, ‘The Kiss’
Viewers Who Miss the Debut on ABC Can Stream It on Hulu the Next Day
Celina Juarez in police BDUs standing between two boxes as Kylie Thomas and James Murray lie on the ground, bloody on either side of her from the RookieImage via ABC
After a week’s break, “The Kiss” debuted on ABC on March 11, 2025, at 9 PM, an hour earlier than the usual 10 PM timeslot since the end of High Potential’s first season. The episode will pick up from the cliffhanger ending of “Wildfire,” which ends with James Murray (Arjay Smith) being shot multiple times by an implied gang member of a shooting. His target was his ex-girlfriend Kylie Thomas (Maria Zhang)
Official synopsis: The team mobilizes to locate a suspect after a deadly series of events affecting one of their own. Meanwhile, Celina takes on her first case with Bailey’s help.
James is Nyla Harper’s (Mekia Cox) husband, and the couple had their difficulties in Season 7. James is a community activist, which often runs counter to Nyla’s job as a police detective. In a recent episode, she complaining about their constant arguing over the state of policing. However, she decided to create a group of police officers dedicated to reform for him, despite how unpopular that would make her on the force. However, that’s not the only trouble the couple face.
While Quigley Smitty has appeared in more episodes than any other recurring character on The Rookie, he deserves to be more than comic relief.
When talking to James about her ex-boyfriend (a man named Connor in the “Sixth Street Devils” gang), Kylie misread his concerns. She kissed him, though he rebuffed her advances by saying, “I really love my wife.” Unfortunately, as this happened, Nolan saw them. He agonized over “Wildfire” about what to do, especially since Harper was his former training officer. This will create a problem now that he’s shot.
What potential viewers should know about The Rookie is that while it is a police procedural, it’s also a soap opera in the best way. From Harper and Murray to the fan-favorite couple “Chenford,” viewers are invested in the character relationships. While the group on the series is a tight-knit one, the drama with James and Kylie’s kiss could fracture some of these relationships. Despite seeing who did the shooting, James’s perceived infidelity could make Harper a suspect in the shooting.
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The Rookie quickly became an ensemble show about more than just Nathan Fillion’s titular character, but the death of Jackson West almost doomed it.
Despite this drama, it’s unlikely that James will die or that Harper will be falsely convicted of shooting her husband. The Rookie is a show that expertly balances tension, action and lighthearted character moments. Save for the rare cliffhanger like in “Wildfire,” most of the series’ cases or problems are solved by the time credits roll. It’s a more “feel-good” series than other police procedures.
The second half of Season 7 will surely be much like the first half. The Rookie will balance big cases and action-heavy episodes with smaller, street-level stories focused on training the rookies. Miles Penn is adjusting to his role in the LAPD, while Seth Ridley is due for a reckoning considering his mistakes and deceptions. The season promises to be dramatic and intense, but still full of the romance and humor that makes The Rookie unique.
