I am worried that The Rookie is making risky changes in season 8 that could end up hurting the core identity of the show. The Rookie premiered in 2018, and The Rookie season 7 finished airing in May 2025. The early seasons focused more on the rookie training and experiences of the cast as well as character development.
However, the more recent seasons have seen the cast earn promotions, encounter personal struggles, and become part of relationship arcs. Moreover, while these latest seasons have still focused on areas of police work at hand, the complex storylines of the core cast have stronger character-driven plots with less emphasis on police procedures, investigations, and daily patrols.
San Diego Comic-Con recently took place, and a lot was revealed by John Nolan actor, Nathan Fillion, and executive producer, Alexi Hawley, about some of the logistical and larger pros and cons of The Rookie’s decision to move to Prague in season 8.
Hawley threw the Prague idea out there, thinking that network TV budget restraints wouldn’t be an issue because they’d gotten so good at producing the show, and Fillion was all for it. Moreover, filming in L.A. has become harder as the show has become more popular.
They didn’t touch on the larger risks of the move, but I see the challenges and understand the show’s identity is at risk now with such major changes.
The Rookie Season 8’s Move To Prague Doesn’t Align With Its Historic Identity
LAPD’s Mid-Wilshire Division Was At The Show’s Core
Don’t get me wrong, I know The Rookie has evolved a lot in the last seven years, but the show has never changed locations. The LAPD’s Mid-Wilshire Division has been the home base of The Rookie since the beginning, so it’s a huge stretch to remove that constant. Taking things international makes me fear that I won’t connect to the new locale, since the show is inherently tied to American premises and police situations.
Expanding to Prague, I think The Rookie could take on more of a spy thriller tone that will detract from the angle and procedural pace the show has always had. While I understand moving to Prague sets up The Rookie for bigger action sequences and international storylines, it means the show won’t be as nuclear as it always has been.
I enjoyed the LAPD bubble and how that setting developed characters and relationships, and now I feel Prague could damage my sense of connection to The Rookie.
The Rookie’s Character Narratives Could Get Muddled In Season 8
Will The Character Storylines Make Sense In The New Setting?
Executive producer Hawley did confirm that there will be no major time jump between The Rookie seasons 7 and 8, and that the events and characters will be picking up where they left off.
However, The Rookie season 7 caused viewers to struggle with how the cast was progressing, specifically with the contradictory relationship between Lucy Chen and Tim Bradford, so taking such a huge narrative and locale leap, I think, will annoy fans further. I fear that plot holes and contradictions could arise with the loose ends that already exist among the characters.
Nyla Harper’s police reform initiatives, Wesley Ever’s DA’s office growth potential, and Miles Penn continuing his growth as a rookie under Tim’s guidance are all storylines that could suffer with the season 8 changes. Monica Stevens is also being set up to be the season 8 villain, and her arc has the potential to become muddled.
The Rookie antagonist, Oscar Hutchinson, successfully boarded a flight in the season 7 finale, so the Prague shift is seemingly going all in on that cat and mouse chronicle. In doing so, I think long-standing character developments could get muddled in favor of more action-based plots and visual appeal initiatives.
The Rookie Season 8’s Risky Changes May Not Be Sustainable
The New Arcs & Location Could Cause Confusion
I believe there will be several points of confusion in The Rookie season 8 due to the location change and the new challenge of continuing to showcase all the necessary and ongoing plots.
I don’t think The Rookie’s move to Prague is sustainable, as the core identity of the show is being presented with challenges and a big need for solid continuity. It will be nice to enjoy a new locale, but only if it makes sense for the storylines and character development The Rookie already has going on.
The Rookie season 8 is taking a risk that has the potential for widespread confusion, not only for fans but also for the show’s identity and cohesiveness.
