The Rookie has seen its fair share of villains, but none of them have terrorized the cops as much as Monica Stevens has, and it’s time to defeat her once and for all. Thankfully, there’s a clear and simple way for the Rookie characters to take Monica down. It’ll still take a lot of effort, though, especially after the season 7 finale.
The Rookie season 8, which will consist of 18 episodes, is set to premiere in early 2026 (according to a report from TVLine). The season is expected to air weekly with little to no interruptions, similar to season 7’s schedule.
Heading into The Rookie season 8, the police procedural series will (unfortunately) continue pushing Monica as the “Big Bad.” She’s a cockroach who just won’t go away. Just when the Mid-Wilshire police officers and detectives believe they’ve finally got Monica, she slips from their grasp. However, they can finally succeed in season 8, just as long as they’re smart about catching Monica.
Monica Has Continuously Terrorized The Cops Of The Rookie
Bridget Regan Made Her Rookie Debut In Season 5
The Rookie first introduced Bridget Regan as Monica in The Rookie season 5, episode 6. At the time, viewers just knew Monica as Wesley Evers’ ex-fiancée (whom he cheated on) and the lawyer representing Elijah Stone. Sure, it was clear that she was no good from the beginning. However, no one could have predicted that Monica would turn into an FBI-wanted criminal.
Monica’s work with Elijah opened up her eyes to a world of possibilities. She was a corrupt lawyer to begin with, whose main goal was to win her cases by any means necessary, especially if that meant thwarting Wesley. However, Monica only truly got directly involved in illegal activity after representing Elijah. Since then, the characters haven’t been able to get rid of her.
Monica started acquainting herself with other cartel leaders, offering her legal services in exchange for a large sum of cash. She also represented Oscar Hutchinson in his lawsuit against John Nolan in The Rookie season 6. Monica does hate the Mid-Wilshire crew, after all.
Monica’s power grew as time went on in the series, and soon she was making deals with gangs and unabashedly killing people. Once The Rookie season 6 finale rolled around, Monica was up to her knees in blood, and the main characters were determined to arrest her. Unfortunately, for them, Monica got away at the end of the season 6 finale.
The Rookie Cops Need To Figure Out Monica’s Ultimate Goal
It’s Unclear What Monica Wants
Monica was on the run for the majority of season 7. She briefly returned in The Rookie season 7, episode 11, when it was revealed that she was working with a woman (who she likely coerced into doing her bidding) to retrieve a government official’s key card. It was unclear why Monica needed the card until the finale’s last scene.
Monica leveraged the card to secure her immunity from the FBI at the end of The Rookie season 7. What was on that key card remains to be seen. It had to be something good, though, to grant her total immunity. It undoubtedly contained sensitive information about the United States government that officials were scared of being released to the public.
After a few seasons of back and forth between Monica and the main characters, it’s well past time that she loses.
The Rookie episode concluded with Monica strutting past Nolan, Wesley, Angela Lopez, and Lieutenant Grey, asking them, “Miss me?” So, as of the writing of this article, Monica’s ultimate goal is unknown. We, the audience, don’t know what she wants, and neither do the main characters. She has to have a master plan, seeing as though it’s Monica we’re talking about.
Knowing Monica’s Endgame Will Help Nolan & The Team Come Up With The Best Plan To Defeat Her
The Characters Need To Know What They’re Facing
If Nolan, Angela, Wesley, and co. can deduce Monica’s endgame, they have a shot at beating her in The Rookie season 8. All they know is that Monica somehow earned immunity. As for the how and why, the main characters are still in the dark. Once they figure out the answers to those questions, though, it’s all over for Monica.
If Nolan and the rest of the squad know what they are facing, they can brainstorm a concrete plan to defeat Monica once and for all in the ABC cop show. Essentially, what they need is leverage. After the season 7 finale of The Rookie, Monica has the upper hand because she has more information, while the Mid-Wilshire group has just about nothing.
After a few seasons of back and forth between Monica and the main characters, it’s well past time that she loses. Monica always wins, and her story is getting repetitive at this point. The police procedural doesn’t need to drag out her arc any longer. So, Nolan and co. must have a grand plan to defeat The Rookie villain in season 8.
