When announcing their fall schedule for scripted and unscripted programming, ABC revealed that they will hold off Season 7 of The Rookie until mid-season, which is in 2025. Will Trent Season 3 was also held off for mid-season as new dramas High Potential and Dr. Odyssey received a fall premiere date. ABC did not offer an explanation for this, but the decision was upsetting. Eric Winter plays Tim Bradford on The Rookie, and like many fans, he was a bit disappointed that the show wouldn’t be back sooner. He told Hello Magazine, “I was very nervous at first I’ll be honest, I was bummed.” However, when the real reason was explained to him, he understood the logic. He discussed the advantage of avoiding the guaranteed breaks because of the 2024 US Presidential Elections and the Holidays. He appreciated the mid-season advantage, saying,
“But then, I talked to a lot of people [about the move] at the upfronts, and it made perfect sense. I know how much of a priority The Rookie is to ABC and with this being an election year and a lot of time being devoted to those sorts of things, they’re trying to protect the show. There would be too many gaps, and the fans don’t love that. So they’re really trying to put us in a lineup where we can give eight episodes in a row with no interruption, and so I appreciate it for that reason.”
What ‘The Rookie’ Season 7 Will Be About
Details about the upcoming season have not been revealed yet. But since The Rookie sets up the succeeding season’s storyline in the season finale, one can expect the exploration of hanging arcs in the next season. The season will explore how the many villains who got away during the finale are faring. Monica cut through the bushes in Argentina while Oscar and Jason broke out of prison.
The season will also explore the fallout from critical character arcs like Thorsen, his therapist, and the Chenford breakup. While speaking to TV Insider, showrunner Alexi Hawley teased more undercover work for Nyla and Lucy. He also teased a bigger Season 7, saying,
“…we know we have some big shoes to fill after season six. We took some big swings and I love that we keep challenging ourselves and, look, we do even better, but yet at the same time, how do we just lean more into how much everybody loves these characters? I feel super lucky that we get to have fun every week, even if we do some stuff that’s high stakes or tragic or whatever, that tonally, because we do everything, it allows us to really give you an episode every week that just really keeps you on the edge of your seat.”
Season 7 Raises the Stakes For Nolan and Bailey
Hawley also teased that the new season would raise the stakes for Nolan (Nathan Fillion) and Bailey (Jenna Dewan), especially with Bailey’s ex-husband out on the loose. He teased:
“On the completely practical side, Jenna [Dewan]’s about to have a baby in real life, so we do have to navigate that at the beginning of the season. So I think we’ll have to slow roll slightly and that, but yeah, look, especially in the adoption story, they do live dangerous lives. She’s going to have an ex-husband slash stalker out there. How does that impact them on a personal level will be interesting to explore.”
