While it began as a street-level series about the oldest new officer in the Los Angeles Police Department, John Nolan (Nathan Fillion), The Rookie shifted that premise in Season 5. Not only was Nolan no longer a rookie himself, he became a training officer so the titular “boot” would be at his side. Previously, this was Celina Juarez (Lisseth Chavez), but in Season 7, Episode 12, “April Fools,” Nolan’s new trainee is hilariously awful. In fact, there may be reason to believe it’s all a joke.
The Rookie has proven its mettle in the pantheon of procedurals on network television. At first, it was the show’s focus on patrol-level officers that allowed the series to shift within the genre. One week, viewers see a spectacle worthy of an action movie, while the next they get a narrower story focused on character and community. Sometimes, however, The Rookie can veer into more comedic territory, and with April Fools’ Day coming up, that’s likely what viewers will get.
The Rookie debuts “April Fools” on the actual holiday: Tuesday, April 1, 2025, at 9 PM on ABC. Viewers who miss the premiere and don’t have their digital video recorders set can stream the episode the next morning on Hulu (or Disney+ if subscribed to both services). Passionate fans of Nathan Fillion’s series will want to make sure they don’t wait too long, so the series continues to earn high ratings and keep the police procedural party going.
The Rookie official episode synopsis: An April Fools’ prank on LAPD’s social media leads to citywide chaos. Meanwhile, John’s T.O. skills are tested, Wesley is assigned a challenging case, and Tim and Lucy play a joke on the team.
From the official episode synopsis, it seems as if The Rookie will offer up a more lighthearted episode after the exploding bus chase the Mid-Wilshire Police Precinct dealt with last time. The idea that Eric Winter’s Tim Bradford wants to “play a joke” on anyone is enough to make any fan curious. Nolan’s training challenge and the difficult case given to Shawn Ashmore’s Wesley Evers may be heavy, they could just as likely be comedic.
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The audience of The Rookie is due for a more relaxed hour, anyway. The most recent run of episodes has involved a deadly wildfire, the near-fatal shooting of a beloved character and the first time a rookie washed out of the program. But fans shouldn’t get too comfortable.
So far in Season 7, The Rookie characters have dealt with two serial killers, a deranged ex-husband and even some serious romantic tension. Each couple in the show faced challenges early on, though most have ironed them out. All eyes, of course, are on “Chenford,” as Bradford and Melissa O’Neil’s Lucy Chen find their way back to being more than “work colleagues.”
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The previous episode also featured the return of an antagonist not seen since The Rookie’s Season 6 finale, and what viewers saw was just a tease. There is trouble ahead for the officers in the Mid-Wilshire Precinct, but likely not until closer to the season finale. “April Fools” promises to be an easy-going affair with humor, character development and, since it is The Rookie, a little gunplay.
There are only six episodes left in Season 7 after “April Fools,” meaning The Rookie is in the home stretch now. The previous season was shortened due to the Hollywood strikes, with only ten episodes and frequent breaks. There may be another week’s hiatus coming up to get the series over-the-hump into May sweeps, but fans are in no hurry for Season 7 to be over.
