Unfortunate Season 7 News from The Rookie Showrunner and Insights into the New Season

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 delayed until mid-season, as new dramas High Potential and Dr. Odyssey received fall premiere dates. Although ABC did not provide an explanation for this decision, it has left many fans feeling disappointed.

Eric Winter, who plays Tim Bradford on The Rookie, shared his initial reaction to the news with Hello Magazine. “I was very nervous at first, I’ll be honest, I was bummed,” he admitted. However, after learning the reasoning behind the delay, he understood the logic. Winter discussed the advantage of avoiding the inevitable breaks caused by the 2024 US Presidential Elections and the holidays. He appreciated the benefits of a mid-season start, 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.”

Details about the upcoming season have not been revealed yet. However, since The Rookie often sets up the succeeding season’s storyline in the season finale, viewers can expect the exploration of unresolved arcs in the next season. The new season will delve into how the many villains who escaped during the finale are faring, including Monica navigating the wilderness in Argentina and Oscar and Jason breaking 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 hinted at 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. 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. Tonally, because we do everything, it allows us to really give you an episode every week that keeps you on the edge of your seat.”