The Rookie attempted to create a franchise with its spinoff, The Rookie: Feds, but was unsuccessful, leaving plenty of room for a new series. Nathan Fillion stars as John Nolan, one of the oldest recruits to the LAPD in The Rookie. While it’s a steep learning curve, he soon finds his place among the other officers and rises through the ranks. Fillion is well-known for his success in TV procedural shows like Castle, making him the perfect candidate to lead the drama. However, many other characters could be just as successful at starring in their own version of The Rookie.
Many TV shows created by Dick Wolf, like the One Chicago and Law & Order franchises, have demonstrated how successful and lucrative a multi-show TV universe can be.
ABC canceled The Rookie: Feds after 1 season because it didn’t have the instant popularity of The Rookie, making it difficult for the network to justify making both shows at once. However, this doesn’t mean that there will never be another spinoff of The Rookie. Many TV shows created by Dick Wolf, like the One Chicago and Law & Order franchises, have demonstrated how successful and lucrative a multi-show TV universe can be. If The Rookie continues living up to audience expectations, there’s no reason why viewers won’t tune into the next great spinoff of the show.
8. Oscar Hutchinson On Parole & Helping The Force
Oscar Hutchinson is one of the best recurring antagonists in The Rookie because he isn’t purely a bad guy and has nuance in his actions and morality. There are many instances when Nolan and the rest of the force rely on Oscar for information and help throughout the series. This echoes the hit TV series White Collar, which saw the team-up between an FBI agent and a white-collar criminal to catch bad guys. The dynamic between Oscar and the officers he works with is always compelling because they’re such strong foils.
There will be many exciting things to see in the upcoming White Collar revival, and the fact that the series was green-lit proves there’s a niche to be filled. It wouldn’t be necessary for Oscar to work with Nolan if he was released, as the spinoff would likely work better if he was with a different partner in a new city. Though Oscar has a history of escape, this doesn’t mean there aren’t ways of keeping him on a short leash to help the force. He might even grow and change by the time his sentence is up.
7. Lucy Chen & Tim Bradford Leave The Force
While they may not have been destined to be together forever, much of this stems from extenuating circumstances rather than a lack of compatibility.
The breakup of Lucy and Tim in The Rookie season 6 was hard because their relationship had such a strong, slow burn and foundation of friendship. While they may not have been destined to be together forever, much of this stems from extenuating circumstances rather than a lack of compatibility. Looking into the future of The Rookie, it doesn’t seem likely that Tim and Lucy will rekindle things for a long time, but they’re both vital parts of the show. Either one of them would be perfect to lead a spinoff.
Seeing them together in a new city, away from the pressures that keep them apart, might be the only way that Tim and Lucy could be together. Though they both love being cops, they could start their own private consulting firm or be recruited into higher levels of law enforcement like the FBI. This would add new angles through which to view their connection, and it’s possible that things could get competitive. However, Tim and Lucy will always be friends, no matter what.
6. Quigley Smitty’s Early Life On The Force
There’s no question that a spinoff about Smitty would have to take on a comedic tone, as he’s a source of mirth and bemusement for everyone who knows him. Smitty sees working as a police officer as how he pays his bills, not a divine calling to help people. While this isn’t necessarily what the general public would want out of an officer, it’s made clear that Smitty isn’t a bad man, just more of an ambivalent one. Seeing how Smitty came to be the man he is today could give vital insight into his character.
While many of The Rookie’s best episodes focus on high drama and intense narrative arcs, there must be moments of release and joy. Characters like Smitty embody this contrast, but it’s possible he wasn’t always so laissez-faire about police work. Upcoming shows like NCIS: Origins will look back on the early lives of beloved characters, and there’s no reason why The Rookie couldn’t do the same. Additionally, a new young actor could be tapped to play the young Smitty.
5. Bailey Nune Advancing In The Military
A Bailey Nune spinoff would be a likely choice if The Rookie comes to a natural end in the coming seasons. This would allow Nolan to stay on as a character, as their romantic relationship and love story have been an enduring and touching part of the series. However, Bailey is an amazing character on her own, and she has a life and backstory outside of Nolan. Seeing her move up in the National Guard and potentially be deployed could be a compelling way for her to get her own show.
Though The Rookie already features their stories prominently, Nolan is still the protagonist, and Bailey serves a more secondary role.
Right now, one of the biggest concerns between Nolan and Bailey is about their future having kids, and this is a strong plot point that could carry into a spinoff. Though The Rookie already features their stories prominently, Nolan is still the protagonist, and Bailey serves a more secondary role. Despite this, she’s a great character who has enough nuance and internal motivators to allow her to find herself outside of their relationship. They should stay together, but a period of separation might only bring them closer.
4. Wade Grey Pivots To Local Politics
The politics of moving up in the world of the police force is just as bureaucratic as any other branch of government, but Wade Grey already knows how to navigate this. Becoming a Sergeant was an exciting move for Grey, and he’s shown himself to be worthy of the role. He cares deeply about the city of Los Angeles and the people he helps. However, there could be a day when Grey realizes that there are more ways to give back to his community and that he wants to take direct action with legislation.
If The Rookie were to pivot to politics with a spinoff, Grey would be the perfect character to embody this shift, as he already holds a position of authority in the show. Additionally, he’s used to dealing with the higher-ups and knows what goes into making a department run smoothly. Seeing the other characters and his friends show up for him and support a campaign would be a touching tribute to his character.
3. Aaron Thorsen Becomes A Hotshot Defense Lawyer
To pay it forward and become a defense attorney seems like the kind of thing Thorsen would do, as he so easily gives back to others.
Aaron Thorsen and Nolan bond early on in The Rookie because they both have a difficult time being accepted by the LAPD, but for very different reasons. Nolan is ostracized because of his age, while Thorsen had to sue the LAPD to be accepted into the program because he was previously accused of murder. Though he beat the charges and is inarguably innocent, he faced a lot of prejudice during his initial introduction to the force. Additionally, Thorsen comes from a wealthy family, which isn’t the position of many of his colleagues.
Despite his rocky start, Thorsen became an asset to the department. By sticking it out and doing his best, Thorsen shows he isn’t defined by his past. There are many instances of police officers changing careers and going into the legal side of law enforcement later in life. This would make sense for Thorsen, considering how much he owes to the lawyers and team that defended him when he needed it. To pay it forward and become a defense attorney seems like the kind of thing Thorsen would do, as he so easily gives back to others.
2. The Rookie: International
Being a police officer in the U.S., particularly in Los Angeles, is vastly different from doing the job in other parts of the country or in an entirely new continent. The culture shock, different ways of handling things, and various laws that must be adhered to would make things challenging for any character on The Rookie if they transferred overseas. However, this would be incredibly interesting and would appeal to audience members across the world. There’s already a precedent for this with the success of the international production NCIS: Sydney.
It’s difficult to say what character, or multiple ones, would be the best candidates for this transfer, but in many ways, the specific cast member wouldn’t matter as much as the show’s content. Anyone can be a fish out of water, and the character who’s chosen would also influence where in the world they go. Opportunities for incorporating different languages and parts of history would open up the scope of The Rookie and draw in new audiences.
1. Lucy Chen As An Undercover Agent
Though it’s hard not to hope that Lucy and Tim will find their way back to each other following their break-up in The Rookie season 6, the best thing for Lucy might be to move on by herself. She’s always been an ambitious person who puts her career first because she’s passionate about what she does. While Lucy’s romantic entanglements have been interesting, they’ve never come close to how fun it is to watch her excel as an officer and a character. This makes her the perfect candidate to lead a spinoff.
An investigation into the mob would be an interesting angle and would break the mold of the police procedural while having Lucy as an anchor.
Collider cites Lucy as the most likable character on The Rookie, and it’s not hard to see why after watching her grow and flourish for so many seasons. There are few people that audiences would so readily watch in a spinoff show, and Lucy could shoulder the burden of starring in her own series easily. After her experience going undercover throughout The Rookie, Lucy could climb the ranks and infiltrate some high-level criminal organizations. An investigation into the mob would be an interesting angle and would break the mold of the police procedural while having Lucy as an anchor.
