Fans Sound Off: What Needs to Happen (and What Absolutely Shouldn’t) in The Rookie Season 7 Ending

The Rookie season 7 finale will likely feature a cliffhanger, and fans are curious about what could happen to John Nolan (Nathan Fillion) and the other LAPD officers. The end of season 7, episode 17, “Mutiny and the Bounty,” shared good news about Lucy Chen’s (Melissa O’Neil) sergeant exam while hinting it could cause some trouble between her and her ex-boyfriend, Tim Bradford (Eric Winter). At the moment, everything was alright for the team, but things can change in an instant and often do in the wild and fun world of The Rookie.

While showrunner Alexi Hawley would love to see a spinoff of The Rookie, at the time of this writing, there is no official news about that. In the meantime, with the season 7 finale airing on May 13th, 2025, fans are ready for what’s sure to be a thrilling and unforgettable episode. Since, like many other TV dramas, the show has a history of including cliffhangers at the end of each season, viewers have some thoughts about what could happen, along with what they don’t want to see.

The Rookie Season 7 Finale Should Feature These Cliffhangers, According To Fans

In a Reddit thread about The Rookie season 7, episode 18, “The Good and the Bad and the Oscar,” fans shared one interesting idea for the final moments: Nolan is in trouble… and Oscar Hutchinson (Matthew Glaves could be involved. Redditor @Otherwise-Damage2878 wrote:

“I think the cliff hanger is going to be Nolan. In the promo we see Oscar tasing Nolan. I can see them ending the season on him getting kidnapped and the team freaking out.”

Redditor Real-Branch8433 agrees:

“The cliffhanger will be about Nolan for sure. I mean they hype Chenford a lot in the promo, so I guess they’ll at least have the talk. But Nolan seems to be in serious danger and Oscar’s a smart man so it’ll be difficult to solve this issue in one episode.”

One Redditor wrote, “I need something wild,” which is a sentiment that many share. Since Alexi Hawley called the finale “a big action movie,” it seems likely that Nolan isn’t able to stop Oscar quickly. It’s exciting to see Oscar back on the show, and since he’s been on the run for a while, he’s definitely going to be part of a significant storyline that won’t be wrapped up easily. Since Nolan gives people the benefit of the doubt and tries to see the good in everyone, it would make sense if he were manipulated by Oscar, who is so compelling and funny that it’s easy to forget his criminal actions. Then, season 8 would focus on the team trying to save Nolan. While of course they would be successful, there could still be some roadblocks, twists, and turns along the way.

Redditor @missekhmet13 suggested that another character is in a dire situation, which would set up season 8. The fan wrote:

“the disappearance of Lieutenant Grey. If this character finds himself in mortal danger/has to risk his career in a difficult choice, etc. it would be a good cliffhanger.”

Wade Grey (Richard T. Jones) got hurt in The Rookie Season 4, Episode 15, “Hit List,” and fans have been curious if he will be the focus of a big storyline ever since. While it has been great to see past characters like Seth Ridley (Patrick Keheler) again, it would make sense if the cliffhanger involved a major character who has been on the LAPD team for a while. The team would have to put all their resources together to find Grey, and maybe another past villain could come back.

The Rookie Season 7 Finale Shouldn’t Make Fans Guess If Chenford Is Getting Back Together

Fans shared in the same Reddit thread that they hope Lucy Chen and Tim Bradford reunite, but they don’t want that to be the cliffhanger at the end of the next episode.

Redditor @Different_Let_4331 wrote:

“I just want them reunited next week and be done with this drawn out break up. And that wouldn’t even be a cliffhanger as the reconciliation is inevitable.”

Ever since season 7, episode 15, “A Deadly Secret,” Chenford’s reunion has been teased, but so far, they haven’t officially decided to restart their relationship. It would feel too corny if Tim asked if they should get back together and fans didn’t hear Lucy’s response until the season 8 premiere, or vice versa.