The Rookie season 6 ended with an action-packed (convoluted) finale featuring the guest appearances of three cast members from The Rookie: Feds (which ABC previously canceled after season 1 in 2023), except for its main star. Season 6 of the ABC police procedural crime drama series, created by Alexi Hawley, was shortened due to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes in 2023. The cast and crew produced ten episodes showcasing the takeover of Monica Stevens as The Rookie’s primary villain, and the detectives and officers of Mid-Wilshire had to call in backup to take her down.
In a sudden turn of events (which wasn’t so surprising as many predicted this Rookie season 6 villain theory after episode 1), Aaron Thorsen and Tim Bradford’s therapist, Dr. Blair London, was working for Monica (albeit unwillingly). Blair was leaking information about her clients to Monica, who would sell it to the highest bidder. Unfortunately for Monica, her threat level got too big, and her opponents wanted to take her out. During the finale, though, Monica was able to gain an ally in Jakob Olmstead in Argentina (until John Nolan, Nyla Harper, and the Rookie: Feds characters interrupted their meeting).
Niecy Nash-Betts’s Simone Clarke Was Notably Absent From The Rookie Season 6 Finale
The returning Rookie: Feds stars in The Rookie season 6 finale were Britt Robertson as Laura Stensen (with a haircut that made her almost unrecognizable), Felix Solis as Matt Garza, and Kevin Zegers as Brendon Acres. While it was great to see all their faces on the screen again, one couldn’t help but notice someone was missing — the Rookie spinoff’s lead, Niecy Nash-Betts as Simone Clark. During an interview with TV Insider, showrunner Alexi Hawley discussed the Rookie: Feds cameos and why Nash-Betts wasn’t in the episode. He said:
“I definitely wanted to bring [Robertson, Solis, and Zegers] in. There was a conversation with ABC after the sad cancelation of Feds about whether I could keep them in our universe. They’re phenomenal and if those actors are available — and there’s going to come a time where they’re not, they’re so good — I want to keep them in our world. Obviously Niecy [Nash-Betts] falls into a different category. She’s already off doing a bunch of high profile stuff, and I don’t necessarily know that I’ll be able to get her back. But yeah, I just wanted to see them again, and they’re so good.”
While many of the figures in The Rookie: Feds were intriguing, well-developed characters, Simone undoubtedly made the show what it was. Simone was the face of the series, and her personality, charisma, and drive made The Rookie: Feds set itself apart from the crowd. So, not having Nash-Betts in The Rookie season 6 finale was disappointing and stark, to say the least, even though the addition of Robertson, Solis, and Zegers was a welcome surprise.
Why The Rookie Season 7 Needs Niecy Nash-Betts To Return
Based on Alexi Hawley’s comments, it seems as though the writers want to continue bringing the Rookie: Feds characters back to the parent series. However, it would be strange if they returned in season 7 without Niecy Nash-Betts’ Simone Clark, seeing as she played a significant role in the spinoff and formed a strong bond with Nolan. Consequently, The Rookie season 7 must feature at least one Simone cameo, but, of course, making the show’s schedule work with Nash-Betts’ busy schedule is another story.
