The ABC drama is taking some time off before a new season airs … and fans are not happy about it.
The Rookie just aired its season 7 finale on May 13, and we have so many questions about what happened!
Amid changes happening at LAPD Mid-Wilshire, folks got to tune in and see what’s next for our favorite first responders. Amid Lucy Chen (Melissa O’Neil) finally becoming a sergeant, she’s stuck working the night shift. But that doesn’t matter to Lucy’s on-and-off boyfriend Tim Bradford (Eric Winter), who wants to make her an offer when she wakes up from sleeping! Elsewhere, John Nolan (Nathan Fillion) and Nyla Harper (Mekia Cox) found a fugitive tied to LAPD Mid-Wilshire’s well-known nemesis — and currently imprisoned — Monica Stevens (Bridget Regan). But in a plot twist no one expected, FBI Agent Matthew Garza (Felix Solis) reveals that Monica has been let out of jail after giving the government secretive intel that fans can’t help but wonder about.
Let’s just say, this is only the tip of the iceberg for The Rookie — and there’s plenty more to be explored with the show getting renewed for season 8. But as for when people will see an all-new season of the ABC drama, well, the network has some news viewers definitely won’t like to see.
Much to the disappointment of longtime fans, The Rookie won’t be airing on TV in the fall of 2025. The Rookie season 8 will premiere on ABC in the midseason of 2026.
When fans heard the devastating news, it didn’t take long before Reddit users voiced their thoughts on the subject.
“Darn! Now we’re gonna have to wait through the summer through the fall and halfway through the winter before we get rookie S8E1. Looks like I’ll be doing a rewatch of the whole series through the whole time,” one person wrote on the site. “I figured this would be the case but it still sucks,” another agreed. “I can’t wait a year 😔 Super excited for season 8 though!” a different viewer added.
As for the reason behind the surprise twist, TV Line has an answer for this. According to the outlet, both The Rookie season 8 and Will Trent season 4 will air on ABC sometime in January 2026. When they do come back, the seasons will be “uninterrupted” for 18 episodes, as opposed to any long breaks if they were to air in the fall. Also, it’s important to note this pattern repeats what occurred for The Rookie season7, which aired in January 2025.
