Titus Makin Jr.’s The Rookie character, Jackson West, abruptly departed the series towards the end of season 3, but there are behind-the-scenes reasons for why Jackson left. Assigned to the Mid-Wilshire Division, Jackson West was among the main police officers in The Rookie throughout the first three seasons. However, in the closing moments of The Rookie season 3, he and Lopez got kidnapped by Sandra de la Cruz’s men during Angela and Wesley’s wedding. While this alone did not confirm that Jackson left The Rookie, audiences started speculating about his departure after Makin didn’t appear in season 4’s promotional material.
Speculations rang true when The Rookie season 4’s episode 1 revealed that Jackson West tragically died. To confirm this news, season 4 featured CCTV footage that showed how Jackson was shot by Sandra de la Cruz’s men when he tried to escape them. The episode ended with a poignant scene where Angela Lopez paid her tribute to Jackson by naming her newborn son after him. While the show gives Jackson’s characterization satisfying and emotional closure, his death in Rookie season 3 is upsetting given how he was among the primary protagonists since the show’s first episode.
Jackson West Left The Rookie Because Titus Makin Jr. Didn’t Return
According to reports (via TVLine), The Rookie’s creators ended Jackson West’s storyline in season 4 because actor Titus Makin Jr. did not want to return. Recalling the actor’s decision to leave the series, The Rookie’s showrunner Alexi Hawley said that after hearing the news of the actor’s exit, they needed to do their best to honor him since he had been a crucial part of the show’s storyline since the beginning.
Although Hawley did not disclose the reasons behind Titus Makin Jr.’s decision to leave, Makin had considered leaving The Rookie in 2020after learning about the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. In an interview (via EW), Makin recalled that while watching the news one day, he realized that he could not go back to “play a cop on a show and not talk about the fact that I’m a Black cop. My character hadn’t addressed any of that.”
The fact that his character had not addressed his race and its relation to his profession made Makin reconsider his decision to play his role in The Rookie. He added that he even talked to Hawley about this and told him that if he wants to write him out, he will “politely receive that.” Essentially, Makin preferred being written out over ignoring the reality of his character in the current social climate.
What Titus Makin Jr. Has Done Since The Rookie
After his exit from The Rookie in 2021, Titus Makin Jr. appeared as Lt. Adam Parish in only one episode of NCIS: Hawaiʻi the same year. Since then, he has played the supporting role of Trey in a movie called On the Come Up, appeared in two short films, Pool Service, Inc and Aliens on Halloween, and the 2024 movie Sins of the Bride. Apart from that, Titus Makin Jr. has also performed as a soul/funk singer under the name Butterfly Ali. His now-inactive official website suggested that he released his last album in 2021, around the time he left The Rookie.
Has The Rookie Struggled Since Jackson’s Departure?
The way that Jackon died proved controversial. The show has always been willing to suddenly kill important characters, which plays into the dangers of police work, especially in Los Angeles. But the shot in the back, with a stunt double filming the death scene rubbed many fans the wrong way. Unfortunately, there was no other way that could have happened since Makin left the show, and there was no way to film him getting a proper farewell. Despite the criticism, Jackson’s death didn’t hurt The Rookie moving forward, and the series is going into its seventh season.
While Jackson provided heart and soul to the series, The Rookie has always been about Nathan Fillion’s John Nolan, and there are plenty of other characters around him that fans grew to love, from Melissa O’Neil’s Lucy Chen to Mekia Cox’s Nyla Harper. Like other police procedurals, the plot keeps moving, and when one actor exits, another takes their place. NCIS survived the loss of Mark Harmon, who was the show’s lead, and The Rookie never missed a beat with the loss of Titus Makin Jr., even though fans still miss him.
