Summary
The Rookieattempted 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 LAPDinThe 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 likeCastle, making him the perfect candidate to lead the drama. However, many other characters could be just as successful at starring in their own version ofThe Rookie.
Many TV shows created by Dick Wolf, like theOne ChicagoandLaw & Orderfranchises, have demonstrated how successful and lucrative a multi-show TV universe can be.
ABC canceledThe Rookie: Fedsafter 1 seasonbecause it didn’t have the instant popularity ofThe 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 ofThe Rookie. Many TV shows created by Dick Wolf, like theOne ChicagoandLaw & Orderfranchises, have demonstrated how successful and lucrative a multi-show TV universe can be. IfThe Rookiecontinues living up to audience expectations, there’s no reason why viewers won’t tune into the next great spinoff of the show.
7 The Rookie: Feds Characters We Hope Join The Rookie Cast Following Spinoff’s Cancellation
ABC canceled The Rookie: Feds after only one season, but as the season 6 finale of The Rookie proved, the spinoff’s characters can always return.
8Oscar Hutchinson On Parole & Helping The Force
Seeing Oscar using his powers of deduction and criminal skills for good would be intriguing.
Oscar Hutchinson is one of the best recurring antagonists inThe Rookiebecause 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 seriesWhite Collar, which saw the team-up between an FBI agent and a white-collar criminalto 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 excitingthings to see in the upcomingWhite Collarrevival, 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.
7Lucy Chen & Tim Bradford Leave The Force
To be together and start a new life, they would have to move on.
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 inThe Rookieseason 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 ofThe 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.
6Quigley Smitty’s Early Life On The Force
Coming up as a curmudgeonly officer in the 1980s or 1990s.
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 ofThe Rookie’s best episodesfocus 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 likeNCIS: Originswill look back on the early lives of beloved characters,and there’s no reason whyThe Rookiecouldn’t do the same. Additionally, a new young actor could be tapped to play the young Smitty.
5Bailey Nune Advancing In The Military
Though she and Nolan are married now, that doesn’t mean her career stops.
A Bailey Nune spinoff would be a likely choice ifThe Rookiecomes 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.
ThoughThe Rookiealready 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. ThoughThe Rookiealready 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 herselfoutside of their relationship. They should stay together, but a period of separation might only bring them closer.
4Wade Grey Pivots To Local Politics
Though he’s an amazing Sergeant, he could do more as a public servant.
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 peoplehe 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.
IfThe Rookiewere 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 runsmoothly. Seeing the other characters and his friends show up for him and support a campaign would be a touching tribute to his character.
3Aaron Thorsen Becomes A Hotshot Defense Lawyer
Given his history with the law, it makes sense that Thorsen would want to do more.
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 inThe Rookiebecause they both have a difficult time being accepted by the LAPD, but for very different reasons. Nolan is ostracized because of his age, whileThorsen had to sue the LAPD to be accepted into the programbecause 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 careersand 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.
2The Rookie: International
Sending one of the officers across the sea could be an exciting change of scenery.
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, andvarious laws that must be adhered to would make things challenging for any character onThe Rookieif 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 productionNCIS: 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 ofThe Rookieand draw in new audiences.
The Rookie Season 7’s New Characters Are A Good Sign For The Show’s Big Story Promise
As The Rookie enters its seventh season, the popular police procedural is making some big character changes that will, ultimately, impact its story.
1Lucy Chen As An Undercover Agent
Exploring new career opportunities would be amazing for Lucy.
Though it’s hard not to hope that Lucy and Tim will find their way back to each other following their break-up inThe Rookieseason 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 themost likable character onThe 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 throughoutThe 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.
The Rookie
Cast
The Rookie follows John Nolan, a small-town man who embarks on a new career as an LAPD officer after a life-changing event. As the force’s oldest rookie, Nolan faces skepticism from superiors who view his pursuit as a midlife crisis.
