Fans must wait until 2026 for an all-new season of The Rookie — but Us Weekly already knows which solid members are, and aren’t, returning.
Showrunner Alexi Hawley exclusively confirmed to Us in May that season 8 of the ABC series will feature each Oscar Hutchinson (Matthew Glave) and Monica Stevens (Bridget Regan) as villains.
“It’s not the last we’re gonna see [of] him,” Hawley said of Oscar, who was in a position to escape police capture throughout the season 7 finale, but not with the stolen diamonds he acquired. “I feel we’re heading for … a little bit of an end game there, or at the very least the tip of a chapter.”
On the subject of Monica, Hawley told fans at San Diego Comic-Con in July that season 8 will begin overseas in Prague with the corrupt attorney — who made a take care of the FBI to shut season 7 — front and center.
Officer John Nolan (Nathan Fillion) is confirmed to be making the trip alongside Detective Nyla Harper (Mekia Cox) and The Rookie: Feds’ FBI Supervisory Special Agent Matt Garza (Felix Solis), in keeping with TVLine. But who else from the police force — and their inner circle — can fans expect to see next season?
Scroll down for all the pieces we learn about The Rookie’s season 8 solid:
Nathan Fillion
Fillion confirmed his return as officer John Nolan in April, while celebrating the season 8 renewal announcement.
“I’ve been around long enough to know the way truly difficult and rare it’s to have a protracted running show. Thanks all for sticking around for these 7 seasons — it’s due to you that we’re announcing season 8!!” the actor wrote via Instagram. “Congratulations to @alexihawley and the wonderful team that puts this show together. I’m so very proud to work alongside all of you. Let’s do that! #therookie.”
Alyssa Diaz
Diaz’s Detective Angela Lopez is protected from the chopping block heading into season 8. She shall be a part of the LAPD force working to bring down Monica and Oscar — when he eventually resurfaces.
Eric Winter
Winter shall be back as Tim Bradford, who fans last saw asked Lucy Chen (Melissa O’Neil) to maneuver in with him, but she dozed off and didn’t hear him.
“I do think that cementing that conversation [between them] at the highest of the following season and determining what the following [or] the correct next step is, that’s gotta be our premiere, right?” Hawley told Us in May, noting that the writers will “figure it out from there” how Tim and Lucy proceed as a pair.
Winter, meanwhile, confessed to TVLine in May that he’s unsure how Tim will proceed after putting his heart on the road. “I’m actually very inquisitive about that,” he said. “He has to do a whole lot of damage control.”
The Rookie finale brought back two villains, and Tim Bradford finally made his intentions with Lucy Chen known — however the episode left Us with more questions than answers. Through the season 7 finale on Tuesday, May 13, Oscar Hutchinson (Matthew Glave) reemerged after escaping prison throughout the season 6 finale with help from corrupt […]
Melissa O’Neil
O’Neil will reprise her role as Lucy Chen, but the brand new sergeant won’t be on the night shift for much longer. “I don’t think it’s an obstacle,” Hawley teased. “The challenge of the night shift was fun within the finale but ultimately, I don’t think we’re gonna live in there for too long.”
The manager producer also told fans at San Diego Comic Con in July that Lucy will dive deeper into police work this season. “We’ve an undercover Lucy story that we’re working on within the writers’ room right away,” he said via People.
Mekia Cox
Cox will return as Nolan’s former training officer, detective Nyla Harper this season. While her story line has not been shared, Hawley told Us in May that fans will see more of Nyla and her husband, James Murray (Arjay Smith), after their rocky season 7.
“They’ve been through the fireplace a bit needless to say,” the showrunner said. “The inherent contradiction of his job and her job continues to be there. I do think that they’ve navigated it for now. They’re definitely in a stronger place than they were say early in season 7.”
Richard T. Jones
Jones is returning as Lieutenant Wade Grey and his wife, Luna (Angela Parker), is predicted to seem in several episodes because the couple continues to be going strong.
On the subject of what Jones desires to see for Grey during season 8, he exclusively told Us in March that a cookoff between the lieutenant and rookie Miles Penn (Deric Augustine) could be fun. “I feel that’d be just a terrific close out of an episode that, you already know, everybody’s at a barbecue. That we’re having a contest. They usually’ll be the judges,” he proposed.
The Rookie solid have turn out to be bona fide stars, including Nathan Fillion, Jenna Dewan, Eric Winter and Richard T. Jones, and fans are obsessive about their love lives — on and off camera. The ABC series follows the story of John Nolan, a recently divorced 40-something, who decides to pursue a profession as a police officer […]
Jenna Dewan
Hawley confirmed during San Diego Comic-Con in July that Nolan’s wife, Bailey Nune, played by Dewan, flew to Prague for the season 8 premiere alongside her TV husband. As in seasons’ past, she is going to proceed to be a part of the solid and remain Nolan’s No. 1 lady.
Shawn Ashmore
Ashmore will reprise his role as attorney Wesley Evers, but Hawley told Us that his and Angela’s marriage won’t be tested amid Monica’s return. (Corrupt attorney Monica dated Wesley prior to his relationship with the detective.)
“At this point Monica’s got such bad blood with so lots of our characters that I don’t know if she’d be shaking stuff up with Wesley and Angela,” Hawley said within the spring.
The showrunner also told TVLine in April that Wesley’s arc might include running for DA after his boss bowed out of the race. “We’re sniffing around a little bit of where to take that story, and it would definitely make sense for Wesley, who was a defense attorney and believes very strongly in righting the wrongs of an unjust justice system,” Hawley mused. “He’s an assistant DA, they’ve not a ton of power, so becoming the DA would give him a capability to shake things up. So, we’re definitely kicking the tires on that concept.”
Lisseth Chavez
Chavez has been playing Celina Juarez since season 5, completing her rookie training during season 7. She is ready to return for season 8 — and her romance with Rodge Bronson (Zander Hawley) could proceed, in keeping with Hawley.
“I feel they’re each young, and so I don’t know that we’d like to define all the pieces [and it] doesn’t must turn right into a relationship,” Hawley explained to Us in May of Celina and Rodge’s story line. “I’m not 100% sure where it goes, but I do think that ultimately we’re very aware that we now have some very strong relationships on the show.”
Deric Augustine
Augustine joined the solid during season 7 as rookie officer Miles Penn. For season 8, the actor has been promoted to series regular, TVLine confirmed in July.
Showrunner Hawley previously told Us that Miles’ “rookie 12 months will not be over,” so the writers are “going to live in his rookie 12 months for some time.” He teased, “I feel there’s a whole lot of places to push. I mean, he continues to be trying to seek out out who he’s in Los Angeles. He tried to begin dating and that went very badly within the finale. He’s living in his automobile. That’s obviously, you already know, an obstacle for him as well to beat. I’m excited to see where it goes.”
Patrick Keleher
Keleher played the controversial rookie Seth Ridley, who lied about his past and his cancer diagnosis before being cut from the LAPD Mid-Wilshire department. He returned later during season 7 after claiming that his cancer diagnosis was an insurance scam and was once more a part of the training program. Seth got shot during season 7, episode 16, within the line of duty and needed his leg amputated.
While fans thought it was the last they’d see of Seth, Hawley told TVLine which may not be the case. “Something shocking deserved to occur” to that character, the showrunner said in July, teasing, “After which we’ll see where it goes.”