For major fans of police procedurals, shows such as The Rookie likely require no introduction. The series, which began airing its seventh season earlier this month, is one of ABC’s biggest hits, bringing in droves of viewers each week. Of course, even super-fans can get rusty between seasons, especially considering last year’s sixth season was the shortest in the series’ history. If you’ve found yourself getting lost while trying to catch new episodes, or just feel overdue for a quick refresher, we’ve got you covered, with a comprehensive guide to The Rookie season six, and a look at what’s next for the long-running cop show. We’ll be sure to get you all caught up on the character dynamics, plot lines, and long-running themes of the show, and have you right as rain for season seven and beyond.
What Happened in Season 6?
If you’ve been watching The Rookie since the very beginning, you’ve seen the growth and development of former rookie John Nolan, as he has grown into a real-deal officer. While he was honing his skills in the field, however, he’s also been progressively growing closer and closer with firefighter Bailey Nune. The pair first met all the way back in season three before embarking upon an on-again off-again love affair, which concluded with Bailey asking John to marry her at the end of season five. One of the key developments in season six is the rocky road to their wedding, and their characteristically messy ceremony. It’s sort of perfect that John and Bailey’s wedding was ultimately so nontraditional, as their love story, as well as John’s initial foray into policing, is wholly unique and defined by resilience in the face of eccentricity.
In season six, the pair lose their wedding DJ, they receive the wrong wedding cake, the florist bungles their planned arrangement, their rings are gambled away and the dynamic duo even have major issues with their venue. It’s a comedy of errors only accentuated by the fact that Nolan is being sued by career criminal Oscar Hutchinson, and must appear in a deposition fewer than 24 hours before the ceremony. Despite all these hiccups, the event really goes off without a hitch, thanks to the help of John and Bailey’s ragtag support team. Even still, the honeymoon suffers its own disaster, as the happy couple are attacked by a crazed serial killer named Dean, who has undergone extreme plastic surgery in order to shroud his true identity. That might be the kind of thing that would ruin a traditional honeymoon, but for newlyweds John and Bailey, taking down a killer is just another day in paradise.
Bradford and Chen Split Up
Unfortunately, The Rookie‘s sixth season isn’t all sunshine and roses. While one couple ties the knot, another splits up before they can even really begin. The couple in question is composed of Tim Bradford and Lucy Chen, who have been growing closer and closer for years now. After finally getting into a serious relationship in season five, fans were hopeful that this couple would follow in John and Bailey’s footsteps and take it all the way. Ultimately, they ultimately couldn’t handle the hurdles that season six has to offer. For starters, Tim’s former military buddy Ray Watkins resurfaces, and threatens to ruin Tim’s life via blackmail. Tim ultimately has to come to terms with his hand in faking Watkins’ death in order to help his family receive a financial payout from the government, as Watkins takes to a life of crime.
Hoping to leave Lucy in the dark, Tim attempts to handle his former brother in arms on his own, though he ultimately concludes that there’s no way he can be in a relationship while his life is loaded with so much turmoil. Tim selflessly decides that he can handle the heat, but refuses to tarnish Chen’s career with the LAPD should the truth arise in a public forum. Much to the chagrin of viewers everywhere, Tim and Lucy officially go splits-ville in episode six, right when it seemed like they were destined for wedding bells. Tim ultimately goes on to become investigated by internal affairs as he settles his issues with Watkins, perhaps opening up a long and arduous fight for him in season seven.
Defense Attorney Monica Stevens’ Side Hustle
While Tim’s saga against Watkins is surely a thrill ride, it isn’t the largest problem the LAPD faces in season six. The Rookie also explores the budding threat of Monica Stevens, as she rises to become a Saul Goodman-style criminal lawyer who utilizes her status as a middle-man between the courts and the streets to assist criminals in and out of the courtroom. She essentially becomes an information broker, and leaks law enforcement secrets to her gang-connected friends, enriching herself along the way. She also leverages a connection with police psychiatrist Blair London in order to squeeze intel from the highest-ranking officers in the city. Nolan and company catch wind of Stevens’ nefarious plot midway through season six, and ultimately construct an entire secret task force to take her down. Obviously, the entire thing is on a need-to-know basis, since she’s tapped in to the secrets of the department.
Eventually, Nolan manages to convince Dr. London to work with the police to take Monica down, though he also uncovers the twisted reason for their partnership. Apparently, years earlier, Stevens helped Dr. London get out of an unbeatable hit-and-run case, for which she was extremely guilty. This, plus London’s betrayal of the department, leaves Nolan and company extremely trepidatious of cutting a deal with the psychiatrist. Despite their reservations, the team unite to save Dr. London when Monica eventually has her kidnapped and transported to Argentina during the season six finale. After gunning their way through a number of hired henchmen, Nolan manages to get the drop on Monica, flanked by FBI and CIA aides.
Monica’s Great Escape
Despite the season-long arc of the police department vs. Monica Stevens, the crooked lawyer ultimately manages to escape into the wilderness of Argentina during the final moments. As her men engage in a full-scale firefight with the police, she sneaks away, though she’s sure to resurface in season seven and beyond, as her character has become a major player in the show. During the shootout, Nolan is hit, though he doesn’t seem to have a very serious wound. He’ll take some recovery time for sure, but eagle-eyed viewers will note that the former rookie is upright, spry, and commandeering motorized scooters in time for the latest trailer. Before the season closes out, Nolan and his newly wedded wife begin discussing the possibility of adopting children, opening up a wealth of new stories for the show.
But Monica isn’t the only villain that The Rookie sets up for future capers. Before the season comes to a close, we see that Bailey’s abusive ex Jason Wyler has come back into the mix, and even made connections with Oscar Hutchinson. Together, the duo escape from prison, and wind up in Los Angeles seeking revenge on the cops who put them away. Just as Nolan and Nune are discussing the future of their family, Sergeant Grey informs them of Oscar and Jason’s escape. This leaves the couple with a scant amount of time to formulate a game plan, and prepare themselves for the onslaught of criminal activity headed to their door.
What’s Next for ‘The Rookie’? Will There Be Another Spinoff?
As stated, season seven of The Rookie is currently airing new episodes weekly on ABC. The current season is expected to air 18 new episodes in total, which should be a refreshing change of pace compared to the ten-episode run that we got last year. Season six’s commuted run-time was a casualty of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes which plagued the production process along the way, leaving little room to work on the show. The Rookie hasn’t officially been renewed for an eighth season as of this writing, though the series is a major cash cow for the network, so there’s potential for an announcement in the coming months.
Super-fans of the franchise will also be happy to note that another spin-off venture has been announced as well, though information on the new series is still scant at this time. According to TV Line, the new series will focus on a “male cop who is stepping into a new phase of life in his second act” in Washington State, much like the original premise of Nolan’s foray into police work. The still-untitled series is expected to premiere some time in 2026.
