ABC's long-running police procedural series The Rookie returned for its seventh season, and the show has scored a season 8 renewal. Created by Alex Hawley, the show concerns John Nolan (Nathan Fillion), a man in his 40s who decides to become a police officer after assisting his local police. Relocating to Los Angeles, Nolan becomes the oldest rookie in the history of the force, but soon learns that police work comes with bigger challenges than he ever imagined. With its mix of personal drama and police procedural excitement, The Rookie was destined to become a TV staple.

Continuing to build bigger and more elaborate storylines across its seven seasons, the latest outing finds the show in a state of flux as some relationships take the next step, while others have crumbled. This is par for the course for a show like The Rookie, and is the sort of over-the-top drama that keeps viewers engaged week after week. With the future of The Rookie seeming to be set in stone (at least for the time being), ABC has ordered an eighth season.

The Rookie Season 8 Latest News

ABC Renews The Rookie For Season 8

Continuing its hot streak as one of the most popular shows on network TV, the latest news confirms that The Rookie has been renewed for season 8. There was little doubt that the cop drama would be picked up for more episodes, and The Rookie was renewed alongside four other ABC hits (Grey's Anatomy, 9-1-1, Will Trent, and Shifting Gears).

Since ABC has also confirmed their fall 2025 TV schedule, The Rookie season 8 news also confirms that fans will have to wait a little longer for the series than they might want. Season 8 will not debut in the fall as The Rookie is being held for midseason. It will be part of the 2026 spring lineup.

The Rookie Season 8 Is Confirmed

The Rookie Is Back On The Beat

Quickly stretching toward its 10th season on the air, the future of The Rookie seems a lot more stable than many of its network TV counterparts. That's why it wasn't particularly shocking when ABC renewed the cop show for its eighth season in April 2025. Taking its place alongside the likes of Grey's Anatomy and Abbott Elementary, there's little doubt that The Rookie is one of the network's biggest winners. However, the question remains how long the show can go on, especially with the basic concept of "The Rookie" being left far behind.

The Rookie season 7 premiered on January 7, 2025, and concluded on May 13, 2025.

The Rookie Season 8 Cast Details

John & The Rest Of The LAPD Should Return

While the cast of The Rookie has seen quite a few changes over the years, there has been a consistent core that has stuck around for nearly a decade. Leading the show as the titular rookie is Nathan Fillion as John Nolan, and his new wife, Bailey Nune, will again be played by Jenna Dewan. Longtime detective Angela Lopez (played by Alyssa Diaz) should be back, as will her husband Wesley Evers (Shawn Ashmore). One of the newest rookies on the force, Tru Valentino's Aaron Thorsen, likely won't be back in season 8 because he left the show in season 6.

Richard T. Jones should return as watch-commander Wade Grey, as should relative newcomer Celina Juarez (played by Lisseth Chavez). Starting off way back in season 2 as Nolan's training officer, Mekia Cox's Nyla Harper has transitioned to a more multifaceted role throughout the series, and that will continue into season 8. Likewise, undercover agent Lucy Chen (Melissa O'Neil) should be back on hand, and her relationship with Tim Bradford (Eric Winter) may see some positive changes in the new season.

The cast of The Rookie season 8 likely includes:

The show also employs a wide range of guest stars and ing characters, and while it is difficult to predict who that could be in season 8, there are a few people the audience is likely to see again thanks to some open-ended storylines in season 7.

Bridget Regan's Monica managed to make a deal to get away with her crimes at the end of season 7, so she is expected to return as a major villain in season 8. Likewise, Matthew Glave's Oscar escaped police custody and is still on the run heading into the new season. Both have been recurring villains for The Rookie.

The Rookie Season 8 Story Details

New And Continuing Cases For Season 8

Traditionally, the finale of the previous season tends to weigh heavily on the ongoing storylines, so season 7's ending helps to lay out the roap for season 8.

The audience can expect both Oscar and Monica to be recurring villains moving forward in the series. Whether they will appear throughout the season or pop up in surprising ways, like they did in the season 7 finale, both of their stories are set up to be longer arcs. With Monica making a deal with the federal government for her freedom already, she could either be committing more crimes that the team has to find a way to arrest her for, or she could appear in more of an advisory capacity.

Showrunner Alex Hawley also told Screen Rant that they would be exploring just where Oscar's journey will take him after his prison escape, noting that initially, Oscar was meant to be a one-off villain, but they liked working with the actor so much, they brought him back:

Matthew is so brilliant, and it's one of those cases that we've been lucky to have multiple times across the series. You write a character that, in theory, is meant to be a one-off, and then you cast an actor who comes in and is amazing, and you're like, "I want to see them again."

And so Oscar has always been a joy and a nemesis and super fun, but also really dangerous. I always love when we can bring him back. I don't think we can keep him out there forever, just sort of not getting caught. So what is the next chapter of Oscar's journey in season 8, and where does it go? I don't know yet, but we'll definitely see him again.

A host of exciting new cases are expected each week, keeping with the show's procedural format, and the relationships between the characters will certainly be tested. Tim attempted to tell Lucy how he felt about them getting back together, but she fell asleep after working the night shift, so they will likely be having a real talk about getting back together in The Rookie season 8 if they don't get back together off screen before the season starts.

If new characters The Rookie season 8 (which they almost certainly will as Nolan needs a new rookie to train), that opens the door for even more intrigue going forward.