4 weeks ago
SPOILER ALERT: The communicative includes specifications astir nan Season 8 finale of ABC’s The Rookie.
Another Rookie play finale, different Chenford cliffhanger. But what a quality a twelvemonth makes.
The Season 7 finale ended pinch Tim (Eric Winter) asking Lucy (Melissa O’Neil) to move successful pinch him but he didn’t get an reply arsenic she had dozed off. At nan extremity of nan Season 8 finale, Tim popped a different question, asking Lucy to wed him, and we didn’t person to hold until adjacent play to find retired her reply — she said yes.
But only seconds aft nan romanticist sunset formation proposal, Tim and Lucy were abducted, pinch 1 of nan perpetrators delivering a connection to them, “Heath Everett says payback is simply a bitch.”
Everett is nan ace rich | warlord who had had a grudge connected Tim moreover since nan second refused a $10M bribe to fto him spell earlier successful nan season. In nan finale, Everett escaped during a captive transportation successful a spectacular manner done an elaborate cognition that progressive a chopper emerging from nether a span and nan situation escort van Everett was riding successful being lifted successful nan aerial by a elephantine magnet.
Tim, Nolan and nan remainder of nan squad tracked Everett down to a ship, and, successful daring nighttime operation, arrested him and took him backmost into custody.
In an question and reply pinch Deadline, The Rookie creator, executive shaper and showrunner Alexi Hawley discusses nan connection and nan comical situations involving nan engagement that led to it. (By nan clip Tim was fresh to propose, nan full Mid-Wilshire Station knew astir his plan, astir had weighed successful connected his ringing prime and a mates were progressive successful a hunt cognition aft Tim concisely mislaid nan jewelry piece. Angela recovered it.)
Hawley dissects nan reasons for Tim and Lucy’s abduction and really it will play retired successful Season 9. He besides teases nan Season 9 return of serial slayer Liam Glasser (Seth Gabel), caller disconnected losing custody of his kids and being slapped pinch a restraining bid pursuing damaging grounds by Nolan (Nathan Fillion) who had conscionable saved Glasser’s life.
In nan interview, Hawley reveals an intriguing scheme to bring backmost immoderate of nan astir memorable villains from The Rookie‘s early seasons while besides adding caller rookies successful Season 9. He besides discusses nan prospects of a wedding adjacent season, what’s up pinch nan astonishing confederation betwixt Glasser’s scheming lawyer Malcolm (Sean Patrick Thomas) and consecutive arrow Wesley (Shawn Ashmore) arsenic good arsenic Monica’s (Bridget Regan) tragic end, which nan criminal mastermind foresaw successful her affectional goodbye to her ex-fiancé Wesley.
To find retired what’s adjacent for Grey and whether Richard T. Johnson (or different bid regulars) are leaving The Rookie, you can publication Part 2 of our question and reply pinch Hawley. In Part 3, he shares nan latest connected spinoff The Rookie: North.
With its Season 9 renewal past month, The Rookie, having had its astir watched play connected streaming, became ABC’s 3rd longest-running premier play series.
Tim & Lucy: Proposal, Abduction &… Rescue?
DEADLINE: A twelvemonth agone we said astir really Tim and Lucy deserved a small spot of happiness aft you’d put them done nan ringer past season, now you decided to propulsion that to nan upwind pinch nan kidnapping. Why?
HAWLEY: They had immoderate happiness, I think, this play location was plentifulness of happiness. They were cute, we did a bunch of romcom worldly pinch them, really accelerated they’re unpacking boxes and each that benignant of stuff. At nan end, it conscionable felt ace dramatic. I emotion nan infinitesimal of nan proposal, I consciousness for illustration it’s really special. I was amazed really affectional I sewage conscionable watching nan board trim of it, but past I wanted to do thing dramatic.
DEADLINE: The Rookie wasn’t really successful threat of cancellation but did you envision nan finale ending pinch nan proposal, without nan abduction, successful lawsuit nan show was not renewed (or moreover if it was)?
HAWLEY: We ever were readying to sprout nan abduction. There was a very, very mini portion of nan backmost of my encephalon that’s like, I tin ever conscionable spell retired connected nan proposal, that type was available. I deliberation arsenic we sewage person to editing it and finishing it up, it felt for illustration I didn’t request to moreover put that together. But I’ve been burned before, let’s put it that way. So, yeah, I’m not gonna lie, location was a portion of maine that goes, that would beryllium a satisfying ending if we had to spell retired that way.
DEADLINE: Are they some being abducted, aliases is Lucy conscionable being immobilized?
HAWLEY: They’re some being taken.
DEADLINE: But why Lucy, what does she person to do pinch anything? Is she conscionable collateral damage?
HAWLEY: Well, she’s evidently nan personification that Tim cares astir most, and this is astir punishing him for not accepting nan bribe and yet turning connected Everett, aliases betraying Everett successful his ain weird mind. I deliberation it’s much astir inflicting maximum punishment, truthful taking them some felt for illustration that.
DEADLINE: I had wholly forgotten astir nan bribe, it happened months ago. Why is Everett still hung up connected that erstwhile he should beryllium angry astir his recapture? Does he cognize who precisely did it? The cops were each wearing camouflage makeup.
HAWLEY: There’s a infinitesimal successful nan vessel aft they grabbed him wherever he’s looking up astatine Tim, and Lucy’s putting zip ties connected him. So he knew it was Tim. In my mind, nan abduction is simply a backup scheme that was put successful spot successful lawsuit he didn’t get away, that was his reaching out, quote unquote, from nan grave, truthful to speak. They were waiting a small bit; erstwhile he sewage rearrested, that sewage triggered.
DEADLINE: Since Everett is down bars, do we cognize who is pulling nan strings connected his behalf? Is it personification we cognize aliases is it thing you will beryllium deciding successful nan Season 9 writers room?
HAWLEY: Yeah, I deliberation so. Obviously we introduced Malcolm into that beingness successful this episode, but it’s excessively soon for him to beryllium that heavy pinch Everett. So yeah, I deliberation there’s a correct manus personification retired location that is pulling these strings for sure.
DEADLINE: Is Everett targeting only Tim and Lucy aliases is he going aft nan full squad that arrested him connected nan boat?
HAWLEY: It is meant to beryllium conscionable for Tim and Lucy, and it’s really meant to beryllium Tim because Everett said, ‘You’re going to regret this.’ And he’s a man of his word.
DEADLINE: I presume that a main crippled statement adjacent play will beryllium Nolan and nan remainder trying to bring Tim and Lucy back?
HAWLEY: I don’t cognize if it’s each play but we’re decidedly gonna commencement that way, fig retired wherever they are, and fig retired really to get them back, and immoderate obstacles we tin put successful their measurement connected that. And past seeing Tim and Lucy wherever they are, I don’t deliberation they’re going to beryllium idly by and hold to beryllium rescued. What does that look like? I don’t cognize yet, but I’m excited to find out.
The Return Of Liam Glasser
DEADLINE: Season 8 had 2 cliffhangers involving villains. Before Everett, you brought serial slayer Liam Glasser backmost for a mates of episodes. He besides made a threat to Nolan aft he mislaid nan custody hearing.
HAWLEY: I wouldn’t opportunity it was a threat successful nan aforesaid way. Everett’s threat was very overmuch like, I’m going to get you. Glasser’s threat was, successful a perverted way, like, You saved my life, intends that immoderate comes aft this is connected you. Not that I’m coming aft you, but erstwhile I termination again, nan bodies that are connected me, ultimately, you person thing to do pinch those because you saved my life and past you group maine free a small bit.
DEADLINE: What did Glasser mean erstwhile he mentioned that celebrated serial killers had paused their sprees while they had small kids. Even if he doesn’t person custody, he still has kids. Is he, successful your mind, saying that he’s going to commencement sidesplitting again?
HAWLEY: But he’s not parenting those kids. The custody hearing, nan restraining order, he’s had thing to do pinch his children, truthful so it’s each free time. I deliberation what we’re trying to get astatine is that immoderate of these serial killers who person had families arsenic beards were little progressive erstwhile they were actively parenting young children. So that was what Glasser was trying to do, which is frighten a small spot like, I sewage free clip connected my hands now, truthful I’ll spell correct backmost astatine it. So we’ll see.
DEADLINE: On The Rookie, you sideline villains for a while, and past they popular backmost in. Obviously Tim and Lucy’s storyline has urgency. Are you going to hold a small until Glasser resurfaces?
HAWLEY: Probably a small bit. It’s going to beryllium each hands connected deck, and Tim and Lucy astatine nan opening of nan play will return up immoderate space. Also, we’re not watching Glasser, unfortunately, we cognize who he is and what he mightiness beryllium up to, but it’s not our job, and we don’t person nan resources. I deliberation Glasser is simply a smart villain, it’s why he sewage distant pinch it is because he was doing a DNA buffet pinch his victims, and he was burying them successful different serial killer’s grave.
He’s smart, truthful I do deliberation it would return america a small while earlier we would get onto immoderate he mightiness beryllium up to next. It’ll decidedly beryllium Season 9, I don’t want to hold excessively agelong to spot him again. But I’m not judge precisely what portion of Season 9.
DEADLINE: But, asking connected behalf of each parents, his erstwhile woman and his children will beryllium safe, right?
HAWLEY: Yes, I deliberation they will be. Going down that roadworthy would get him successful problem immediately. I deliberation he’s smart capable not to messiness pinch them.
Oscar On Pause, Other OG Villains Activated
DEADLINE: Season 8 brought backmost different celebrated Rookie villain, Oscar Hutchinson, played by Matthew Glave, who has appeared connected nan show each season. You brought him backmost for 1 episode, and he is successful nan upwind again. Will he get an arc soon beyond nan one-off?
HAWLEY: I deliberation so, I’m a small sketchy connected that correct now. I emotion Matthew, I deliberation he’s truthful overmuch nosy arsenic an actor, and he’s been awesome for us. I besides cognize that we person a small spot of a support life connected really galore times we tin bring him backmost and fto him flight again. I consciousness for illustration we’re astatine that constituent successful nan aforesaid measurement that I felt for illustration Monica had reached nan extremity of her story. I consciousness for illustration pinch Oscar, we sewage to fig retired thing clever to do pinch him alternatively than conscionable different meet cute, truthful to speak. I don’t cognize what that is yet. I want to get them backmost but I don’t cognize precisely really to do it conscionable yet successful a measurement that’s fresh.
DEADLINE: What different villains are you looking to bring back?
HAWLEY: Actually, my scheme going into nan writers room for Season 9 is to person somebody, aliases somebodies spell backmost to nan first mates of early seasons and effort and fig out, immoderate of our group that we’ve seen earlier who mightiness person gone to prison, would they beryllium retired by now? Like, organically, are location immoderate group that we put distant that would really person served their time, gotten out, and tin we bring them back? Because we person immoderate characters from nan first mates seasons that I really liked, but evidently they spell to jail, truthful you’re like, well, we can’t do thing pinch them. It’s nice, we’ve sewage to a spot now wherever I deliberation we tin commencement to, arsenic existent life happens, oh, they’re backmost retired and we do thing pinch them.
DEADLINE: That’s nan use of nan show going to a ninth season.
HAWLEY: For sure.
Malcolm & Wesley: Surprising Bedfellows
DEADLINE: Staying connected nan villain beat, Glasser’s lawyer Malcolm, who has now joined Everett’s team, didn’t look for illustration a redeemable characteristic but past helped nan constabulary successful nan finale a bit. Will location beryllium much shades to him adjacent season, is location a bully personification underneath maybe?
HAWLEY: I don’t cognize astir a bully person. We activity really difficult to person nuance pinch our villains wherever we can, I deliberation Monica is simply a bully illustration of that this play pinch her past fewer episodes, and nan calamity that she moreover realized astir herself. I would ne'er want Malcolm to conscionable beryllium one-dimensional, I deliberation there’s a batch to observe astir him still going forward. Sean’s a really awesome actor, I was excited to get him, and it feels for illustration there’s much we tin do pinch him. So we’ll decidedly excavation successful connected that for adjacent season.
DEADLINE: Malcolm and Wesley are now moving together for Everett. For Wesley, that move came retired of nowhere. It was explained later that he was doing it to thief nan constabulary but is that nan truth aliases is he going to nan acheronian broadside a bit?
HAWLEY: No, I don’t deliberation he’s going to nan acheronian side. I deliberation ultimately, he saw an opportunity. Him and Angela, they knew they needed to get backmost astatine Malcolm and find retired nan truth [about Glasser]. And past Malcolm virtually came knocking connected his doorway pinch an opportunity, and I deliberation Wesley took that but past grounded to stock that scheme pinch his woman connected nan beforehand side. I don’t cognize that Wesley’s still moving for Everett successful that 901, I don’t deliberation they’re moving together going forward, but I do deliberation that Wesley is trying to fig retired a measurement to pain Malcolm for what he sees arsenic nan symptom that he’s inflicted.
Monica’s Redemption
DEADLINE: You mentioned Monica a mates of times, she sewage redemption astatine nan end. Was that nan arc you envisioned from nan beginning, that she was yet going to die? Was location an action for her to get away? By nan end, we were benignant of rooting for her to get a caller life.
HAWLEY: I deliberation that’s right. I knew, I wouldn’t opportunity successful nan very opening of nan season, but I decidedly had conversations pinch Bridget successful Prague [where nan Season 8 premiere was shot] astir making judge that Monica didn’t go a one-dimensional villain, and that moreover her trying to find money to unrecorded astatine a lifestyle, asking for thief from Nolan, each that worldly was meant to benignant of go, Monica, actually, is simply a quality being.
I deliberation nan calamity of Monica really was that she, astatine nan extremity of nan day, conscionable couldn’t get retired of her ain way. And I deliberation she realized that by nan end. I thought that segment pinch Wesley was really powerful. Both of them are conscionable truthful bully successful it. I conscionable for illustration that she sees nan calamity of her life and doesn’t rather cognize really she sewage there, moreover though she knows precisely nan steps. I thought that was beautiful poignant.
DEADLINE: Well, she really didn’t want to unrecorded successful nan mediate of nan country…(Monica refused to participate witnesser protection unless it progressive her surviving connected nan coasts.)
HAWLEY: She didn’t want to beryllium successful a flyover state, moving astatine a Cinnabon, she conscionable didn’t. For immoderate people, that’s nan line. It sounds for illustration a perfectly bully life, but not for her.
Nolan’s Nightmare Turned Reality
DEADLINE: To clarify, was it Bailey who saved Nolan erstwhile he fell overboard astatine nan extremity of nan clandestine cognition to recapture Everett, right? It was very dark.
HAWLEY: Yeah, that was Bailey jumping successful to get him.
DEADLINE: Nolan had a nightmare of him drowning successful acheronian h2o earlier successful nan finale. Did he dream of nan aforesaid point that past happened to him successful existent life aliases was that a framing device?
HAWLEY: It was a framing device. I do deliberation that he’s been carrying a batch of accent and PTSD, he did get changeable precocious arsenic he was protecting Glasser, there’s been a batch of melodramatic stuff. So I deliberation nan nightmare, nan suffocation emotion he was feeling, was real. But yes, ultimately, it was a framing device.
Ring Shenanigans, Wedding Bells Next?
DEADLINE: The gag pinch nan ringing sewage a small spot retired of manus pinch everyone knowing astir it and giving advice. Did you intend it arsenic a measurement to person nan full squad progressive successful nan proposal?
HAWLEY: I conscionable for illustration nan thought that nan ringing is simply a story, that it’s not conscionable a device, that it’s not easy. Again, I joke astir nan romcom of it each but I do consciousness for illustration our show contains a batch of different genres, and romcom is 1 of them. And truthful this thought that Tim starts retired getting nan heirloom ringing from his mom, which is horrendous, we play that for fun, and past nan thought of conscionable trying to find a ringing that speaks to him, and not having a ton of money, trying to grant nan policeman’s net of it each and everything; it conscionable seemed for illustration a communicative that was fun.
And past it yet came down to little astir nan ringing itself and much astir who Tim is and nan proposal. As an anti-Instagram-worthy type guy, really do you propose successful 2026 erstwhile you’re against each that splashy sh*t? For us, it each felt for illustration a journey, I didn’t consciousness for illustration we overindulged. I conscionable wanted to spell connected that journey, I didn’t want to do it excessively quickly. I deliberation nan assemblage is really invested successful nan process.
DEADLINE: Part of that ringing comedic storyline was nan accidental sound connection Celina sent her fellow Rodge indicating that she was expecting a connection from him. It was each a large misunderstanding that nan 2 cleared up and evidently she’s young but do you deliberation that whitethorn manifest itself, pinch them considering matrimony for real?
HAWLEY: I don’t deliberation so. I mean, she’s still ace young, they each are successful that group. I deliberation it’s excessively soon, they’re conscionable dating. They for illustration each different a lot, but each narration doesn’t request to beryllium serious. We person a batch of couples connected our show, and I’m conscious of that for sure. So yeah, it was conscionable different romcom moment.
DEADLINE: Speaking of romcom moments, we person to prevention Tim and Lucy first but erstwhile that’s done, is location a wedding successful nan plans for Season 9? Any benignant of wedding?
HAWLEY: To beryllium honest, I’m not 100% judge what it would look like. We’ve evidently done a batch of weddings. We’re fortunate capable to now, going into Season 9, person done varying versions of weddings, whether they’re off-camera, whether they’re interrupted by being taken by La Fiera, whether they’re successful, for illustration nan 100th section pinch Nolan and Bailey, we’ve done a batch of them.
So I’m ever trying to fig retired a caller measurement successful to stuff, and I don’t person it yet. I deliberation what’s safe to opportunity is that it needs to beryllium satisfying. What that means? I don’t cognize yet. I would ne'er conscionable shortchange it but I don’t know. We sewage to fig it out.
Rookie Recruitment
DEADLINE: The main formed are each coming back, including Richard T. Jones. What astir additions? Your only existent rookie Miles didn’t postgraduate successful nan finale...
HAWLEY: But he will. Going into Season 9, he won’t beryllium a rookie anymore.
DEADLINE: That’s what I was getting at. A show called The Rookie needs to person astatine slightest 1 rookie astatine immoderate time.
HAWLEY: You are not wrong, it’s true. What that looks for illustration is different point we sewage to fig out. As we’ve talked astir before, a rookie is ever an opportunity to service 2 stories. One is, who that personification is, and past really that personification affects everyone astir them, particularly their training officer. So I deliberation that’ll beryllium portion of nan thing.
Obviously we’ve had rookies that person flamed retired quickly before. Greg Grunberg fired his weapon astatine rotation call, connected greeting one. We had a awesome section wherever Katy O’Brian, earlier she blew up, we were fortunate capable to get her, and I thought her section was really awesome pinch Tim. So, there’s ever a anticipation what we commencement pinch mightiness not beryllium nan full season.
There’s still immoderate worldly to fig retired but you’re not wrong. Going into Season 9, we would request a caller rookie, astatine slightest one. I want to fig that out.
DEADLINE: What astir drone kid, Dash? I checked nan LAPD requirements, I deliberation he’s a small excessively young to beryllium a rookie.
HAWLEY: That’s true, you’ve sewage to beryllium 21.
DEADLINE: Is his arc done?
HAWLEY: I don’t know. I deliberation he’s a nosy spirit connected nan show. We’re lucky, aft 8 seasons and 144 episodes, we’ve had a batch of awesome characters connected our show. I would emotion to spot Tamara backmost adjacent season. We didn’t get to her this play but I for illustration her connected our show. A batch of it is astir balancing storyline. If there’s stories to tell, we’ll bring group back.
Final S8 Thoughts & S9 Priorities
HAWLEY: I’m really proud of Season 8. I do consciousness for illustration each play of nan show is different successful varying ways. I deliberation nan state we have, conscionable by not being a straight-up procedural, does let america to turn and alteration and effort different things.
So going into Season 9, I request to fig retired what that looks for illustration adjacent season. What does nan ninth play look for illustration that nan different ones didn’t? I do deliberation nan show has gotten much and much cinematic complete nan years, which I appreciate. We are much ambitious, we do return immoderate bigger swings. So, going into Season 9 is conscionable like, What haven’t we done before, and really do we support nan show fresh? Because I do deliberation that’s 1 of our strengths.
