The Rookie co-stars Eric Winter and Melissa O’Neil addressed the Season 8 finale at Comic-Con, both apologizing to fans for the shocking cliffhanger. “The Bandit” almost ended on a high note, with Tim (Winter) finally proposing to Lucy (O’Neil). But there’s bound to be a huge plot twist right around the corner, and the pair are abducted before they even had their moment. We’ll have to wait five months for that to be resolved, but at least we’re in for an added treat with the upcoming spin-off.
Speaking with TV Insider, The Rookie showrunner Alexi Hawley said LAPD officer John Nolan (Nathan Fillion) will also be appearing in The Rookie: North‘s premiere episode. Set in Washington state, the spin-off stars Jay Ellis as Alex Holland, an everyday guy “who believed his midlife wasn’t worthy of a crisis.” A violent home invasion ignites his newfound purpose, and just like Nolan, he joins the police force. He must prove himself as Pierce County Police Department’s latest rookie, but for once in his life, he has something worth fighting for.
Holland and Nolan are kindred spirits, but the latter has years of wisdom and experience to offer. “Long term, Nolan is, as much as he can be from L.A. to the Pacific Northwest, a mentor of sorts,” Hawley said. “He’s somebody who came at the job at a later age as Jay Ellis’ character has done. I think he’s a resource and an ally when he needs it.” So can we expect Fillion in a recurring role in The Rookie: North? The actor said that’s likely, and even hinted at a full-on franchise crossover.
“I think there’s room for crossovers, but not necessarily with our main character. We’ve had a lot of characters on The Rookie that could potentially see The Rookie: North.”
Hawley said some of The Rookie‘s villains could even pay a visit to The Rookie: North. “We could go up there with some of our bad guys, some of our fun guest characters that we love. I mean, there’s lots of possibilities.” Oscar Hutchinson (Matthew Glave) is (yet again) on the run after surviving a plane crash in The Rookie Season 8 — is he lying low up in Washington? Given Heath Everett’s (Jeffrey Vincent Parise) broad criminal network, he could also become a main antagonist in the spin-off.
Ellis previously hinted at Fillion’s recurring role in The Rookie: North, saying Nolan “is going to be someone Alex calls for advice a lot.” The Rookie is filmed in Los Angeles, while the spin-off is shot in Vancouver, so Fillion and Ellis’s shared scenes could easily be shot in separate locations, and Nolan could keep tabs on Holland through phone calls.
Hawley and Fillion didn’t mention whether the franchise crossover meant The Rookie: North would also feature characters from The Rookie: Feds, which aired on ABC for one season. It would be nice to see rookie FBI agent Simone Clark (Niecy Nash-Betts), Nolan, and Holland collaborate on a case in a crossover episode.
- Release Date
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October 16, 2018
- Network
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ABC
- Showrunner
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Alexi Hawley
