The Rookie Season 7 Needs One Major Return After Season 6 Finale's Feds Cameos

Summary The Rookie Season 6 finale featured three cast members from The Rookie: Feds, excluding its main star, Niecy Nash-Betts.

Niecy Nash-Betts' absence in The Rookie Season 6 finale was notable, as she was the main face of The Rookie: Feds.

Showrunner Alexi Hawley discussed his desire to bring back Feds characters for future seasons but is unsure of Nash-Betts' return due to her busy schedule.

The Rookie season 6 ended with an action-packed (convoluted) finale featuring the guest appearances of three cast members from The Rookie: Feds (which ABC previously canceled after season 1 in 2023), except for its main star. Season 6 of the ABC police procedural crime drama series, created by Alexi Hawley, was shortened due to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes in 2023. The cast and crew produced ten episodes showcasing the takeover of Monica Stevens as The Rookie's primary villain, and the detectives and officers of Mid-Wilshire had to call in backup to take her down.

The Rookie season 7 returns in early 2025.

In a sudden turn of events (which wasn't so surprising as many predicted this Rookie season 6 villain theory after episode 1), Aaron Thorsen and Tim Bradford's therapist, Dr. Blair London, was working for Monica (albeit unwillingly). Blair was leaking information about her clients to Monica, who would sell it to the highest bidder. Unfortunately for Monica, her threat level got too big, and her opponents wanted to take her out. During the finale, though, Monica was able to gain an ally in Jakob Olmstead in Argentina (until John Nolan, Nyla Harper, and the Rookie: Feds characters interrupted their meeting).

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Niecy Nash-Betts's Simone Clarke Was Notably Absent From The Rookie Season 6 Finale

Simone Didn't Have A Cameo In The Finale

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The returning Rookie: Feds stars in The Rookie season 6 finale were Britt Robertson as Laura Stensen (with a haircut that made her almost unrecognizable), Felix Solis as Matt Garza, and Kevin Zegers as Brendon Acres. While it was great to see all their faces on the screen again, one couldn't help but notice someone was missing — the Rookie spinoff's lead, Niecy Nash-Betts as Simone Clark. During an interview with TV Insider, showrunner Alexi Hawley discussed the Rookie: Feds cameos and why Nash-Betts wasn't in the episode. He said:

"I definitely wanted to bring [Robertson, Solis, and Zegers] in. There was a conversation with ABC after the sad cancelation of Feds about whether I could keep them in our universe. They're phenomenal and if those actors are available — and there's going to come a time where they're not, they're so good — I want to keep them in our world. Obviously Niecy [Nash-Betts] falls into a different category. She's already off doing a bunch of high profile stuff, and I don't necessarily know that I'll be able to get her back. But yeah, I just wanted to see them again, and they're so good."

While many of the figures in The Rookie: Feds were intriguing, well-developed characters, Simone undoubtedly made the show what it was. Simone was the face of the series, and her personality, charisma, and drive made The Rookie: Feds set itself apart from the crowd. So, not having Nash-Betts in The Rookie season 6 finale was disappointing and stark, to say the least, even though the addition of Robertson, Solis, and Zegers was a welcome surprise.

Related The Rookie Season 6 Ending Without A Chenford Reunion Was The Only Good Thing About The Finale Tim and Lucy (thankfully) didn't reunite in The Rookie season 6 finale, while the rest of the hour was dedicated to a convoluted plot and dull twists.

Why The Rookie Season 7 Needs Niecy Nash-Betts To Return

Season 7 Will Likely Feature More Feds Cameos

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Based on Alexi Hawley's comments, it seems as though the writers want to continue bringing the Rookie: Feds characters back to the parent series. However, it would be strange if they returned in season 7 without Niecy Nash-Betts' Simone Clark, seeing as she played a significant role in the spinoff and formed a strong bond with Nolan. Consequently, The Rookie season 7 must feature at least one Simone cameo, but, of course, making the show's schedule work with Nash-Betts' busy schedule is another story.

The Rookie Cast Character Nathan Fillion John Nolan Richard T. Jones Wade Grey Alyssa Diaz Angela Lopez Eric Winter Tim Bradford Melissa O'Neil Lucy Chen Mekia Cox Nyla Harper Shawn Ashmore Wesley Evers Jenna Dewan Bailey Nune Tru Valentino Aaron Thorsen Lisseth Chavez Celina Juarez

The Rookie Where to Watch *Availability in US stream

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buy Not available Not available Not available The Rookie is a police procedural television series that stars Nathan Fillion as police officer John Nolan. At 45 years old, John becomes the oldest rookie at the Los Angeles Police Department. The show premiered on ABC in 2018. Cast Nathan Fillion , Eric Winter Release Date October 16, 2018 Seasons 6 Network ABC Showrunner Alexi Hawley

Source: TV Insider