Fans must wait until 2026 for an all-new season of The Rookie — but Us Weekly already knows which cast members are, and aren’t, returning.
Showrunner Alexi Hawley exclusively confirmed to Us in May that season 8 of the ABC series will feature both Oscar Hutchinson (Matthew Glave) and Monica Stevens (Bridget Regan) as villains.
“It’s not the last we’re gonna see [of] him,” Hawley said of Oscar, who was able to escape police capture during the season 7 finale, but not with the stolen diamonds he acquired. “I think we’re heading for … a bit of an end game there, or at least the end of a chapter.”
When it comes to Monica, Hawley told fans at San Diego Comic-Con in July that season 8 will begin overseas in Prague with the corrupt attorney — who made a deal with the FBI to close season 7 — front and center.
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Officer John Nolan (Nathan Fillion) is confirmed to be making the trip alongside Detective Nyla Harper (Mekia Cox) and The Rookie: Feds’ FBI Supervisory Special Agent Matt Garza (Felix Solis), according to TVLine. But who else from the police force — and their inner circle — can fans expect to see next season?
Scroll down for everything we know about The Rookie’s season 8 cast:
Nathan Fillion
Fillion confirmed his return as officer John Nolan in April, while celebrating the season 8 renewal announcement.
“I’ve been around long enough to know how truly challenging and rare it is to have a long running show. Thank you all for sticking around for these 7 seasons — it’s because of you that we are announcing season 8!!” the actor wrote via Instagram. “Congratulations to @alexihawley and the wonderful team that puts this show together. I am so very proud to work alongside all of you. Let’s do this! #therookie.”
Alyssa Diaz
Diaz’s Detective Angela Lopez is safe from the chopping block heading into season 8. She will be part of the LAPD force working to bring down Monica and Oscar — when he eventually resurfaces.
Eric Winter
Winter will be back as Tim Bradford, who fans last saw asked Lucy Chen (Melissa O’Neil) to move in with him, but she dozed off and didn’t hear him.
“I do think that cementing that conversation [between them] at the top of the next season and figuring out what the next [or] the right next step is, that’s gotta be our premiere, right?” Hawley told Us in May, noting that the writers will “figure it out from there” how Tim and Lucy proceed as a couple.
Winter, meanwhile, confessed to TVLine in May that he’s unsure how Tim will proceed after putting his heart on the line. “I’m actually very curious about that,” he said. “He has to do a lot of damage control.”
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Melissa O’Neil
O’Neil will reprise her role as Lucy Chen, but the new sergeant won’t be on the night shift much longer. “I don’t think it’s an obstacle,” Hawley teased. “The challenge of the night shift was fun in the finale but ultimately, I don’t think we’re gonna live in there for too long.”
The executive producer also told fans at San Diego Comic Con in July that Lucy will dive deeper into police work this season. “We have an undercover Lucy story that we’re working on in the writers’ room right now,” he said via People.
Mekia Cox
Cox will return as Nolan’s former training officer, detective Nyla Harper this season. While her story line has not been shared, Hawley told Us in May that fans will see more of Nyla and her husband, James Murray (Arjay Smith), after their rocky season 7.
“They’ve been through the fire a bit for sure,” the showrunner said. “The inherent contradiction of his job and her job is still there. I do think that they’ve navigated it for now. They’re definitely in a stronger place than they were say early in season 7.”
Richard T. Jones
Jones is returning as Lieutenant Wade Grey and his wife, Luna (Angela Parker), is expected to appear in several episodes as the couple is still going strong.
When it comes to what Jones wants to see for Grey during season 8, he exclusively told Us in March that a cookoff between the lieutenant and rookie Miles Penn (Deric Augustine) would be fun. “I think that’d be just a great close out of an episode that, you know, everybody’s at a barbecue. That we’re having a competition. And they’ll be the judges,” he proposed.
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Jenna Dewan
Hawley confirmed during San Diego Comic-Con in July that Nolan’s wife, Bailey Nune, played by Dewan, flew to Prague for the season 8 premiere alongside her TV husband. As in seasons’ past, she will continue to be part of the cast and remain Nolan’s No. 1 lady.
Shawn Ashmore
Ashmore will reprise his role as attorney Wesley Evers, but Hawley told Us that his and Angela’s marriage won’t be tested amid Monica’s return. (Corrupt attorney Monica dated Wesley prior to his relationship with the detective.)
“At this point Monica’s got such bad blood with so many of our characters that I don’t know if she’d be shaking stuff up with Wesley and Angela,” Hawley said in the spring.
The showrunner also told TVLine in April that Wesley’s arc might include running for DA after his boss bowed out of the race. “We’re sniffing around a bit of where to take that story, and it would certainly make sense for Wesley, who was a defense attorney and believes very strongly in righting the wrongs of an unjust justice system,” Hawley mused. “He’s an assistant DA, they have not a ton of power, so becoming the DA would give him an ability to shake things up. So, we’re definitely kicking the tires on that idea.”
Lisseth Chavez
Chavez has been playing Celina Juarez since season 5, completing her rookie training during season 7. She is set to return for season 8 — and her romance with Rodge Bronson (Zander Hawley) could continue, according to Hawley.
“I think they’re both young, and so I don’t know that we need to define everything [and it] doesn’t have to turn into a relationship,” Hawley explained to Us in May of Celina and Rodge’s story line. “I’m not 100 percent sure where it goes, but I do think that ultimately we are very aware that we have some very strong relationships on the show.”
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Deric Augustine
Augustine joined the cast during season 7 as rookie officer Miles Penn. For season 8, the actor has been promoted to series regular, TVLine confirmed in July.
Showrunner Hawley previously told Us that Miles’ “rookie year is not over,” so the writers are “going to live in his rookie year for a while.” He teased, “I think there’s a lot of places to push. I mean, he is still trying to find out who he is in Los Angeles. He tried to start dating and that went very badly in the finale. He’s living in his car. That’s obviously, you know, an obstacle for him as well to overcome. I’m excited to see where it goes.”
Patrick Keleher
Keleher played the controversial rookie Seth Ridley, who lied about his past and his cancer diagnosis before being cut from the LAPD Mid-Wilshire department. He returned later during season 7 after claiming that his cancer diagnosis was an insurance scam and was once again part of the training program. Seth got shot during season 7, episode 16, in the line of duty and needed his leg amputated.
While fans thought it was the last they’d see of Seth, Hawley told TVLine that might not be the case. “Something shocking deserved to happen” to that character, the showrunner said in July, teasing, “And then we’ll see where it goes.”
