‘The Rookie’ Season 8 Finale Interview: Chenford Cliffhanger, S9 Plans

SPOILER ALERT: The story consists of particulars in regards to the Season 8 finale of ABC’s The Rookie.

Another Rookie season finale, one other Chenford cliffhanger. But what a distinction a 12 months makes.

The Season 7 finale ended with Tim (Eric Winter) asking Lucy (Melissa O’Neil) to maneuver in with him however he didn’t get a solution as she had dozed off. At the tip of the Season 8 finale, Tim popped a unique query, asking Lucy to marry him, and we didn’t have to attend till subsequent season to seek out out her reply — she stated sure.

But solely seconds after the romantic sundown seashore proposal, Tim and Lucy had been kidnapped, with one of many perpetrators delivering a message to them, “Heath Everett says payback is a bitch.”

Everett is the tremendous wealthy warlord who had had a grudge on Tim even for the reason that latter refused a $10M bribe to let him go earlier within the season. In the finale, Everett escaped throughout a prisoner switch in a spectacular trend by an elaborate operation that concerned a helicopter rising from beneath a bridge and the jail escort van Everett was driving in being lifted within the air by a large magnet.

Tim, Nolan and the remainder of the squad tracked Everett right down to a ship, and, in daring evening operation, arrested him and took him again into custody.

In an interview with Deadline, The Rookie creator, govt producer and showrunner Alexi Hawley discusses the proposal and the comical conditions involving the engagement that led to it. (By the time Tim was able to suggest, your complete Mid-Wilshire Station knew about his plan, most had weighed in on his ring alternative and a pair had been concerned in a search operation after Tim briefly misplaced the jewellery piece. Angela discovered it.)

Hawley dissects the explanations for Tim and Lucy’s abduction and the way it will play out in Season 9. He additionally teases the Season 9 return of serial killer Liam Glasser (Seth Gabel), recent off dropping custody of his children and being slapped with a restraining order following damaging testimony by Nolan (Nathan Fillion) who had simply saved Glasser’s life.

In the interview, Hawley reveals an intriguing plan to carry again a number of the most memorable villains from The Rookie‘s early seasons while also adding new rookies in Season 9. He also discusses the prospects of a wedding next season, what’s up with the shocking alliance between Glasser’s scheming lawyer Malcolm (Sean Patrick Thomas) and straight arrow Wesley (Shawn Ashmore) in addition to Monica’s (Bridget Regan) tragic finish, which the legal mastermind foresaw in her emotional goodbye to her ex-fiancé Wesley.

With its Season 9 renewal last month, The Rookie, having had its most watched season on streaming, grew to become ABC’s third longest-running prime drama collection.

Tim & Lucy: Proposal, Abduction &… Rescue?

DEADLINE: A 12 months in the past we spoke about how Tim and Lucy deserved a little bit of happiness after you’d put them by the ringer final season, now you determined to throw that to the wind with the kidnapping. Why?

HAWLEY: They had some happiness, I feel, this season there was loads of happiness. They had been cute, we did a bunch of romcom stuff with them, how briskly they’re unpacking bins and all that form of stuff. At the tip, it simply felt tremendous dramatic. I really like the second of the proposal, I really feel prefer it’s actually particular. I used to be shocked how emotional I received simply watching the administrators minimize of it, however then I needed to do one thing dramatic.

DEADLINE: The Rookie wasn’t actually in peril of cancellation however did you envision the finale ending with the proposal, with out the kidnapping, in case the present was not renewed (or even when it was)?

HAWLEY: We all the time had been planning to shoot the kidnapping. There was a really, very small a part of the again of my mind that’s like, I can all the time simply exit on the proposal, that model was out there. I feel as we received nearer to modifying it and ending it up, it felt like I didn’t must even put that collectively. But I’ve been burned earlier than, let’s put it that manner. So, yeah, I’m not gonna lie, there was part of me that goes, that might be a satisfying ending if we needed to exit that manner.

DEADLINE: Are they each being kidnapped, or is Lucy simply being immobilized?

HAWLEY: They’re each being taken.

DEADLINE: But why Lucy, what does she should do with something? Is she simply collateral harm?

HAWLEY: Well, she’s clearly the individual that Tim cares about most, and that is about punishing him for not accepting the bribe and finally turning on Everett, or betraying Everett in his personal bizarre thoughts. I feel it’s extra about inflicting most punishment, so taking them each felt like that.

DEADLINE: I had utterly forgotten in regards to the bribe, it occurred months in the past. Why is Everett nonetheless hung up on that when he must be offended about his recapture? Does he know who precisely did it? The cops had been all sporting camouflage make-up.

HAWLEY: There’s a second within the boat after they grabbed him the place he’s wanting up at Tim, and Lucy’s placing zip ties on him. So he knew it was Tim. In my thoughts, the kidnapping is a backup plan that was put in place in case he didn’t get away, that was his reaching out, quote unquote, from the grave, so to talk. They had been ready a bit of bit; when he received rearrested, that received triggered.

DEADLINE: Since Everett is behind bars, do we all know who’s pulling the strings on his behalf? Is it any person we all know or is it one thing you can be deciding within the Season 9 writers room?

HAWLEY: Yeah, I feel so. Obviously we launched Malcolm into that universe on this episode, however it’s too quickly for him to be that deep with Everett. So yeah, I feel there’s a proper hand individual on the market that’s pulling these strings for certain.

DEADLINE: Is Everett focusing on solely Tim and Lucy or is he going after your complete squad that arrested him on the boat?

HAWLEY: It is supposed to be only for Tim and Lucy, and it’s actually meant to be Tim as a result of Everett stated, ‘You’re going to remorse this.’ And he’s a person of his phrase.

DEADLINE: I assume {that a} fundamental plot line subsequent season can be Nolan and the remainder attempting to carry Tim and Lucy again?

HAWLEY: I don’t know if it’s all season however we’re undoubtedly gonna begin that manner, work out the place they’re, and work out find out how to get them again, and no matter obstacles we are able to put of their manner on that. And then seeing Tim and Lucy wherever they’re, I don’t suppose they’re going to sit down idly by and wait to be rescued. What does that appear like? I don’t know but, however I’m excited to seek out out.

The Return Of Liam Glasser

DEADLINE: Season 8 had two cliffhangers involving villains. Before Everett, you introduced serial killer Liam Glasser again for a few episodes. He additionally made a menace to Nolan after he misplaced the custody listening to.

HAWLEY: I wouldn’t say it was a menace in the identical manner. Everett’s menace was very very similar to, I’m going to get you. Glasser’s menace was, in a perverted manner, like, You saved my life, implies that no matter comes after that is on you. Not that I’m coming after you, however as soon as I kill once more, the our bodies which might be on me, finally, you will have one thing to do with these since you saved my life and then you definately set me free a bit of bit.

DEADLINE: What did Glasser imply when he talked about that well-known serial killers had paused their sprees whereas that they had little children. Even if he doesn’t have custody, he nonetheless has children. Is he, in your thoughts, saying that he’s going to begin killing once more?

HAWLEY: But he’s not parenting these children. The custody listening to, the restraining order, he’s had nothing to do along with his kids, so due to this fact it’s all free time. I feel what we’re attempting to get at is that a few of these serial killers who’ve had households as beards had been much less lively as soon as they had been actively parenting younger kids. So that was what Glasser was attempting to do, which is threaten a bit of bit like, I received free time on my fingers now, so I’ll go proper again at it. So we’ll see.

DEADLINE: On The Rookie, you sideline villains for some time, after which they pop again in. Obviously Tim and Lucy’s storyline has urgency. Are you going to attend a bit of till Glasser resurfaces?

HAWLEY: Probably a bit of bit. It’s going to be all fingers on deck, and Tim and Lucy in the beginning of the season will take up some house. Also, we’re not watching Glasser, sadly, we all know who he’s and what he is perhaps as much as, however it’s not our job, and we don’t have the sources. I feel Glasser is a great villain, it’s why he received away with it’s as a result of he was doing a DNA buffet along with his victims, and he was burying them in one other serial killer’s grave.

He’s sensible, so I do suppose it will take us a short while earlier than we might get onto no matter he is perhaps as much as subsequent. It’ll undoubtedly be Season 9, I don’t wish to wait too lengthy to see him once more. But I’m undecided precisely what a part of Season 9.

DEADLINE: But, asking on behalf of all mother and father, his former spouse and his kids can be protected, proper?

HAWLEY: Yes, I feel they are going to be. Going down that street would get him in bother instantly. I feel he’s sensible sufficient to not mess with them.

Oscar On Pause, Other OG Villains Activated

DEADLINE: Season 8 introduced again one other well-liked Rookie villain, Oscar Hutchinson, performed by Matthew Glave, who has appeared on the present each season. You introduced him again for one episode, and he’s within the wind once more. Will he get an arc quickly past the one-off?

HAWLEY: I feel so, I’m a bit of sketchy on that proper now. I really like Matthew, I feel he’s a lot enjoyable as an actor, and he’s been nice for us. I additionally know that we’ve a bit of little bit of a shelf life on what number of occasions we are able to carry him again and let him escape once more. I really feel like we’re at that time in the identical manner that I felt like Monica had reached the tip of her story. I really feel like with Oscar, we received to determine one thing intelligent to do with him slightly than simply one other meet cute, so to talk. I don’t know what that’s but. I wish to get them again however I don’t know precisely find out how to do it simply but in a manner that’s recent.

DEADLINE: What different villains are you seeking to carry again?

HAWLEY: Actually, my plan going into the writers room for Season 9 is to have any person, or somebodies return to the primary couple of early seasons and try to work out, a few of our folks that we’ve seen earlier than who might need gone to jail, would they be out by now? Like, organically, are there some folks that we put away that might even have served their time, gotten out, and may we carry them again? Because we’ve some characters from the primary couple seasons that I actually favored, however clearly they go to jail, so that you’re like, effectively, we are able to’t do something with them. It’s good, we’ve received to a spot now the place I feel we are able to begin to, as actual life occurs, oh, they’re again out and we do one thing with them.

DEADLINE: That’s the advantage of the present going to a ninth season.

HAWLEY: For certain.

Malcolm & Wesley: Surprising Bedfellows

DEADLINE: Staying on the villain beat, Glasser’s legal professional Malcolm, who has now joined Everett’s workforce, didn’t look like a redeemable character however then helped the police within the finale a bit. Will there be extra shades to him subsequent season, is there a pleasant individual beneath perhaps?

HAWLEY: I don’t find out about a pleasant individual. We work actually exhausting to have nuance with our villains the place we are able to, I feel Monica is an efficient instance of that this season along with her previous couple of episodes, and the tragedy that she even realized about herself. I might by no means need Malcolm to simply be one-dimensional, I feel there’s lots to find about him nonetheless going ahead. Sean’s a extremely nice actor, I used to be excited to get him, and it looks like there’s extra we are able to do with him. So we’ll undoubtedly dig in on that for subsequent season.

DEADLINE: Malcolm and Wesley are actually working collectively for Everett. For Wesley, that flip got here out of nowhere. It was defined later that he was doing it to assist the police however is that the reality or is he going to the darkish facet a bit?

HAWLEY: No, I don’t suppose he’s going to the darkish facet. I feel finally, he noticed a chance. Him and Angela, they knew they wanted to get again at Malcolm and discover out the reality [about Glasser]. And then Malcolm actually got here knocking on his door with a chance, and I feel Wesley took that however then did not share that plan along with his spouse on the entrance facet. I don’t know that Wesley’s nonetheless working for Everett in that 901, I don’t suppose they’re working collectively going ahead, however I do suppose that Wesley is attempting to determine a solution to burn Malcolm for what he sees because the ache that he’s inflicted.

Monica’s Redemption

DEADLINE: You talked about Monica a few occasions, she received redemption on the finish. Was that the arc you envisioned from the start, that she was finally going to die? Was there an possibility for her to get away? By the tip, we had been form of rooting for her to get a brand new life.

HAWLEY: I feel that’s proper. I knew, I wouldn’t say within the very starting of the season, however I undoubtedly had conversations with Bridget in Prague [where the Season 8 premiere was shot] about ensuring that Monica didn’t develop into a one-dimensional villain, and that even her looking for cash to reside at a way of life, asking for assist from Nolan, all that stuff was meant to form of go, Monica, truly, is a human being.

I feel the tragedy of Monica actually was that she, on the finish of the day, simply couldn’t get out of her personal manner. And I feel she realized that by the tip. I believed that scene with Wesley was actually highly effective. Both of them are simply so good in it. I similar to that she sees the tragedy of her life and doesn’t fairly understand how she received there, despite the fact that she is aware of precisely the steps. I believed that was fairly poignant.

DEADLINE: Well, she actually didn’t wish to reside in the course of the nation…(Monica refused to enter witness safety except it concerned her dwelling on the coasts.)

HAWLEY: She didn’t wish to be in a flyover state, working at a Cinnabon, she simply didn’t. For some folks, that’s the road. It appears like a wonderfully good life, however not for her.

Nolan’s Nightmare Turned Reality

DEADLINE: To make clear, was it Bailey who saved Nolan when he fell overboard on the finish of the clandestine operation to recapture Everett, proper? It was very darkish.

HAWLEY: Yeah, that was Bailey leaping in to get him.

DEADLINE: Nolan had a nightmare of him drowning in darkish water earlier within the finale. Did he dream of the identical factor that then occurred to him in actual life or was {that a} framing machine?

HAWLEY: It was a framing machine. I do suppose that he’s been carrying plenty of stress and PTSD, he did get shot not too long ago as he was defending Glasser, there’s been plenty of dramatic stuff. So I feel the nightmare, the suffocation feeling he was feeling, was actual. But sure, finally, it was a framing machine.

Ring Shenanigans, Wedding Bells Next?

DEADLINE: The gag with the ring received a bit of bit out of hand with everybody figuring out about it and giving recommendation. Did you propose it as a solution to have your complete squad concerned within the proposal?

HAWLEY: I similar to the concept that the ring is a narrative, that it’s not only a machine, that it’s not simple. Again, I joke in regards to the romcom of all of it however I do really feel like our present accommodates plenty of totally different genres, and romcom is one in all them. And so this concept that Tim begins out getting the heirloom ring from his mother, which is horrendous, we play that for enjoyable, after which the concept of simply looking for a hoop that speaks to him, and never having a ton of cash, attempting to honor the policeman’s wage of all of it and every thing; it simply appeared like a narrative that was enjoyable.

And then it finally got here right down to much less in regards to the ring itself and extra about who Tim is and the proposal. As an anti-Instagram-worthy sort man, how do you intend in 2026 once you’re in opposition to all that splashy sh*t? For us, all of it felt like a journey, I didn’t really feel like we overindulged. I simply needed to go on that journey, I didn’t wish to do it too shortly. I feel the viewers is absolutely invested within the course of.

DEADLINE: Part of that ring comedic storyline was the unintended voice message Celina despatched her boyfriend Rodge indicating that she was anticipating a proposal from him. It was all a giant misunderstanding that the 2 cleared up and clearly she’s younger however do you suppose that will present itself, with them contemplating marriage for actual?

HAWLEY: I don’t suppose so. I imply, she’s nonetheless tremendous younger, all of them are in that group. I feel it’s too quickly, they’re simply relationship. They like one another lots, however each relationship doesn’t have to be critical. We have plenty of {couples} on our present, and I’m aware of that for certain. So yeah, it was simply one other romcom second.

DEADLINE: Speaking of romcom moments, we’ve to save lots of Tim and Lucy first however when that’s executed, is there a marriage within the plans for Season 9? Any form of marriage ceremony?

HAWLEY: To be sincere, I’m not 100% certain what it will appear like. We’ve clearly executed plenty of weddings. We’re fortunate sufficient to now, going into Season 9, have executed various variations of weddings, whether or not they’re off-camera, whether or not they’re interrupted by being taken by La Fiera, whether or not they’re profitable, just like the a centesimal episode with Nolan and Bailey, we’ve executed plenty of them.

So I’m all the time attempting to determine a recent manner in to stuff, and I don’t have it but. I feel what’s protected to say is that it must be satisfying. What which means? I don’t know but. I might by no means simply shortchange it however I don’t know. We received to determine it out.

Grey’s Future & Rookie Recruitment

In Part 2 of Deadline’s interview with Hawley, he revealed that each one Rookie forged members are returning subsequent season, together with Richard T. Jones whose character Grey was pondering his post-task pressure future within the Season 8 finale. “Richard is a hugely important piece of the puzzle of our show,” Hawley stated, including, “I do think part of early writers room for Season 9 is going to be figuring out exactly what Grey’s next chapter is.”

DEADLINE: What about forged additions? Your solely present rookie Miles didn’t graduate within the finale...

HAWLEY: But he’ll. Going into Season 9, he received’t be a rookie anymore.

DEADLINE: That’s what I used to be getting at. A present referred to as The Rookie must have a minimum of one rookie at any time.

HAWLEY: You will not be fallacious, it’s true. What that appears like is one other factor we received to determine. As we’ve talked about earlier than, a rookie is all the time a chance to serve two tales. One is, who that individual is, after which how that individual impacts everybody round them, particularly their coaching officer. So I feel that’ll be a part of the factor.

Obviously we’ve had rookies which have flamed out shortly earlier than. Greg Grunberg fired his gun at roll name, on morning one. We had an incredible episode the place Katy O’Brian, earlier than she blew up, we had been fortunate sufficient to get her, and I believed her episode was actually nice with Tim. So, there’s all the time a risk what we begin with won’t be the entire season.

There’s nonetheless some stuff to determine however you’re not fallacious. Going into Season 9, we would want a brand new rookie, a minimum of one. I wish to determine that out.

DEADLINE: What about drone child, Dash? I checked the LAPD necessities, I feel he’s a bit of too younger to be a rookie.

HAWLEY: That’s true, you’ve received to be 21.

DEADLINE: Is his arc executed?

HAWLEY: I don’t know. I feel he’s a enjoyable taste on the present. We’re fortunate, after eight seasons and 144 episodes, we’ve had plenty of nice characters on our present. I might like to see Tamara again subsequent season. We didn’t get to her this season however I like her on our present. Numerous it’s about balancing storyline. If there’s tales to inform, we’ll carry folks again.

Final S8 Thoughts & S9 Priorities

HAWLEY: I’m actually pleased with Season 8. I do really feel like each season of the present is totally different in various methods. I feel the liberty we’ve, simply by not being a straight-up procedural, does permit us to develop and alter and check out various things.

So going into Season 9, I would like to determine what that appears like subsequent season. What does the ninth season appear like that the opposite ones didn’t? I do suppose the present has gotten increasingly cinematic through the years, which I admire. We are extra bold, we do take some greater swings. So, going into Season 9 is rather like, What haven’t we executed earlier than, and the way can we preserve the present recent? Because I do suppose that’s one in all our strengths.