“We Will See Some, For Sure”: ‘The Rookie’ Showrunner Teases New and Returning Family Members

Family members are some of the people who know each other best, and a visit by one is an excellent way for a TV show to reveal a side of a character coworkers and viewers never knew. The Rookie has introduced some family members throughout the years, from Lucy’s (Melissa O’Neil) strict mom to Tim’s (Eric Winter) sister and Lopez’s (Alyssa Diaz) brothers. The Rookie‘s showrunner, Alexi Hawley, talked to TV Guide about Season 7 and previewed what viewers can expect as the season proceeds. “We will see some, for sure,” Hawley said when asked if some family members will pop up this season. He remained reticent about who would be popping up but let it slip that “We’ll see Tim’s sister.” He teased what the show has planned, saying:

“I don’t want to spoil too much, but we’ll see a few new family members for some of our characters. We can talk about that down the road a little bit, but I guess what I can say is we’re not going to go back to Nolan’s (Nathan Fillion) hometown-type [episode].”

What’s Ahead on ‘The Rookie’ Season 7.

Storylines for the season have begun to be introduced. All characters have personal arcs as they enter different stages of life. Nolan is dealing with getting older in a physically demanding job, Nyla (Mekia Cox) and James (Arjay Smith) are taking a good look into their marriage, Wesley (Shawn Ashmore) is dealing with insecurities, and Lucy and Tim tackle the challenge of training new rookies. In the broader sense, the show has some special episodes planned and darker themes to explore this season, including a serial killer teased in the trailer. Hawley teased what’s on the horizon, saying:

“We have a lot of great episodes. We do a Valentine’s episode, we do an April Fool’s episode, which are super fun. We have some dark serial killer-type episodes, which are also really, again, I won’t say fun because you called me on that word, but dynamic. And then we have a few really emotional episodes, which are very powerful.”

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In Tuesday’s episode, “Out of Pocket,” the show touches on the existential threat facing Bailey (Jenna Dewan) and Nolan. “Ahead of Bailey’s return home, John looks for clues to locate Jason Wyler (Steve Kazee). Then, Tim and Lucy swap rookies; a friendly face resurfaces at the station, and Wesley feels unsettled over Angela,” reads the official logline. It will be interesting to see which family member gets introduced and how that affects the character they’re related to.

Tune in to ABC on Tuesdays to catch new episodes of The Rookie. You can also stream past episodes on Hulu in the US.