Spoiler alert: The following article contains spoilers from The Rookie season 7, episode 2, “The Watcher.”
Sadly,The Rookiefans had tosay goodbye to Tru Valentino’s Aaron Thorsen during the season 7 premiere,and while his exit is disappointing, the show is redeeming itself via two new characters. ABC’s police procedural series, created by Alexi Hawley, follows the personal and work lives of the law enforcement officers from the Mid-Wilshire Patrol Divison of the LAPD, which used to include Aaron. Valentino’s Aaron joined the cast ofThe Rookieafter Titus Makin Jr.’s Jackson West leftin season 4. Just a few seasons later, though, Valentino also departed the show.
New episodes ofThe Rookieair on Tuesdays at 10 pm ET on ABC. Season 7 features 18 episodes — eight more than the previous season.
Valentino leftThe Rookiein season 7due to creative decisions made by the writers. Based on reports, the actor didn’t solely choose to exit the series as the producers simply wanted to take the story in a different direction. During the season 7 premiere, John Nolan and Celina Juarez revealed the narrative reasoning behind Aaron’s absence —the police officer transferred stations between seasons after the scandal with Dr. Blair London.However, since Nolan and Celina discussed Aaron’s departure for less than 30 seconds,The Rookiehasn’t mentioned him, downplaying the character’s significance in the past few seasons.
The Rookie Season 7 Replaces Aaron With Two New Characters — Miles & Seth
Miles & Seth Are The New Rookies
In the wake ofAaron’s poorly handledThe Rookieseason 7 exit, the ABC crime drama added two new characters to its cast — Miles Penn (played by Deric Augustine) and Seth Ridley (played by Patrick Kelehe).Miles is Tim Bradford’s new rookie, while Lucy Chen is Seth’s training officer.Miles worked as a police officer for two years in Texas, but after moving to Los Angeles, he had to start over at the beginning of his training. Meanwhile, Seth is a legit newbie whose nerves and eagerness sometimes get the best of him.
Patrick Kelehe
Seth Ridley
Miles and Seth could not be more different inThe Rookieseason 7. However, they are both intriguing additions to the cast. At first glance,Miles is an arrogant wise guywho immediately gets on Tim’s nerves (especially after he flirts with Lucy), andSeth is timid, unsure of himself, and ill-prepared for the job.As the episodes continue, though, it becomes clear that there is much more to Miles and Seth than meets the eye.
The Rookieseason 7’s new characters are only getting better and more interesting as time goes on, somewhat redeeming Aaron’s lazy exit.
The two new rookies have complicated backstories.Miles is broke after he ruined his chances of being a great NFL player, while Seth was diagnosed with cancer four years ago, and he might be sick again.The Rookieseason 7’s new charactersare only getting better and more interesting as time goes on, somewhat redeeming Aaron’s lazy exit.
Where Is Bailey In The Rookie Season 7: Jenna Dewan’s Absence & Upcoming Return Explained
Jenna Dewan, who plays Bailey Nune in The Rookie, is missing from the first two episodes of season 7, but she won’t be absent for much longer.
Why Miles & Seth Still Can’t Make Up For Aaron’s Exit
Tru Valentino Deserved Better Than His Character’s Lazy Departure
Althoughthe additions of Miles and Seth toThe Rookieseason 7have been great for the show so far, they can’t completely make up for Aaron’s dissatisfying exit. The only way to make things right for Tru Valentino’s character is to bring him back and give his story a satisfying conclusion. In the meantime, Miles and Seth are a great distraction, but Aaron still deserves better inThe Rookie.
The Rookie
Cast
The Rookie follows John Nolan, a small-town man who embarks on a new career as an LAPD officer after a life-changing event. As the force’s oldest rookie, Nolan faces skepticism from superiors who view his pursuit as a midlife crisis.
