When is The Rookie season 6 release date? ABC’s police procedural drama is now five seasons deep. So, what’s next for the crime-driven TV series and The (not-so-rookie) Rookie?
The Rookie tells the story of John Nolan (Nathan Fillion who you’ll remember from one of the best sci-fi series ever) as he moves from a small town to Los Angeles and becomes the oldest rookie on the force with a lot to prove. Over the past 99 episodes of the thriller series, there have been plenty of twists and turns for the squad, with season 5 upping the stakes, professionally and personally.
Season 5 wrapped in May 2023, leaving fans of the show with many questions waiting to be answered. We’ll jump into what some of those are later on, but for now, we turn our attention to what we can expect from The Rookie season 6 release date, cast, plot, and more. If you’re itching for more action right here right now, check out our best action movies of all time list while you wait.
The Rookie season 6 release date speculation
The Rookie season 6 was announced in a post on the show’s official Instagram on April 17, 2023, and we expect John and his friends to be back on our screens by 2024.
That said, there’s no official release date just yet. We’ll be sure to update this guide when we know more.
If we were to speculate, aside from a COVID-related delay on season 3, each season has aired in September or October consecutively since 2019. Given that season 5 just wrapped, we might have expected to see season 6 later this year. Due to the 2023 Writers Strike, though, that will not be the case.
As reported by Variety, ABC has also announced no scripted shows will appear on its schedule until next year, with The Rookie season 6 premiere now being announced: “at a later date.” This same rule applies to any renewal announcement on The Rookie spin-off show, The Rookie: Feds. So, with all that being said, it will be 2024 before we see The Rookie season 6.
The Rookie season 6 cast speculation
We expect Nathan Fillion. Alyssa Diaz, Richard T. Jones, and the rest of the surviving Rookie cast to return for season 6.
While The Rookie is no stranger to killing off big cast list names, most of the cast was delivered safely out of season 5, ready to return for more action.
Here’s the expected The Rookie season 6 cast list:
- Nathan Fillion as John Nolan
- Alyssa Diaz as Angela Lopez
- Richard T. Jones as Wade Grey
- Melissa O’Neil as Lucy Chen
- Eric Winter as Tim Bradford
- Mekia Cox as Nyla Harper
- Shawn Ashmore as Wesley Evers
- Jenna Dewan as Bailey Nune
- Lisseth Chavez as Celina Juarez
There’s one name (and life) that was left hanging in the balance at the end of season 5, though – Aaron Thorsen (Tru Valentino). Following an attack by masked assailants at the beginning of the final episode, it is unclear whether Aaron’s character will be returning. More on what happened there in our spoiler-filled plot speculation below.
A new villain was also introduced during the season 5 finale as the mastermind behind Aaron’s attack. Driving suspiciously away in a black SUV, it’d be surprising if, after the big reveal, we didn’t see the return of Kristian Bruun as the currently-named ‘Mystery Man’ in season 6. There’s a lot more plot to uncover there, and Kristian is seemingly the man to provide the answers.
What will The Rookie season 6 be about?
It’s all speculation so far when it comes to season 6, but if we take a look at where season 5 left us, we can have a pretty hard think about what The Rookie has in store next. Spoilers up ahead.
Season 5 was laden with explosive moments for John Nolan and the squad. There’s the potential major cast death, a new villain, relationships evolving, and criminal masterminds potentially linking up all crescendoing into season 6. We’ll start from the top.
As mentioned in the cast list above, the fate of Aaron Thorsen is currently unknown. After being shot in the back while out with Celina, Aaron found himself in critical condition in hospital. At the end of the finale, it wasn’t looking good, with nurses and doctors flooding into his room as the machine’s alarms beeped. The question of whether he survived or not is surely something to be addressed in season 6.
Next up, we were introduced to a new villain who was seemingly the true puppet master behind Aaron’s attack. Driving away in his SUV, cackling and enjoying the fallout, the Mystery Man could mark a fresh kingpin for The Rookie season 6 plot.
Packing in the action, there’s also the potential teaming up of past show villains. Elijah Stone was charged in season 5 and locked up with none other than prison veteran Oscar Hutchinson. Whether they’re planning anything from their prison cell remains to be seen.
In season 5, there were also some big relationship moves. Namely, the engagement of John Nolan and Bailey Nune and, after seasons of tension, Tim Bradford and Lucy Chen, aka Chenford, finally happened. After all that build-up, there’s more to be explored from both couples, whether it’s breakups or wedding bells.
Season 6 will mark the show’s 100th episode, so perhaps the monumental occasion will be marked with an episode full of action. When we hear more from the plot, we’ll be sure to update it.
Where can I watch The Rookie season 6?
In the US, all five seasons of The Rookie can be streamed on Hulu. You will find it in the UK on Sky Go or NOW TV.
You’ll need paid subscriptions for any of the streaming services mentioned above in order to watch it, though. Or free trials if you’ve yet to try them out. We’d also imagine that once The Rookie season 6 releases, it’ll be found there too. Be sure to bookmark this page to return periodically for more The Rookie season 6 updates.
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