The Rookie season 6 finally has a premiere date! Everything to know

Fan-favorite crime drama The Rookie returned for its thrilling fifth season last fall, and now that we’re inching closer to the winter season, everyone wants to know when we can expect new episodes. It’s been over six months since the season 5 finale aired, which left us on the edge of our seats with a cliffhanger. Will Thorsen survive, or will we have to say goodbye to another character?

Well, we have good news to share with our readers because it’s been confirmed that The Rookie season 6 will premiere on Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2024. New episodes will air at 9:00 p.m. Of course, this is later than what we initially expected, but we’re just happy we can finally mark our calendars for the show’s return.

The Rookie premiered on ABC back in 2018, following John Nolan (Nathan Fillion), a middle-aged rookie who joins the LAPD. Throughout the seasons, the series explores the complexities of Nolan’s personal life, relationships with his fellow officers, and his dedication to justice. The show’s great blend of drama, action, and humor is definitely one reason people keep tuning in.

THE ROOKIE – ÒA Hole in the WorldÓ – The team investigates a pattern of kidnappings which leads them to a discovery that hits close to home with one of their own. Meanwhile, Lucy and TimÕs relationship is put to the test as they begin to feel the hard hours of their jobs. TUESDAY, MARCH 28 (8:00-9:00 p.m. EDT), on ABC. (ABC/John Fleenor)LISSETH CHAVEZ, MELISSA O’NEIL /

Fans of The Rookie didn’t have to wait until the fifth season concluded to find out the fate of the series! In April 2023, it was confirmed that ABC had renewed the series for a sixth season. When the news came out, Fillion took to Instagram to celebrate the news, saying he “couldn’t be more proud of this show.”

Other cast members, such as Jenna Dewan, shared their excitement about the season 6 renewal on social media. The Bailey Nune actress posted a series of photos and videos to her Instagram page, including behind-the-scenes glimpses into rehearsals. “John and Bailey have really seen some sh*t..! Bring it on season 6,” she wrote in her caption.

What to expect from The Rookie season 6

Given The Rookie season 5 ended at such a pivotal moment, we’re expecting the sixth season to answer all of our burning questions. Number one, of course, is the fate of Thorsen. We expect the season premiere to tell us whether or not Thorsen will survive. Additionally, the sixth season will likely delve into the person who organized the masked attackers in the season 5 finale. It looks like there’s a new villain in town and we bet this person will serve as a major plot point in season 6.

There’s also the possibility that Elijah Stone could still be a main villain in season 6, especially considering the tease we got that he and Oscar could team up. On a happier note, however, fans are hoping we get a wedding in The Rookie season 6, with Nolan and Bailey inching closer to the altar!

We’re expecting most of the cast of The Rookie to return for the highly-anticipated sixth season. This includes:

Nathan Fillion as John Nolan
Alyssa Diaz as Angela Lopez
Richard T. Jones as Wade Grey
Melissa O’Neil as Lucy Chen
Lisseth Chavez as Celina Juarez
Eric Winter as Tim Bradford
Mekia Cox as Nyla Harper
Jenna Dewan as Bailey Nune
Shawn Ashmore as Wesley Evers

Fans believed The Rookie season 6 would be adding a new cast member after spotting the show’s production company congratulating actor Dave Kumar on joining back in March. However, after some digging, we realized he played a minor role in the ninth episode of season 5, “Take Back.”

The biggest cast question on everyone’s minds right now is whether or not Tru Valentino will return to his role as Aaron Thorsen. The character was first introduced in season 4 as a new rookie police officer. His fate is currently up in the air after being shot and undergoing surgery in the season 5 finale. At this time, Valentino has not spoken out on his future on the show and we’d suspect the writers are trying to keep his fate under wraps until The Rookie season 6 premieres.

Season 5 ending explained

As expected, The Rookie season 5 ended on a shocking note, leaving fans wanting more. The finale, titled “Under Siege,” is one of the most intense episodes of the whole show, with the LAPD Mid-Wilshire Division being ambushed by a group of masked men with sinister motives. We watch as the officers are attacked at different times, leaving Thorsen and Juarez wounded first.

Then, Nolan and Bailey are targeted at their home, and Bradford and Chen are nearly attacked before the LAPD arrives in the nick of time. The masked men even kidnap Harper’s child, but fortunately, she’s saved.

THE ROOKIE – ÒUnder SiegeÓ – After one of their own is shot, the team suffers a series of close calls and realizes their division may be a target for a group of masked assailants. TUESDAY, MAY 2 (8:00-9:00 p.m. EDT), on ABC. (ABC/John Fleenor)NATHAN FILLION, JENNA DEWAN /

As we discover, the assailants are led by a man named Luke Moran, but he’s not actually the mastermind behind it all. Chenford starts to uncover the real truth as the episode comes to an end, leaving us with so many questions. The season 5 finale also doesn’t tell us what happens to Thorsen. While Juarez looks like she’ll be okay, Thorsen undergoes surgery and is in a coma at the end of the episode. A Code Blue alarm sounds off before the credits begin to close.

The writers’ and actors’ strike delayed season 6

Unfortunately, The Rookie is one of the many scripted shows affected by the strikes. In case you missed it, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) went on strike in May after not being able to come to an agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). And while their strike concluded in September, the actors then went on strike in July after facing a similar dilemma.

Because the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) went on strike against the AMPTP, that meant actors were not allowed to film shows or movies under the AMPTP, which includes ABC series like The Rookie. So even if the sixth season had been written already, the cast would not be able to shoot their scenes during the actors’ strike.

The good news is that the actors’ strike came to a close this month, meaning shows can get back to filming. That’s how The Rookie season 6 now has a premiere date!

THE ROOKIE – ÒFive MinutesÓ Ð Officer Nolan and Officer ChenÕs run-in with an infamous thief tips them off to a potentially big heist surrounding the GettyÕs big gala event. Meanwhile, Nolan works up the courage to ask Bailey out on date on an all-new episode of ÒThe Rookie,Ó SUNDAY, OCT. 3 (10:00-11:00 p.m. EDT), on ABC. (ABC/Raymond Liu)MELISSA O’NEIL /

Fall TV looks a little bit different this year because of the scripted show delays, with ABC giving viewers a lineup of reality TV like The Golden Bachelor, Bachelor in Paradise, and others. That’s because reality shows don’t need writers to pen the scripts. While The Rookie was expected to return this fall, the strikes threw a wrench into that plan.

The Rookie: Feds is canceled

Though we come bearing good news about The Rookie, we have bad news about its spinoff. According to Deadline, The Rookie: Feds has been canceled after just one season. The publication reports that the decision on whether to renew or cancel had been delayed due to the strikes, and while the show might not have been as big of a hit as ABC hoped, the ratings were still decent. Deadline says the show’s viewership “could’ve been enough to secure a second season had it not been for the dual strikes.”

Keep up with us at Hidden Remote for all the latest details on The Rookie season 6. Fingers crossed we get a trailer and more sneak peeks soon.

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