The Rookie started Season 7 down one regular cop, so what happened to him? Was the exit on or off screen?
Caution: This article contains SPOILERS for The Rookie Season 7 premiere
For those who forgot, Season 6 of The Rookie ended with the cops exposing how corrupt lawyer Monica Stevens (Bridget Regan) had used shrink Dr. Blair London (Danielle Campbell) to get information on cops she could sell to criminals. That exposed scores of detectives to blackmail that hampered investigations.
Nolan worked with the FBI to track Monica down with a big firefight that had him shot in the hindquarters while Monica escaped. However, in the middle of the chaos, recurring criminal “frenemy” Oscar Hutchinson (Matthew Glave) escaped prison alongside Jason (Steve Kazee), the abusive drug-dealing ex-husband of Nolan’s wife, Bailey.
As Season 7 opened, the crew tried to track Jason and Oscar, but a drug house bust couldn’t turn them up. A massive house cleaning of the LAPD had Grey promoted to lieutenant while Wesley was now assigned to keep an eye on the team. Bailey herself was working with the National Guard to be safe from Jason (which was an excuse for Jenna Dewan’s pregnancy).
The team was distracted by a theft leading to a couple of guys with a suitcase nuclear weapon. Nolan was also troubled by how he’d hesitated in a gunfight which ended with a civilian’s death. He was aided by Juarez who was happy to enter her last month as a rookie.
Notably absent was Thorsen, as it was announced over the summer that Tru Valentino had left the series. So how was the character’s exit handled?
What happened to Thorsen on The Rookie?
Aaron Thorsen popped up in season 4 as a recurring character before becoming a regular in Season 5. A former TikTok influencer, he was accused of murdering his girlfriend, which got him media attention. He became a cop to prove himself, and the team eventually proved his innocence.
Season 5 ended with Thorsen badly wounded in a shooting. He recovered physically but was shaken by it and turned to London for therapy, which, of course, was a bad idea as that got him caught up in the blackmail scheme.
The premiere had a throwaway line explaining that Thorsen had transferred to North Hollywood. Juarez said he was doing well and relieved no one knew he’d been a patient of London’s.
This seemed the best way to write out the character as he’s still a cop but felt the need for a fresh start in a new division. It’s always tricky to handle a character’s exit but at least it sounds like Thorsen is doing well.
Who are the new rookies?
To make up for Thorsen’s absence, the series introduced two new rookie cops, Seth (Patrick Geleher) and Miles (Deric Augustine). Bradford and Chen (still on uneasy terms) made a bet on who could be the better TO for their rookie.
At first, Chen was unsure of Seth after he threw up at the scene of an overdose. However, that was because it brought back memories of finding a high school girlfriend dead the same way. Meanwhile, Miles boasted of how he already had two years of experience as a Texas cop and came to L.A. for the excitement. That rubbed Bradford the wrong way as he and Chen called off the bet. Also, it seemed Miles was living out of his car, hinting his leaving Texas wasn’t by choice.
That promises some new fun for the show as we bid farewell to one cop but welcome two more as The Rookie enters Season 7 with some great drama.
The Rookie Season 7 airs Tuesdays at 10/9c on ABC.