7 key moments from The Rookie season 5 to remember before watching season 6

The Rookie is finally coming back for season 6, so fans may need to know more about what happened in season 5!

The series had a long delay for season 6 thanks to the Hollywood strikes. Thankfully, it’s finally returning as season 6 prepares to pick up with some great turns. So, to prepare for the return of the popular ABC show, here’s a quick rundown of the most important moments of season 5 for fans to remember, but keep in mind any episode of The Rookie has plenty of fun for viewers. 

1. Nolan got a new job and two new partners

The season opened with Nolan getting a “golden ticket” that could land him any position in the LAPD he wanted. Everyone expected him to finally become a detective, but Nolan decided he liked being on the streets more. So he decided to become a training officer for rookie Celina Juarez. 

This had Nolan in a mentor role, and he and Celina did well together. It showed more growth for Nolan and Celina focusing on her issues with her mother and her religious beliefs showing her grit. It was an interesting full circle for Nolan to be training a rookie. 

That wasn’t the only big move for Nolan as he and his firefighter girlfriend Bailey got engaged. It’s been a long wait to figure out how to do the proper wedding, but the pair seem set to tie the knot and cap off their great relationship. 

2. Rosalind met her fate

After years of bizarre cat-and-mouse games, serial killer Rosalind finally met her fate. After pulling off a bloody escape from prison, Rosalind nearly killed Chris before hiding out. She then set a deathtrap for Bailey that was meant to lure Nolan into a meeting.

In a confrontation, Nolan realized Rosalind wanted him to kill her as she respected Nolan as a worthy opponent. Nolan refused to do it, only for Rosalind to be killed by her own partner. It was a dramatic fate for this recurring villain, although bittersweet, as it came just before actress Annie Wersching’s untimely death from cancer. 

3. There was a baby boom

The cops not only had to handle crimes, but two detectives also dealt with pregnancies. First, Harper, despite being on maternity leave, investigated some suspicious neighbors and, proving her insane toughness, managed to subdue one even while going into labor and gave birth to a girl. 

Meanwhile, Lopez also handled a pregnancy, albeit one she wasn’t expecting. It caused her some mood swings and other issues, but she still did her best on the job. She gave birth to a girl in the aeason 5 finale so in between cases, the cops had to pick up some baby shower gifts to boot.

4. Wesley was in a long feud with Elijah

A major plot line through the season was Welsey going after criminal Elijah Stone, who got Wesley’s ex-girlfriend Monica to defend him. Stone pulled some shady moves to force Wesley to drop the charges against him and even apologize in public for “railroading” the crook.

Stone pulled more moves, like kicking off a gang war and then targeting judges and others on the take from him. Monica realized she was likely to turn on him next. It was a wild clash that needed the Rookie: Feds team to help, but in the end, Elijah was finally arrested, even as he hinted it wasn’t over yet. 

5. Chenford finally happened

After years of flirting and dancing around on undercover assignments, at long last, Chen and Bradford got together. It didn’t take long for their fellow officers to figure out the pair were a couple and supportive. That included aiding Chen in a wild plan to get Bradford prompted to a new precinct.

The pair did well together, even with a funny episode involving their dim-witted criminal counterparts. The chemistry between them was terrific as the long-awaited couple paid off on all the promise of how great they’d be together, especially with Tim helping Lucy with the detective exam.

6. Nolan handled a family crisis

When Nolan got word his mother was in the hospital, he figured it was yet another of her complex con games. So he was naturally rocked to get a phone call informing him this was no scam, his mom had died, leaving a lot unsettled between them. 

Even in death, Nolan’s mom caused hassles as he and Bailey went to her home only to run into a guy posing as Nolan, getting into scrapes with a local gang and then finding out the woman had fallen behind on her mortgage payments so the house was being foreclosed on. Nolan could only laugh at his mom’s unique “parting gift.”

7. The finale left a cop’s life hanging in the balance and a new mystery

The season 5 finale was a wild affair, opening with Aaron and Celina attacked by thugs with Aaron hospitalized. Then Nolan and Bailey were attacked, and Harper’s baby was kidnapped as the team realized someone was targeting them. It looked to be the work of crook Luke Moran, who was shot dead by the cops.

Even as they mused on how Moran pulled this off, the team was unaware of a mysterious criminal mastermind bragging on how this was all a huge distraction to his real plan. The season ended with Aaron flatlining in the hospital to set up a big cliffhanger. 

So those are the big moments of The Rookie season 5 to leave fans more excited than ever for season 6 to kick off at last. 

The Rookie season 6 premieres Tuesday, Feb. 20 at 9/8c on ABC.