‘The Rookie’ Already Filmed a Series Finale To Prepare For Its Cancellation

The Rookie is one of the most popular procedurals ABC has aired over the past eight years. It was unsurprising that after ABC’s highly popular series Castle ended in 2016, the network wanted to continue its working relationship with the show’s star, Nathan Fillion. Two years later, Fillion headlined the first season of The Rookie. Fillion’s charisma as a series lead, paired with the talented supporting cast and unique premise, has helped to make The Rookie an enduring procedural. The show was recently renewed for its ninth season, allowing the writers and actors to continue the story of a group of LAPD Officers and how they balance the job with their personal lives. The latest season of The Rookie ended on an incredibly intense cliffhanger. Following a dangerous mission, Sgt. Tim Bradford (Eric Winter) and Sgt. Lucy Chen (Melissa O’Neil) spend some alone time together on a beach, where Tim proposes to Lucy. Unfortunately, masked men ruin the moment and kidnap both of them, with the season ending on a cliffhanger. In an interview with People, Winter spoke about the sinale and how an alternate ending was filmed in the event that The Rookie wasn’t renewed for Season 9, saying:
“We didn’t know when we wrapped last season if we would ever come back. Anytime we find out we have another season with this great group of people, it’s an exciting time. We even shot an alternate ending to the show. It would’ve been different. I’m very happy that we get to come back [for season 9]”

Nolan sits with trainees in The RookieABC

The fact that the writers of the series had prepared a more conclusive ending if the series had been canceled shows the dedication to the viewers. Some popular procedural network shows, like Hannibal, end on major unresolved cliffhangers that don’t provide any sort of closure. Part of why The Rookie has managed to be so successful up to this point is because of how much the creators of the series take their viewers into mind when making the show. Melissa O’Neil shared the same opinion as her co-star, also telling People that she is appreciative of fans’ support. Most importantly, The Rookie star spoke of how she realizes that as long as there are fans of the show, there will always be more stories to tell through multiple seasons of television, saying:
“We’re so grateful to the fans of the show. They’ve helped get us to where we are. The reason they keep watching—and new people keep joining all the time—is why we’ve made it to season 9. Hopefully, we’ll get to tell the story for even longer. We have a lot of love for the fans, and we’re so grateful for their enthusiasm.”
It’s interesting to think that the final episode of The Rookie might have provided a definitive ending to the relationship between Tim and Lucy. One also can’t help but wonder how the alternate ending might have impacted other characters, such as Fillion’s Nolan.