As the saying goes, if it's not broke, don't fix it, and that's exactly what The Rookie is doing by repeating the format of one of season 7's episodes in season 8. The series has been trending downward in recent years. While there have been some great episodes here and there, the Rookie seasons as a whole have been less than impressive.
Things can still turn around in The Rookie season 8, though. Thankfully, it seems as though the writers are setting it up for success by recycling some of the ABC cop TV show's previous accomplishments. This includes bringing back the aforementioned episode format that worked so well in season 7, making it one of the best parts of the entire season.
The Rookie Brought Back Holiday Episodes In Season 7
The Characters Celebrated Valentine's Day & April Fool's Day In Season 7
Eric Winter as Tim Bradford and Melissa O'Neil as Lucy Chen in The Rookie season 7 episode 6
The Rookie season 7 certainly had its highs (the midseason finale) and lows (the finale), but one of its highlights was certainly the Valentine's Day-themed episode, "The Gala." During the hour, which served as the season's sixth installment, the characters celebrated love by attending a charity gala. While other couples were included, the episode focused more on Chenford.
Tim and Lucy were still broken up, but even they couldn't resist partaking in some Valentine's Day fun. Following an unfortunate series of events, the exes ended up in a hotel room with Tim's shirt off while Lucy tended to his wounds. Their chemistry was off the charts, and they ultimately agreed to give in to temptation for one night only.
Funnily enough, Chenford's next hookup came on The Rookie season 7's other holiday episode — "April Fools." As its title implies, the hour took place on April Fool's Day. The holiday was a nightmare for the Rookie characters as Los Angeles citizens channeled the people from The Purge movies. At least Tim and Lucy got to kiss each other in a closet at Mid-Wilshire.
Both these holiday-centered episodes were among the best parts of The Rookie season 7. Fans got to see Chenford back together, albeit briefly. Episodes 6 and 12 embodied the spirit of Valentine's Day and April Fool's Day, respectively. And overall, "The Gala" and "April Fools" were just plain fun and a reprieve from some of the ABC TV show's more serious plotlines.
Season 8 Will Also Have A Valentine's Day-Themed Episode
Alexi Hawley Confirmed That The Holiday Is Coming Back
Mekia Cox as Nyla Harper and Arjay Smith as James Murray in The Rookie season 7 episode 6.
During an interview with Collider at San Diego Comic Con 2025, The Rookie showrunner Alexi Hawley and Nathan Fillion teased what's to come in season 8. They discussed Chenford's future and Monica's new role in the ABC series. Hawley also revealed that one of the upcoming episodes will take place on Valentine's Day, similar to season 7's "The Gala." The showrunner said:
"The joy of our show is really we do so many different things, so we can do a big event episode like Prague, where we go international and all this stuff, and we can do episodes that are more intense and sort of scary. I think episode 3, without giving it away, is one of those that ends up being a very actually different episode for us, something very intense, something very interrogation room-driven, with high stakes but not real action. Then, we have stories in between. We do romantic comedy episodes. We do have a Valentine's Day episode again this season, which is always fun. It's just a joy that we have all these different kinds of ways that we can do The Rookie, so let's just keep doing them all the time."
Thanks to Hawley, we now know that The Rookie season 8 will have a Valentine's Day episode. More details surrounding the hour, including its storyline, are unknown, though, as it's too early for ABC to release that information. The cast and crew likely haven't even filmed the Valentine's Day episode yet. But the prospect of it is exciting in and of itself.
Since season 7's love-themed hour was one of its highlights, it should be the same for the upcoming Rookie season as well. Of course, we'll have to see the episode to determine its quality. However, it's never a bad idea for network TV shows to produce special episodes, like ones taking place on certain holidays or ones that simply serve as filler.
The Rookie's Use Of Filler & Holiday Episodes Could Save The Show
Network TV Thrives On Filler & Holiday Specials
David Gridley as Connor Craig and Nathan Fillion as John Nolan in The Rookie season 7, episode 12
One of the best parts of network TV is filler and holiday episodes, especially in seasons that have 18–22 episodes. Streaming shows typically can't partake in this tradition because they are usually limited to no more than 10 episodes. But when it comes to The Rookie, the ABC police procedural has episodes to spare because it's a network TV series.
Unfortunately, The Rookie lost the magic of filler and holiday episodes in season 6. Thanks to the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, ABC shortened the season's episode count to 10, and that undoubtedly played a role in its poor quality. Season 6 is easily The Rookie's worst season, as it was rushed and had no moments of reprieve that special episodes bring.
However, The Rookie has returned to form as of season 7 (meaning its episode count is higher). Now the writers can create fun stories that center around holidays or ones that serve as filler. Among them will be the aforementioned upcoming Valentine's Day episode, which should serve to better the season as a whole.
Ultimately, The Rookie needs to recapture what once made it so captivating. As of late, it doesn't feel like the same show, but that doesn't mean it's doomed. The one significant way to turn the ship around is via holiday and filler episodes, meaning The Rookie season 8 is already off to a good start.
The Rookie season 8, consisting of 18 episodes, won't premiere until early 2026 because ABC is holding it for midseason, along with Will Trent season 4.
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Source: Collider
