No matter the competition, there’s always room for a good police procedural on television.
And, according to its many fans, The Rookie is more than good. It’s one of the best shows of its ilk on the air these days, and that consistency in quality recently earned the show another renewal. Fresh off the heels of a broadly successful season 5, we have confirmation that The Rookie is headed back for a season 6. Here’s what to expect from the next season’s cast, storyline, and more.
When might The Rookie season 6 release?
Season 5 of The Rookie arrived on screens in September of 2022, but — despite its broad popularity — it took more than six months for the show to cinch a renewal. Thankfully, that renewal did eventually come around — in April of 2023 — but word on when the next season will drop is still out.
Based on previous seasons, we can estimate when season six of The Rookie will likely release, but there’s a major caveat attached. Previous seasons of the show have largely dropped in the fall — typically in September — with the COVID-19 pandemic throwing in a wrench that threw off that trend. With that in mind, we’d typically estimate that season six will hit screens between September and October, but that’s not likely this year. Due to the WGA and SAG strikes, The Rookie is likely to see a pretty major delay. As such, we predict audiences won’t be getting their hands on season six until mid-2024 — at the earliest.
The Rookie season 6 cast
Thankfully, despite those aforementioned strikes, it seems the same cast we know and love will be returning to The Rookie for season 6. Series lead Nathan Fillion already confirmed his return with a joyful Instagram post, and the rest of the star-studded cast is expected to join him on set once the strikes conclude (hopefully with each of the demands met). Among the top-billed cast we’re looking forward to in season 6 are Melissa O’Neill, Eric Winter, Alyssa Diaz, Mekia Cox, and — hopefully — Tru Valentino.
The Rookie season 6 plot
It’s hard to say exactly what fans can expect from The Rookie’s season 6 plot, but the show’s been laying down breadcrumbs we can follow to a fair estimation. Season 5 set up a harrowing plot, much of which has yet to be explored. We can bet that season 6 will dig deep into the man behind season 5’s red herring, played by Kristian Bruun, and (hopefully) answer some burning fan questions in the process.
The Rookie spin-offs
That’s not all! On top of a stacked cast, thrilling plot, and upcoming season 6, The Rookie also boasts a spin-off. The show inspired a federal spin-off titled The Rookie: Feds, which debuted back in September of 2022. The spin-off features Niecy Nash in the lead role, alongside Frankie Faison, James Lesure, and Britt Robertson, to name a few.