The Rookie season 7 finale did not feel like a finale at all, here’s why
ABC's police drama, The Rookie season 7, closed out its season on Tuesday, May 13, 2025. Titled The Good, the Bad, and the Oscar, the finale episode's synopsis promised suspense, action-packed moments, and character and relationship developments.
However, when the finale came, it was more or less anticlimactic instead of being explosive and teased the upcoming season 8. Oscar Hutchinson's return may have been teased as the high point in the finale, but his storyline failed to hit the mark this time.
While the finale featured some highlights and it did end with cliffhangers to tease what's coming in the next season, it still lacked the suspense and thrill to put audiences on the edge of their seats. The same underwhelming sentiments apply to other subplots in the episode, including Monica's return and Lucy and Tim's reunion.
Disclaimer: This article is based on the author's opinions. It also contains major spoilers for The Rookie season 7 finale. Reader's discretion is advised.
The Rookie season 7 finale fails to raise the stakes for several reasons
Following The Rookie season 7's ups and downs, the finale failed to deliver something explosive and epic to conclude the season. The episode contained a convoluted plot that felt more dull than exciting, like bringing key characters back without thoroughly exploring their stories.
Moreover, while the storylines are slightly different, the end feels like a copy of The Rookie season 6 cliffhangers that did not make a lot of sense for this season. Essentially, The Rookie season 7 finale missed giving the high stakes of what a season closer should bring.
Irrelevant storylines
Episodic storylines have been a signature of shows like The Rookie, but their addition in the season 7 finale ate away the time the show could have used to explore the not-so-new characters it brought back. Moreover, the "case of the week"—a woman catfishing her husband—was somewhat irrelevant, as it did not add anything worthwhile to what the finale was trying to achieve.
Another subplot that did not quite leave an impression was the Eastern Front gang targeting Miles Penn. It brought several action-packed scenes and was highly entertaining, but it could also have been another regular episode. The case was solved by the end of the finale and became just another "case of the week" storyline that will likely be forgotten by the time the next season starts.
The double villain return feels forced
The Rookie season 7 finale brought two of the show's big villains: Oscar and Monica. However, their return did not leave much of an excitement for what is to come in season 8.
For one, Monica's return in episode 18 was underwhelming. She was written out of the storyline most of season 7, with no hints on what she has been up to and no build-up for her episode 18 cameo. The ending, however, teased that there is more to explore about her story in the next season, like why she is now a free woman.
But her very little screen time in the finale felt like the show only haphazardly added her to the episode's storyline so they could have a teaser for season 8. If season 7 dropped a few teasers about her whereabouts or brought her back a little earlier, it would have been an entirely different scenario. In the end, Monica leaves too much of a cliffhanger.
As for Oscar, he is another case of "just brought back for a cliffhanger" like Monica. He has been missing throughout season 7, only to be brought back in the finale. It turns out that John Nolan has been keeping up with his case, which did not come up until the finale. And like the end of season 6, Oscar escaped again by the end of The Rookie season 7 finale.
Now, it feels like Oscar's escape has been happening for a millionth time, delaying any closure the show needs where his character is concerned, for probably another season.
Feels like season 6 finale all over again, but more anticlimactic for Chenford
Tim Bradford and Lucy Chen's reunion has been highly anticipated after the breakup last season. The Rookie season 6 finale ended with them still broken up, and while fans would have loved their reunion then, it was an understandable choice to keep them apart by the end of last season. In The Rookie season 7, the sentiments have altered.
In season 6, there was a legitimate reason why they were not together, as Tim still had a lot of personal issues he needed to work through. The Rookie season 7 finale could have been their grand reunion, but it ended in a lackluster scene. While it kept Chenford fans anticipating season 8, it was anticlimactic at best for a season finale.
They did have some sweet moments, but Tim's heartfelt and raw confession about wanting to take the next step with Lucy and asking her to move in with him fell on deaf ears. What could have been a swoon-worthy season closer ended in frustration because Lucy was fast asleep throughout the whole spiel. The Rookie season 7 ended without any real progress in their romance.
Watch the complete installment of The Rookie season 7, as well as all previous seasons, on Hulu.
