The Rookie has been keeping fans on the edge of their seats during Season 8, which has been airing as part of the 2026 TV schedule. The season has marked the return of tricky villain Oscar as well as Chenford's reconciliation. Now, the season finale is apparently going to be big, and I'm eager to see what happens. While a renewal for the police procedural has yet to be announced, co-star Jenna Dewan is revealing something she wants for the show moving forward, and I'd love for this to happen as well.
Since joining The Rookie in Season 3 as firefighter Bailey Nune, Dewan has become a vital part of the show. So much so that she was able to go on location outside the U.S. at the beginning of the season, which required some of the cast to film in Prague for a major season-opening storyline. Now, it seems that something that Dewan would love to do again if given the chance, as she explained to Collider:
I think we really loved going to Prague as a whole. I believe it worked for our show. I love the idea of going somewhere new every season, somewhere foreign, somewhere expansive and big. I would hope to be involved in that story. That would be really great.
The Prague portion of The Rookie Season 8 marked the first time that the show's action was expanded to an international location. Not everyone cast member went, as some characters were still written as having stayed behind to help back in LA (the show's primary setting). With that, Dewan did not take it for granted, based on her recent sentiments.
Article continues belowAll in all, that was definitely a fun way to start the season, and it makes me wish Rookie would do something like that again, even if it doesn't necessarily involve an overseas location. I'd just love to see the characters somewhere that isn’t LA. On the international front, imagine Bailey, John Nolan and more traversing the streets of Italy or Japan. Or, if the action remains in the states, I'd love to see them on the east coast, maybe in New York or Boston. Obviously, production costs for such events would have to be considered, but I'd still love for it to happen.
Filming in an international location is not all that Dewan wants for the show should it continue, though. Bailey has had some pretty fun and intense storylines, her recent storylines have taken her to a short-lived job in D.C. and back to LA. While those storylines weren't exactly smooth for her character, Dewan is eager for more of those kinds of arcs:
And I do think it would be fun to see Bailey be able to have another storyline where she is really left to her own devices and to really have to save her own self and her own life, and in a new and interesting way. It would inform everyone watching about what it is Bailey is really inspired by, and what makes her tick, and what's important to her.
It is always intriguing to me when a character is in a fight for their life, whether physically or mentally and, whenever that happens with Bailey, it's particularly compelling. She's gotten herself into some tight spots, especially lately and, while it's stressful, it's also entertaining TV. On top of that, Bailey's shifting sense of morality is another attribute that makes her interesting and worthy of being at the center of more big stories. Of course, we still have to wait and see if the opportunity to tell such tales will arise.
Fans may be getting restless since The Rookie has not been renewed for Season 9, to our knowledge. Regardless of what happens, as ABC continues making decisions for next season, it’s possible that the announcement will happen any day. At this point, though, it’s clear that there is still a lot of story to tell, and I hope that if the show is renewed, we'll not only see more of Bailey as well as her and other characters in more varied locations!
New episodes of The Rookie air on Mondays at 10 p.m. ET on ABC, streaming the next day with a Hulu subscription.
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