The Rookie Season 7 Cast Update Confirms Feds Character Return Following Spinoff's Cancellation
The Rookie star Eric Winter confirms that a Feds character will be reprising their role in season 7. The police procedural drama follows John Nolan (Nathan Fillion), the LAPD’s oldest rookie, while working alongside a team of seasoned officers and fellow recruits. The Rookie: Feds spinoff, led by Niecy Nash-Betts as Simone Clark, lasted only one season before being canceled in 2023. However, The Rookie has continued to incorporate characters from Feds, with several former cast members making guest appearances as recently as Rookie season 7 episode 4.
In an interview with TVInsider, Winter revealed that Britt Robertson will reprise her role as FBI Agent Laura Stensen in upcoming episodes of The Rookie season 7. Robertson originally portrayed the character in the short-lived spinoff, which followed a group of rookie FBI agents navigating high-stakes federal cases. Here's what he had to say:
I love Felix and I get some stuff with him throughout the season. And Kevin’s partner…Britt comes in. I get some great scenes with Britt. She’s lovely. She’s a lot of fun. So there are more coming throughout the season where we utilize Feds in the right way and still keep those characters active in our universe.
What Britt Robertson’s Rookie Return Means
The Show Is Keeping Feds Characters In Action
Robertson’s return as Laura Stensen confirms that The Rookie remains committed to integrating elements of its spinoff, despite ABC canceling Feds. The Rookie: Feds introduced several new law enforcement dynamics among a group of rookie FBI agents, and incorporating their characters into the continuing universe ensures that the relationships and narratives developed in the police-drama spinoff do not go to waste.
This won’t be Robertson’s first appearance on The Rookie, as she previously guest-starred in the Rookie season 6 finale and in season 5. She also has a history of working with Winter's Tim Bradford, having collaborated with him in a mini-crossover episode of The Rookie: Feds. Her return in The Rookie season 7 may also provide updates on her character’s life and changes since her last appearance.
With Felix Solis' Matthew Garza, Kevin Zegers’ Brendon Acres, and Devika Bhise’s Antoinette Benneteau already making post-Feds appearances, Robertson’s return further cements the fact that the Feds team is still very much part of The Rookie’s extended universe. Agent Stenson's background in behavioral analysis and investigative expertise will also offer the best support for Sergeant Tim, whom Winter confirms will begin an ongoing Bradford-Stenson partnership.
Our Take On Britt Robertson’s Return to The Rookie
The Rookie’s Shared Universe Is Evolving In Exciting Ways
Though The Rookie: Feds may not have lasted long, its impact is clearly being felt in The Rookie’s ongoing narrative. Robertson’s return as Laura Stensen is an exciting move, as it keeps the world of Feds alive while giving viewers more of the characters they enjoyed. It also speaks to the franchise’s ability to adapt to industry standards; rather than completely abandoning Feds, the creative team is strengthening the sprawling universe that makes The Rookie stand out in the crowded procedural drama genre.
Source: TVInsider
The Rookie
- Release Date
- October 16, 2018
- Network
- ABC
- Showrunner
- Alexi Hawley
- Directors
- Tori Garrett, Chi-Yoon Chung, Michael Goi, Sylvain White, Lisa Demaine, Lanre Olabisi, Bill Johnson, David McWhirter, Liz Friedlander, Daniel Willis, Toa Fraser, Anne Renton, Jon Huertas, Cherie Nowlan, TK Shom, Rob Seidenglanz, Valerie Weiss, Barbara Brown, Charissa Sanjarernsuithikul, SJ Main Muñoz, Nelson McCormick, Marcus Stokes, Adam Davidson, Anna Mastro
- Writers
- Corey Miller, Bill Rinier, Zoe Cheng, Mary Trahan, Ally Seibert, Liz Alper, Nick Hurwitz, Racheal Seymour, Madeleine Coghlan, David Radcliff
Cast
John Nolan
Melissa O'NeilLucy Chen
- Creator(s)
- Alexi Hawley
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