What happened to Aaron Thorsen on The Rookie? That’s what The Rookie fans are asking as Season 7 premieres without him.
Aaron (Tru Valentino) debuted in Season 4 of The Rookie as the new rookie at Mid-Wilshire.
The character was added after the death of rookie Jackson West (Titus Makin Jr.) – and it hit the Mid-Wilshire team hard.
Three seasons later, Aaron has exited the team in a very lackluster manner compared to Jackson.
It’s not uncommon for shows like The Rookie to suffer cast changes after several seasons.
Sometimes, the change happens at the actor or actress’ request, and other times, it’s simply for creative reasons.
Let’s look at which one it was for the character of Aaron Thorsen.
Why did Aaron Thorsen leave The Rookie?
When Season 7 of The Rookie premieres, Aaron will have moved on to a different station amid the fallout from the Blair London (Danielle Campbell) drama.
Speaking with Parade, The Rookie showrunner, Alexi Hawley, opened up about Aaron’s exit from the series, sharing that it was simply time to pivot. Alexi was ready to bring in some new blood, and the end of Season 6 provided the perfect opportunity for Season 7.
In regards to Aaron leaving, Alexi admitted the reason behind Aaron transferring out of Mid-Wilshire does keep the door open for the character to return to the canvas.
“He was trying to get away from the stigma of being a patient of Blair London, who was the corrupt police therapist, so he ultimately wanted to go someplace where people weren’t looking at him, because he fell under a cloud a bit at the end of last season,” Alexi expressed.
As Monsters and Critics previously reported, Tru broke his silence last summer and hinted he might not be done with the show. Alexi didn’t confirm or deny if there were plans to have Aaron resurface at some point.
Instead, Alexi remains focused on the two new rookies on the show.
The Rookie teases newbies Miles and Seth
Tim Bradford (Eric Winter) has his hands full with two recruits, Seth (Patrick Keleher) and Miles (Deric Augustine). The two rookies are vastly different and are impacted by drill sergeant Tim very differently.
The teaser shows that Miles is more confident and secure than Seth. One reason for Miles’ confidence is that he was previously a cop in Texas for two years. Why he left and is starting from scratch in Los Angeles will be a mystery this season.
Seth, for his part, doesn’t just lack confidence; he struggles with the quick and decisive thinking needed to be a good cop.
The Rookie won’t be the same without Aaron. Here’s hoping we see him again at some point on the hit ABC drama series.
The Rookie airs Tuesdays at 10/9c on ABC. Seasons 1-6 are streaming on Hulu.