Of all the things to expect from The Rookie panel, a singalong was probably not one of them. But Zander Hawley came out to pay tribute to star Nathan Fillion and showrunner Alexi Hawley with a chorus of “Arrest Me” to get the audience in the mood for an hour with the duo that was fueled by fun and good vibes.
It’s been seven years since 40-something John Nolan (Fillion) left Pennsylvania for Los Angeles to chase a dream and become a cop. Since then, The Rookie has built a loyal fanbase, following his journey as the oldest rookie in the LAPD.
Inspired by the real-life story of LAPD officer William Norcross, whose career shift mirrors Nolan’s, the series strikes a chord with anyone who’s ever faced a midlife crisis and questioned their life path.
At San Diego Comic-Con on Saturday, July 26, ABC brought star Fillion and creator Hawley of The Rookie to the Indigo Ballroom to meet fans and tease what’s to come in Season 8, answering questions about the show, the characters, and what lies ahead.
One of the first tidbit the due shared was about filming the first episode of Season 8 in Prague.
“It’s been out there that we are doing something special for our Season 8 premiere. We got on an airplane and we went to Prague,” said Hawley.
“You want a [new] season, you want something exciting. You want to start with a bang. Exciting set pieces…something explodes! Or, go to another country,” said Fillion.
“When I first said, hey, I want to go to Prague for Season 8, I got some looks, because that’s not a normal television thing to do,” explained the showrunner.
“It felt like we were making Casino Royale. It’s an amazing city,” agreed Fillion.
The two continued to banter with each other, acting as their own moderators and taking questions from each other about The Rookie.
Hawley: One of the things I’m most proud of is that we get to do a lot of really cool things, right? We have really big episodes, we have rom-com episodes, we have horror movie [episodes], we do a lot of different stuff. So I’m curious how you feel every time you open a script, not necessary knowing what kind of episodes it can be?
Fillion: We also have episodes inside the episodes, because some of our stories can last a scene or two, and then it’s over. It’s a lesson learned, we move on to the next stage. Some things are very contained. Some things last a big longer. But it’s not that formula where we solve a crime a week.
Fillion: What are the challenges that face you as a writer? How do you keep it new? How do you keep it fresh?
Hawley: I guess I’d say two things: One is always making it propulsive and move forward. And I forgot the other. I rolled into Season 7 thinking we need to sort of re-pilot a bit. This is what the first episode was.
We love our characters. We love writing for them. We’re rooting for them. But we have to ground them. There’s still a hierarchy with [training officer]’s and rookies.
From the very beginning there’s always a risk. When a rookie talks about, or even jokes with them, they can fire for any reason at any time. So you want to feel that tension underneath. So, you know, even with Harper, or Lucy and Tim, there’s a risk. I wanted to keep that.
Fillion: I get this comment a lot: “How long can you possibly be a rookie?” I don’t think you’re a rookie anymore.
Guys. Relax. It’s a metaphor.
Hawley: The nice thing about it is that you were the oldest rookie in the history of the LAPD. And then a few seasons ago, you were the training officer. At some point down the road, potentially if we are lucky enough to do enough season, you can be the oldest detective.
In addition to taking questions from each other and eventually the audience, Hawley made a statement on the why he believes the show is popular.
Hawley: I’ve been thinking for a while about, you know, our popularity and, but in general, I have four kids, and so I have watched them over, over the years, and I call them (well, not them specifically), the anxiety. The Generation Z, or millennial space, is more, you know, since, let’s say, the financial crash of 2000 7008, four people left policy and they’re gonna have jobs, and didn’t happen. So now there’s been a lot of stress and anxiety. And so I think that ultimately television — specifically television with lots of episodes with characters that you can really invest in has become comfort food people.
I think at a time and age that’s so stressful for so many different reasons, you want these people in your home.
Questions from the audience ranged from will there be a crossover with 9-1-1 (“No”), will we ever get an origin story about Smitty (“I would love to see more of him”), and will other famous faces show up in the near future (“People tend to be very busy”), but in the end, the panel was just a lovefest for the show, the creators, and its star, Fillion.
As for the future of the show, Fillion had a plan. “Let’s Grey’s Anatomy this b**ch.”