The Rookie Season 6 episodes: Release schedule and how to watch

The Rookie Season 6 episodes went out with a bang — so, here’s your guide to when they released and much more.

The TV show kicked off in 2018, following Nathan Fillion’s John Nolan, the LAPD’s oldest rookie who joins the force at 40 years young. Understandably, friends and colleagues alike aren’t convinced it’s a sensible career move — but through six seasons, (and now The Rookie Season 7) he proved them wrong.

Much like the rest of Hollywood, The Rookie was impacted by 2023’s WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. It finally returned to our screens in 2024, debuting with strong ratings (its premiere marked a 29% improvement compared to the earlier season.

However, fans were forced to endure another hiatus.

When is the next episode of The Rookie Season 6 out?

The Rookie Season 6 concluded with Episode 10 on May 21, 2024, at 9pm EST on ABC.

The tenth and final episode of Season 6 had the official title ‘Escape Plan’.

The show had a three-week hiatus from April 9 but things went back to normal after.

It wasn’t just The Rookie fans who were struggling either: Will Trent and The Good Doctor’s final season were also paused, with all three shows resuming on the same night.

9-1-1, Grey’s Anatomy, and Station 19 were also on a separate joint break until May 2, so it was a bit of a tough time for ABC viewers.

The Rookie Season 6 release schedule

Here’s the full release schedule and details for all the episodes in The Rookie Season 6:

• Episode 1: ‘Strike Back’ — February 20, 2024
  • “The team must try to understand why they were targeted and if there is a bigger plan in place; Nolan must survive his last shift before his wedding to Bailey.”
• Episode 2: ‘The Hammer’ — February 27
  • “The team comes together to celebrate John and Bailey’s wedding; Celina discovers a discrepancy in her case, leading to a new discovery; Lucy and Tim’s relationship is put to the test.”
• Episode 3: ‘Trouble in Paradise’ — March 5
  • “Nolan and Bailey’s honeymoon is more of a nightmare than a dream when it turns into an active crime scene; Tim and Celina partner up and must uncover the identity of a John Doe.”
• Episode 4: ‘Training Day’ — March 26
  • “It’s Officer Aaron Thorsen’s first day back since the assault, and he’s tasked with a series of high-stress cases to determine whether he’s ready to work; the team investigates a homicide case with a potential tie to the pentagram killer.”
• Episode 5: ‘The Vow’ — April 2
  • “When a toddler is found at the scene of a crime, John and Bailey must decide whether to let the child go to a shelter for the night or care for her themselves; when someone from his past returns, Tim disappears and leaves Lucy in the dark.”
• Episode 6: ‘Secrets and Lies’ — April 9
  • “Following their time as foster parents, Bailey wants to have a baby and forces John to reconsider their decision to not have children; John and Celina discover a prison escapee whom they fear is out for revenge and race to find her.”
• Episode 7: ‘Crushed’ — April 30
  • When two teenagers go missing, it is up to the entire team to find the girls and uncover the truth about their disappearance. Meanwhile, Lopez and Harper are on a different kind of investigation – the search for the perfect nanny.
• Episode 8: ‘Punch Card’ — May 7
  • After a mafia-related mass casualty, the team is tasked to keep the peace at the hospital; Lucy and Celina work together to investigate the suspects behind the attack; Tim and Aaron embark on a metro ops mission.
• Episode 9: ‘The Squeeze’ — May 14
  • Officer Nolan and Celina take on a special case; Monica enlists help to identify her attackers; Lopez and Harper discover a connection to the trail of crimes.
• Episode 10: ‘The Escape Plan’ — May 21
  • Sgt. Grey helps the team prepare for their biggest mission yet; Aaron, Lopez, Celina, Tim, and Smitty discover a surprising connection in their case.

How to watch The Rookie Season 6

New episodes of The Rookie Season 6 premiered on ABC before streaming on Hulu the next day.

Seasons 1-5 are also available to stream on Hulu. In the UK, it’s available to watch via Sky and Now TV.

Is The Rookie Season 7 happening?

The Rookie has been renewed for Season 7. It has aired yearly since its first season, but it’s unclear if it’ll return in 2024 or if fans will need to wait until next year.

Its renewal was reported by TV Line earlier than April, coming amid impressive ratings for the series.

While we don’t have any details about the seventh season, Eric Winter (Sgt. Tim Bradford) teased a “big” finale in the next few weeks. “We always throw everything into a finale,” he said.

“There are a lot of reveals, and as far as Tim and Lucy… they get some fun stuff together [with] another great action sequence. Everybody’s out for the team and supporting each other, and it ends in a really nice way. And as far as Tim and Lucy, it leaves a nice sort of, I wouldn’t say closure or a guarantee of anything, but it leaves it in a place where there’s stuff to talk about.”

In the meantime, check out other new TV shows you should stream this month, SWAT Season 8, or the best TV shows of 2024.