The Rookie is about to wrap up season 7, come May 13, finishing off an incredible run. It was filled with professional and personal achievements and even left us Chenford fans satisfied. It also explored real-life scenarios and offered a lens on what happens when first responders are projected into dangerous situations.
On the personal scope of The Rookie, we witnessed relationships reaching significant peaks, such as the case with Chenford and Rodge and Celina. But things might not be so smooth between them. At least not recently, when the former announced that he'll be going on tour with his band, as revealed in the May 6 season 7 episode 17, "The Mutiny and the Bounty."
Resultantly, this opens the question if Rodge and Celina are headed for a breakup, or whether it's just a blip and they'll return to their caring and carefree ways.
Showrunner Alexi Hawley spoke to Deadline immediately after the end of "The Mutiny and the Bounty". He teased that Rodge would not be in the finale. However, his absence will only be temporary, as we'll see more of Rodge in the future, even if it means that there's a snag in his and Celina's relationship.
Rodge just so happens to be portrayed by Zander Hawley, who's the creator's son. Like his character on The Rookie, Zander is a musician and composed the song "Daddy Cop" for the show's soundtrack for its fifth season. Rodge is an extension of the track and has woven into the procedural's universe.
Hawley also mentioned that it was 'hard' to find someone who reflected the personality of Lisseth Chavez, the actress behind Celina. Having Zander be Celina's emotional equal created a natural connection between the two actors.
Here's what Hawley revealed to Deadline regarding his son and Chavez, and when we'll see Rodge's return in the upcoming season 8.
"I do think that Liz [Chavez], who plays Celina, she has a sparkly energy, and I find it joyful that [Rodge] can match that. She is a little hard to pair romantically because there is such a sparkle and innocence to her. But yes, we will see him on and off, probably in Season 8 at some point."
The fate between Rodge and Celina might be determined the next time we see him. For their sake, I hope it works out for them.
Below is the promo for the season 7 finale of The Rookie, "The Good, the Bad, and the Oscar," airing on May 13 on ABC. While we won't be seeing Rodge, a more maniacal face will make his comeback as the season comes to a close!
Don't miss The Rookie season 7 finale on Tuesday, May 12 at 9/8c on ABC!