The Rookie Season 7, Episode 14 Release Date & Time

The following contains spoilers for The Rookie Season 7 currently airing on ABC and streaming on Hulu.

After making fans wait nervously for a bit, ABC announced The Rookie will return for Season 8, which means writers and producers are getting to work breaking stories for the next season. While not officially announced, it is expected the new season will also feature at least 18 episodes like Season 7.

With The Rookie Season 7 now heading for the finale, the characters are in the home stretch. This means the adventures they face are going to be more spectacular and exciting for audiences, perhaps deviating from the street-level police work that is the hallmark of the series. Still, for the next five Tuesday nights on ABC, fans can still tune in to see what lies ahead for the officers of the LAPD’s Mid-Wilshire Division.

Where and When to Watch The Rookie, Season 7, Episode 14, ‘Mad About Murder’

Viewers Who Miss the Official Debut on ABC Can Stream It On Hulu the Next Day

The Rookie Season 7, Episode 14 is titled “Mad About Murder” and will debut on ABC on April 15, 2025 at 9 PM. Those who miss the premiere and don’t digitally record it can catch it on Hulu the next day. The episode synopsis reveals it won’t be a singularly focused episode like “Speed,” where the ensemble all tackle the same problem. However, one of the cases involves the hitman who killed Jason, Bailey Nune’s ex-husband.

Official Episode Synopsis: Tim receives a strange message, launching a larger investigation into the dark web. Meanwhile, Celina works to take down a popular podcast, and Miles helps update the department’s training videos.

One way The Rookie is unique among more typical police procedurals is its focus on patrol-level officers. Rather than tackling a single big case, they each investigate smaller, more personal crimes. Tim Bradford will investigate an online conspiracy, while newly-promoted officer Celina Juarez sets her sights on a podcast, likely related to true crime. Most interestingly, Miles Penn, a new rookie but a veteran police officer from Texas, will help make the LAPD’s training videos better.

This suggests the episode will be lower stakes, though perhaps some elements of the stories therein will seed the larger season arc. While these smaller stories aren’t as exciting as the whole team fighting a wildfire, they allow the characters to shine through. Developing The Rookie’s officers as people and their relationships with one another is the show’s strength.

What to Expect from the Rest of The Rookie Season 7

The Drama’s Renewal for Season 8 Promises a Big Future for The Rookie

The renewal was welcome news but not a surprise after The Rookie earned high ratings in recent weeks. Because of the strong characters in the series, viewers are more inclined to tune in for them rather than the promise of a formulaic case-of-the-week. While the show isn’t exactly serialized, there are narrative elements that carry over both on the character level and in the larger story and stakes in play.

In Season 7, Detective Nyla Harper investigated and arrested a serial killer with dozens of victims. He is coming up for trial soon, and that case could play into the Season 7 finale or even carry over into Season 8. Similarly, the “big bad” from Season 6, former attorney Monica Stevens, is poised to return to create problems for the cast. Lastly, there is Seth Ridley, the only rookie fired from the program,

These narrative threads are dangling out there waiting to be tied into a future episode, likely close to the finale. While The Rookie loves a cliffhanger ending, the season completed filming before renewal was announced. So, there may not be one for Season 7, unless the producers took the chance of ending the series with an open storyline. Fans will just have to wait and see.

The Rookie debuts new episodes Tuesdays at 9 PM on ABC and the episode streams the following day, with Seasons 1-6, on Hulu.