After six years and lots of wondering,The Rookieshowrunner finally revealed why the role of Captain Andersen still hasn’t been filled.ScreenRant’s Rachel Foertsch attended the panel forThe RookieatSan Diego Comic-Con2025, where, during the audience Q&A portion of the panel, showrunner Alexi Hawley explained why no character has stepped up or in to replace Captain Andersen.
As Hawley explained, after Andersen’s death, it felt very hard to replace the venerated and well-respected Captain Zoe Andersen. Thus, unless an episode specifically requires the narrative to incorporate a character who holds the rank of captain, it’s something the show simply hasn’t chosen to focus on, even asThe Rookieseason 8heads our way.
What Captain Andersen Not Being Replaced Means For The Rookie
It’s Symbolically Fitting
It’s a fitting tribute, in a very meta way, thatThe Rookiehas never officially filled the role of Captain Andersen. The captain of the LAPD Mid-Wilshire Station was a respected and shrewd veteran of law enforcement, with a background in the Marines as military police and later joining the Pentagon police force before later taking the role at the LAPD.
Her death from being shot in the neck by the villain Cole Midas inThe Rookieseason 1, episode 16, “Greenlight,” was a shocking one that devastated her police officers and fans alike and remains one ofthe most upsetting deaths inThe Rookie. Nolan, who witnessed her death but was helpless to stop it, was traumatized by it, and it has shaped his character throughout his seven seasons on the show.
Captain Andersen was buried with full honors, and though she only appeared once more in archival footage, her influence continues to quietly guide the characters, particularly Nolan and Wade Grey. While a real-life police precinct undoubtedly could not run without a captain,The Rookiekeeping her role officially unfilled is symbolic of how irreplaceable she is.
Our Take On The Rookie Never Filling The Captain’s Role
There May Come A Time The Story Requires It
In truth, because it focuses so much on the cops and detectives of the Mid-Wilshire Division,The Rookiehas been able to avoid the need to replace Andersen with a new captain. WithThe Rookieseason 8 premiering mid-season, the show clearly hasn’t suffered from that curious gap in its fictional department’s ranks.
Still, it is a little strange that the captain’s role has never really officially been filled or Captain Andersen replaced. It’s not been a major issue, but there are definitely times that it’s felt as thoughThe Rookiemight have benefited from that role being more prominent and filled with a permanent member of the cast.
AsThe Rookiecontinues to evolve in its eighth year, there may come a time when a longer narrative arc will require the steady leadership of an in-universe captain. If it does, it will be interesting to see how fans and characters alike react to Andersen’s official in-canon replacement, especially now that so much time has passed since her death.
The Rookie
Cast
The Rookie follows John Nolan, a small-town man who embarks on a new career as an LAPD officer after a life-changing event. As the force’s oldest rookie, Nolan faces skepticism from superiors who view his pursuit as a midlife crisis.
