Season 5 of The Rookie premieres on September 25th. With the trailer and promos fuelling the fans' further speculations about what will happen in the fifth season, there are a lot of theories about the season. Though the theories and predictions have been going strong since season 4 ended, the debates have gotten even better after the trailer.
Dedicated Reddit fans are interested in whether Nolan will finally realize his dream of becoming a T.O. or who Rosalind's accomplice is, assuming she has one.
Nolan Will Become A T.O.
Speculations about Nolan becoming a training officer have been high since he mentioned wanting to become one. Season 5 seems to be just the season when this will happen. "I think we’re going to get a new character introduction," suggested Reddit user TheBlackSwarm, also adding that Fillon recently mentioned John would get a new female rookie.
While every other character seems to be moving up - Angela and Nyla are detectives, Lucy is doing more UC gigs - John needs to as well eventually. It will be interesting to see him in a new role. However, the amount of characters they're adding is getting almost ridiculous.
Rosalind's Accomplice
"Bailey’s been playing the long game and SHE’S one of Rosalind’s accomplices," said Reddit user LKWSpeedwagon. Some theories are crazier than others, but this one's worth mentioning because a lot of people also suspected Bailey of being the arsonist, so it's not entirely unlikely.
However, this would absolutely kill Nolan, and it's doubtful it will happen. But Rosalind's return has sparked all sorts of theories about her accomplices and plans for Lucy.
Bailey, The Hero (Again)
"Based on the S5 promo, does anyone think that either Bailey subdues/captures Rosalind or Rosalind kills Bailey?" asked Reddit user NoleFandom while sharing their prediction. Given the writer's obsession with the character of Bailey, the latter seems unlikely, but it's interesting to think about the first speculation.
Hopefully, this is an honor that won't belong to her. If anyone should capture Rosalind, it's Lucy, because she's the one that was, and still is, the most deeply affected by her actions, or at the very least Tim, who found Lucy and dug her up in one of the most heartbreaking scenes on the show. It would definitely serve the term poetic justice if Lucy played a role in capturing Rosalind.
Gray Dying
"If anyone dies it’s going to be Gray there’s really no need for his character anymore and the cast is already getting big," said Reddit user TheBlackSwarm. They make a valid point, as the cast has expanded substantially with all the side characters like Bailey, Wesley, James, Tamara, etc.
However, one leading figure already died a tragic death, and Captain Andersen's death was among the most upsetting.
It would suck if Gray was the next one. It would make far more sense for him to retire peacefully with his family while Tim takes over the precinct.
The Fun Four
"James Wesley is the kind of duo I didn't know I needed till it happened. Plus I'm living nyla and Angela's bonding. So the four of them together are going to be fun," said whattttttyyyyy. The fans already got some scenes of the four, and it seems that Angela and Nyla bonded even further than anyone anticipated.
It would be fun to get more scenes of them together, especially because the bantering will be top entertainment. They also have a lot of common ground, both being recently married with small children, so they would have lots to talk about.
Big Bad Chris
"I think Chris is connected to Rosalyn somehow and I hope he is cause this immature version of Lucy they are writing is boring me. I need the first 2 season Lucy back and i think if they bring back the Rosalyn storyline it could be fun," said Reddit user whattttttyyyyy. There is a lot of speculation about Chris's character, now that they're bringing Rosalind back.
There are some weird coincidences, like him humming the song that Lucy sang, which sort of paralleled Rosalind taunting Lucy in prison. This supports the theory that Chris might be a villain on the show. However, if another love interest turns out to be a serial killer, Lucy might never recover from the emotional trauma, so for her sake fans are hoping this isn't true.
New T.O.?
"Be curious though to see who is Thorsen's TO now that Lopez and Nyla are detectives and Tim's a sergeant. Either its Smitty or their going to have to introduce a new TO," said Reddit user MGD109. And since Smitty isn't a regular and Valentino is, this isn't likely.
But introducing two new characters - Nolan's rookie and Thorsen's T.O. seems like a bit of a stretch for an already big cast. However, they will need to figure something out, unless they're planning on having his T.O. be a background character. A simple and good solution would be for Nolan to become his T.O., and they could focus on the already existing characters instead of creating new ones.
Bailey's Here To Stay
"I don't see them dropping Bailey unless there's a really good reason. He can only start over so many times," said Reddit user JaFakeItTillYouJaMak. Dewan is a series regular, and unless something drastic were about to happen, it seems like she's staying put.
Many fans have expressed their dislike for Bailey, due to her being inserted into every possible situation, which is frustrating because she's a side character. She's also a Mary Sue in so many ways, and unless they improve the writing of her character, the backlash might only get worse. However, others seem to think she is Nolan's best love interest so far.
Is Lucy In Danger?
"I'm excited to see what Rosalind's storyline is this season, especially if she comes back to Lucy and tries to get to her," said Reddit user MaleficentGrass209. It does seem that Rosalind will break free, according to the trailer, and fans are worried about her coming after Lucy.
While it seems likely this will happen during Chen's and Bradford's undercover operation, Rosalind might still feel compelled to come after Lucy to finish the work she started with Caleb. If it does go this way, hopefully, Lucy deals with her once and for all and finally gets some closure.
What Happens Undercover, Stays Undercover
There are conflicting views on whether the romantic relationship between Lucy and Tim should happen, but most feel they're inevitable. "I think the writers are going in that direction because putting them [Chen and Bradford] together will increase viewership. As long as it’s written well and makes sense I’m fine with it," said Reddit user TheBlackSwarm.
Following the practice kiss that happened in the season 4 finale, their story in the following season is bound to be interesting. Especially because fans saw Tim coming to some realizations in the finale, and there are some chemistry-loaded scenes in the trailer already. What will happen remains to be seen, but it's possible that the slow-burn romance will meet its catalyst when they go undercover together.