The Rookie Season 9 Cast Status Update: Is [Spoiler] Really Leaving?

SPOILER WARNING:  This article contains details about the season 8 finale of  ABC’s The Rookie.

The season 8 finale of  The Rookie  concludes with Tim (Eric Winter) and Lucy (Melissa O’Neil) being kidnapped shortly after he proposes and she says yes. The finale also shows Grey (Richard T. Jones) at a crossroads. He spent the entire season working for Garza’s task force, while Tim takes over as Shift Supervisor at the Los Angeles Police Department’s Mid-Wilshire Station.

But when Tim tells him at the beginning of the final episode, “With the task force ending, I assume you want to get your job back,” Grey doesn’t give a definitive answer.

“The task force will be disbanded in a few months,” Grey said. “After that, I’m not sure what I’ll do next. Unless you ask me for help while you’re planning your wedding. In that case, I’d be happy to assist.”

See on Deadline

Deadline asked Alexi Hawley, creator, executive producer, and host of The Rookie  , about the disbanded task force and what Grey will do next.

“The team was practically falling apart. It was built around Monica (Bridget Regan), like a tribute to the  Blacklist series  . Now that she’s gone, the team has no leader,” he said. “I think part of the writing team’s job for season 9 will be figuring out exactly what the next chapter of Grey’s Anatomy will look like.”

Grey’s old job will be temporarily vacant, not because of the reason he mentioned (Tim and Lucy’s upcoming wedding), but because the couple already have partners. Will Grey return?

“I’m always looking for a fresh approach, I don’t think going back is necessarily the best way, but I also want it to be satisfying and groundbreaking,” Hawley said. “So one of the first things we needed to figure out was what we were going to do with him to feel like it was a form of growth.”

But will Rookie’s original cast member ,  Jones, or another regular cast member of the series leave before season 9?

“No, we’re keeping things as they are. We love everyone, and we’re trying to keep things going,” Hawley said. “Richard is an incredibly important piece of our show. Again, if we’re not going to stand still, what are we going to do? As long as we see this as an opportunity, I think we’re sure to find something interesting to do.”

Last month, Deadline spoke with Hawley about how  The Rookie  hasn’t yet removed any main characters except for Jackson’s early death in season three after actor Titus Makin Jr. left the show for personal reasons — something long-running television series often do for plot and financial reasons. Would Hawley do the same?

“I don’t think so,” he said. “You should never say never. After all, one of the things I’ve always tried to aim for on the show is that you have to do something as dramatic as possible, even if it’s hard for the audience to accept, like the Chenford breakup a few seasons ago, people didn’t like it. But I feel it’s very important to the storyline. No, there are no plans to do anything crazy right now, but you should never say never.”

For more details on the shocking marriage proposal and kidnapping of Chenford [Lucy Chen & Tim Bradford], read Deadline’s post-season interview with Hawley, in which he analyzes the season 8 finale and hints at season 9, which is still in early production. You can read Hawley’s update on the spin-off The Rookie: North  here.