How will ‘The Rookie’ handle Tru Valentino’s exit?

What happened to no man left behind? That’s what we had to ask when the news broke that actor Tru Valentino would not be returning to The Rookie. The actor broke his silence regarding the news on social media but still left everyone perplexed as to his reasoning.

The Rookie premiered as ABC’s new procedural drama back in 2018, with Valentino joining a little later in the fourth season. He was promoted to series regular in the fifth season. It was announced that he would not be returning for the seventh season earlier last month, though no reason was given as to his exit. The actor took to social media a little after the announcement, posting on his story to say, “I will always cherish my time on The Rookie but couldn’t be more excited for what the future has in store. I adore the friends and relationships made while being there.”

He went on to thank his fans before adding that his character may not be completely gone, “You never know who may pop back up in the Mid-Wilshire precinct.” He finished his message by saying, “Until then, 7 Adam 19, this is Officer Thorsen, over and out!”

Valentino played Officer Thorsen, an unconventional hire mirroring the main character, Nathan Fillion’s John Nolan. Thorsen was the TikTok famous son of a rapper who, like Nolan, made a drastic change in his life by deciding to become a cop. Though his former career brought some idiosyncrasies with it, it also allowed him to see things differently from his fellow rookies.

How will the show handle his exit?

Given that Valentino has hinted that his character may return, it doesn’t look like the show is going to kill him off, as it did so unceremoniously with Titus Makin Jr.’s character Jackson West. More likely they will say he had been transferred to a different unit. It’s a shame to lose him as his character had become quite the mainstay on the program, bringing a fresh take to a show that needs that in order to stay entertaining.

What the writers have to do now, is ensure they don’t make the same mistake they did with Makin’s character, Jackson. Makin chose to leave the show at the end of the third season due to the real-world events surrounding George Floyd’s murder at the hands of police. The actor felt uncomfortable playing a Black police officer on screen, especially as he felt his character never addressed the subject. The show had to then to write out his character, but it felt like a rushed and unfulfilling ending for a character that deserved better, with Jackson shot to death by druglord Sandra de la Cruz’s thugs. Makin wasn’t even present for his characters last scene, with a body double used for Jackson’s on screen death.

Valentino may address his reasons for leaving in the future, but for now he appears to have left the show amicably. We can only hope the show gives him a proper send off.