While it may seem like the TV season only just began due to the WGA writers strike and SAG-AFTRA actors strike delays, some of ABC's biggest hits are just days away from wrapping in the spring 2024 TV schedule. Will Trent and The Rookie are the network's two Tuesday night shows that have been renewed for the 2024-2025 TV season, and ABC's fall premiere schedule has me nervous about what will go down in their finales next week.
When The Rookie And Will Trent Return Following Season Finales
While both shows are guaranteed to return in the 2024-2025 TV season, neither is on the schedule for ABC in the fall. The fall Tuesday night lineup for the network will be Dancing with the Stars from 8 p.m. - 10 p.m. ET followed by new drama High Potential (starring It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia's Kaitlin Olson) from 10 p.m. - 11 p.m. ET. Will Trent and The Rookie are both being held for midseason premieres next season.
These aren't the only scripted shows being held until later in the 2024-2025 season, as the final season of The Conners won't premiere in the fall either. Other midseason returns include American Idol, The Bachelor, Celebrity Jeopardy, Celebrity Wheel of Fortune, What Would You Do?, and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.
Now, "midseason" can technically mean as early as January in a TV season and usually no later than March, so it's not like fans will likely be waiting a full year after next week's finales. Still, after the delay due to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, another delay could be tough... depending on the finales. I'm now worried that Will Trent and/or The Rookie will end on a major cliffhanger, and then fans will be left... well, hanging until midseason rather than fall.
As for what to expect from the finales, keep on scrolling!
Will Trent Season 2 finale
The second season finale of Will Trent is called "Do You See the Vision" and will air on Tuesday, May 21 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. It's too soon to say if it will end on a cliffhanger at all, let alone one as emotional as how Season 1 ended, but the network's episode description previews what's ahead:
Will, Faith and Angie find themselves embroiled in a series of cases where a similar marker links the murders of several sex offenders. Meanwhile, Angie grapples with an unexpected proposition from Amanda
In case that description is a bit too bare bones to hype you up for however Will Trent wraps Season 2, take a look at the promo:
I can't say if there's going to be a cliffhanger in the finale to leave fans on the edges of their seats for the better part of a year, but the trailer itself ends on a cliffhanger!
The Rookie Season 6 Finale
The final episode of The Rookie Season 6 is called "Escape Plan" and will air at 9 p.m. ET on May 21, directly after the Will Trent finale and directly before the series finale of The Good Doctor. The ABC episode description reads:
Sgt. Grey helps the team prepare for their biggest mission yet. Meanwhile, Aaron, Lopez, Celina, Tim and Smitty discover a surprising connection in their case.
While the description doesn't seem all that much more thrilling than a normal episode of The Rookie, the promo for the Season 6 finale practically seems like it could be pulled right out of the trailer for an action adventure blockbuster. Take a look:
There's a lot to absorb from just 30 seconds of preview footage, but my biggest takeaway might be that I need to see the context for Lucy jumping between moving vehicles and whether Tim's reaction is a sign of Chenford development ahead despite the recent heartbreak. It is a little bit of a bummer for the FBI to get a mention without seeing Niecy Nash reprising her The Rookie: Feds character, though.
We can only wait and see if these two shows end their current seasons on cliffhangers to leave fans stuck until 2025. Whatever happens, hopefully fans will have a lot to talk about as hiatus begins! Past episodes of both are currently available streaming via Hulu subscription.
