The Rookie Season 7 has been airing on the 2025 TV schedule, and things have been tense. Between psychotic ex-husbands on the loose, serial killers, and plenty of relationship drama, it seems like the characters just can’t catch a break. While viewers are probably high-key stressed, the cast seems to be having a blast filming Season 7. And after production returned to the scene of a big shootout, Alan Tudyk confirmed a hilarious souvenir he took to remember it.
Nathan Fillion took to Instagram to share that The Rookie was filming at a diner previously used in the Season 4 finale that guest-starred his Firefly co-star. The diner was where Nolan, Bailey, and Tudyk’s character were holed up before a gang shot it up in order to take back a criminal. Fillion explained that he told the Resident Alien star he was back at the diner, and after Tudyk confirmed a bullet-filled souvenir, the ABC show's star had a pretty witty response, and I can’t stop laughing:
I just texted Alan to tell him I was here, and he said, ‘Oh yes, I remember it well. As a matter of fact, I have one of the cakes that was on the counter that got shot up. It has a couple bullet holes in it but it’s sitting on my counter in Los Angeles right now.’ So, logically, I said, ‘Well, clearly, Alan is an actor who really takes the cake.’
I really don’t know what’s better. The fact that Tudyk has a bullet hole cake or that Fillion’s joke was so bad it was good. Perhaps the only thing that would make this better is if Tudyk were to show off the cake with bullet holes. And that makes me wonder if he has any other bullet-filled props lying around his home.
The voice actor guest starred as Ellroy Basso in two episodes of The Rookie, first appearing in Season 2 before coming back for the Season 4 finale. Even for just appearing in two episodes across two seasons, it seems like Tudyk really enjoyed being on The Rookie and forever has a reminder of his time on it.
As for why The Rookie is back at the infamous diner, it’s unknown. It likely has nothing to do with the previous shootout that happened there, and it just so happened to be a reused location. It’s not uncommon.
Also, since only five episodes have aired of the 18-episode season, it might be a while until it comes into play again. Fillion said it was just from his camera roll, so it’s also very possible that the content he posted was from a while ago. Whatever the case may be, Tudyk certainly takes the cake in souvenirs.
Nathan Fillion and Alan Tudyk starred in the short-lived space Western drama Firefly in 2002, as well as its 2005 feature film Serenity. It’s nice that they are still close after all these years and can come up with jokes on the fly, no matter how bad. Since Tudyk's Ellroy is still alive, at least that fans know of, perhaps he can make a surprise appearance in the near future?
For now, fans will have to settle with rewatching his two appearances with a Hulu subscription. New episodes of The Rookie air on Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET on ABC. There will be much to look forward to, even amid the shootouts and tense relationships.
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