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The Rookie season 7 premiere will harken back to the pilot (here's how)

The showrunner is pitching the season 7 episode as a "re-pilot"

ByDanilo Castro|
THE ROOKIE - ÒThe ShotÓ - Now recovering from a gunshot wound and feeling the effects of his age, John and the team welcome two new rookies and continue the hunt for two dangerous inmates with very personal vendettas following their prison escape. TUESDAY, JAN. 7 (10:00-11:00 p.m. EST) on ABC. RICHARD T. JONES, NATHAN FILLION
THE ROOKIE - ÒThe ShotÓ - Now recovering from a gunshot wound and feeling the effects of his age, John and the team welcome two new rookies and continue the hunt for two dangerous inmates with very personal vendettas following their prison escape. TUESDAY, JAN. 7 (10:00-11:00 p.m. EST) on ABC. RICHARD T. JONES, NATHAN FILLION

The Rookie has been around for quite a while. It's been around so long, in fact, that the titular rookie, John Nolan (Nathan Fillion), has become a mentor to other rookies. Student becomes the teacher, mentee becomes mentor, you get the drill.

Those who think of the show's early days fondly, however, are in for a treat. Alexi Hawley, The Rookie showrunner, recently spoke to TV Line about the upcoming premiere, and he revealed that it will have more than a few references to the pilot episode.

Alexi Hawley wanted to create a series "re-pilot"

TRU VALENTINO, ERIC WINTER
THE ROOKIE - "Punch Card" - After a mafia-related mass casualty, the team is tasked to keep the peace at the hospital. Lucy and Celina work together to investigate the suspects behind the attack. Meanwhile, Tim and Aaron embark on a metro ops mission. TUESDAY, MAY 7 (9:00-10:00 p.m. EDT) on ABC.(DISNEY/Raymond Liu) TRU VALENTINO, ERIC WINTER

Hawley, who wrote the pilot episode of The Rookie, decided to handle directorial duties on the season 7 premiere. In doing so, he thought it would be fun to hit reset on the series, and give fans a "re-pilot" of sorts. "I directed the first one and I wanted to re-pilot a bit on several fronts," he explained.

The reason why? Well, Hawley claimed that the show's success and longevity has allowed him to beef up the action and the set pieces in comparison to the relatively low stakes and budget of the original pilot. "One of them was I kind of wanted to go bigger, more action-y in places, so that’s what you definitely feel," he added.

The showrunner isn't kidding when it comes to action. He sought to pay homage to not only the pilot episode, but the classic Los Angeles crime film Heat (1995) when it came to the shootouts and action scenes. "We really leaned in, trying to go as big as you can go," Hawley asserted. "And there are some Heat homages in there."

Hawley wanted to go "bigger" and more "action-y"

TRU VALENTINO, ALYSSA DIAZ, RICHARD T. JONES, LISSETH CHAVEZ, NATHAN FILLION
THE ROOKIE - ÒStrike BackÓ - In the aftermath of the assaults in the explosive season five finale, the team must now try to understand why they were targeted and if there is a bigger plan in place. Meanwhile, Nolan must survive his last shift before his wedding to Bailey. TUESDAY, FEB. 20 (9:00-10:00 p.m. EST), on ABC. (Disney/Raymond Liu) TRU VALENTINO, ALYSSA DIAZ, RICHARD T. JONES, LISSETH CHAVEZ, NATHAN FILLION

The retracing of old steps isn't relegated to the season 7 premiere, either. Hawley told the outlet that the second episode of the season is also riffing on the second episode of the first season, right down to having Adam Roe, longtime Rookie producer, take the reins as director.

Hawley is extremely proud of his "re-pilot," but he did refrain from choosing a favorite season 7 episode. He assured fans that the season is packed with standout stories, and is eager for each of them to watch and determine their own favorites.

His goal with the "re-pilot" was to "shake things up a bit," and he feels as though he achieved his goal. We can't wait to see what gets shaken up when The Rookie returns on Tuesday, January 7.

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