Jared Padalecki And Jensen Ackles Reunited For A Fun Cameo On The Rookie, And I Loved How Supernatural Was Involved

Spoilers ahead for Season 8, Episode 15 of The Rookie, “Survive the Streets,” which is streaming now with a Hulu subscription!

Monday’s episode of The Rookie on the 2026 TV schedule once again brought the documentary format back (as was the case with that wild truth serum episode). With that, series creator and showrunner Alexi Hawley once again served as everyone’s favorite documentarian. Like all of the doc-centric episodes, the case for this installment was intense and odd. What really caught me off guard, though, was Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles making a surprise appearance, and Supernatural was involved in an A+ way.

In the episode, “Survive the Streets,” the case centered on a retired LAPD officer, Rich Rowley, who died by suicide after he believed he was possessed by a demon. As everyone dug into what happened and recalled the events for the documentary, it was discovered that the director of a ‘90s horror film -- which the retired Rich appeared in -- located a tome that led to summoning the demon, Malaphus, since he wanted the ritual to be really specific.

Naturally, this led the documentary crew to interview none other than Padalecki and Ackles, because who would know more about demons than two people who dealt with demons (on TV) for 15 years? The actors -- playing themselves -- got on a Zoom call to reflect on meeting Rich at a convention. They recalled Rich's obsession with an episode of Supernatural, which saw Sam and Dean Winchester fighting Malaphus. Rich apparently believed the pair of stars knew about demon hunting, and he asked a lot of questions. Ackles then pointed out in the interview that demon hunters were not real and that it was all made up.

It’s a short scene, but it's as much fun as it is unexpected. Even though Padalecki and Ackles don’t reunite in person, since they are both on Zoom separately, it's still so great to see them on screen together. The icing on the cake, though, is the fact that Supernatural is even brought into the mix five years after its cancellation. As a fan of both Supernatural and The Rookie, I was pleasantly surprised at the cameo, and I’m still wondering how they managed to pull it off. Still, I won't question such a great nod!

Ironically, this Padalecki and Ackles collaboration comes ahead of a different reunion they’re set to do. The duo will appear together during the fifth and final season of The Boys, which is streaming now with an Amazon Prime subscription. Ackles is reprising his role as Soldier Boy, while Padalecki and fellow Supernatural alum Misha Collins will appear later in the season in undisclosed roles. Ackles opened up about the reunion, and he revealed just how nervous he was about his two co-stars appearing. All in all, though, it seems they -- along with EP Eric Kripke -- had a great time.

In terms of The Rookie, though, the series is getting down to its final few episodes. With that, I would assume a few more surprises could be in store. Whether those happen -- and if they'll be as big as Padalecki and Ackles’ cameos -- remains to be seen. I'm excited to see what happens, though!

New episodes of The Rookie air on Mondays at 10 p.m. ET on ABC.