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The Rookie Season 8 just recently ended amid the 2026 TV schedule, and I still can’t stop thinking about that cliffhanger. While Chenford will be in danger at the start of Season 9, there are other developments that the show's target audience will want to keep an eye on. For instance, Miles Penn, played by Deric Augustine, will no longer being a rookie, and the actor has some ideas regarding what he wants for the character. On that note, I also have one thing I need to see happen with Miles moving forward.
Rookie officer Miles Penn joins the LAPD in Season 7 and is established as a transfer from Texas. He’d been a rookie longer than he’d hoped, having been suspended and put on administrative leave, but he’s finally graduating. Miles has definitely learned a lot and grown, and that was especially the case amid the final episodes of Season 8. Augustine recently spoke to TV Insider and expressed his excitement over seeing how his character's journey continues:
I think he’s going to be thrilled that he’s not a rookie anymore. Especially in Season 8, we see him make a lot of mistakes and learn from them. So, I’m excited about that journey to see how he not relies on his cowboy instincts, but really relies on the teachings of his TOs, the three TOs he had and the intellect he learned from the mistakes that he has fortunately learned from.
I always love when one of the show's rookies graduates and, from there, viewers get to see how they handle themselves solo or with a partner who isn’t a TO. Miles has definitely proven that he’s capable of both, but how he does in those actual situations will be interesting.
The transition from rookie to P2 could take some time to get used to, for both Miles and viewers, but I'm excited nonetheless. With Miles moving up professionally, what I ultimately want to see is him getting out of his comfort zone a bit more. More specifically, I'd really love it if there's a point in Season 9 where he's put in a life-or-death situation that requires him to play by the rules and not go on his gut instinct, which can vary. What this could do is give him a true moment of clarity that would help inform his choices as an officer moving forward.
If something like that were to happen, I'd also be curious as to how his partner would respond. As for who could be his partner, whether as a P2 or graduating rookie, Augustine has some ideas:
I love working with Mekia. Maybe I want to go back with Tim, honestly. That would be cool. To see him graduate under the teachings of Tim, maybe he comes back as a TO just to see Miles off and to see him be successful. ‘I started with him, I’m finishing him.’ That would be cool. But I love Nyla, too.
As previously mentioned, it might be a little hard for Tim to see off his "boot" as he graduates. He and Lucy were kidnapped in the final seconds of the Season 8 finale, and viewers obviously don't know what’s going to be in store for the newly engaged couple. Since they are arguably two of the most popular characters on The Rookie, I can't see them being killed off.
However, that doesn’t mean that the aftermath of whatever they go through won’t affect them, physically and mentally. It’s also unknown how long the kidnapping will last, so Miles might have even graduated by the time the couple is saved.
All of that aside, though, I'm just hopeful that Miles has a bright future ahead of him. Here's hoping he continues to grow and that he lands a firm partner who he can learn from or help mentor.
Once again, The Rookie has been held for midseason but, at the very least, it'll be joined by new spinoff, The Rookie: North. So be sure to check out both shows when they premiere in 2027. For now, all eight seasons of the parent show are available to stream with a Hulu subscription.
