The Rookie does not shy away from putting beloved characters in danger.
Early on in The Rookie Season 4 Episode 1, we learned that Officer West (Titus Makin) had been killed off.
While Makin did not return for The Rookie Season 4, the show still had the lofty task of bringing his character’s arc to a close.
The episode in question showed Sergeant Grey (Richard T Jones) reviewing security footage.
It showed Lopez (Alyssa Diaz) and West being hurled into getaway cars after being kidnapped.
We got to see West resisting, and chillingly, he was shot, revealing his untimely death.
If you watch The Rookie online, you know the bulk of the premiere focused on the team finding Angela and her unborn child.
“It’s heartbreaking,” Alexi Hawley explained to TV Line about the shocking exit.
“But I didn’t really have a choice. He wasn’t coming back, and because of the way we set things up with the [season three] finale, there was just no way to tell that story without Jackson…
“But we lean really hard into honoring how he was the heart of the show, and it was definitely impactful for us to have to deal with that.”
Makin’s exit came as a surprise to many, but Hawley revealed that the exit meant “we needed to do the best we could to honor the character who’s been so primally a part of the show.”
No further details have been revealed about why the actor decided to leave the show, but it marks the third major exit in its relatively short run.
Mercedes Masohn exited early into the show run of the show when Captain Zoe Andersen was gunned down by a gang leader.
Afton Williamson (Talia Bishop) announced her exit from the show after leveling allegations of sexual harassment and racial bullying from a co-star.
The highly-anticipated premiere kicked off with 3 million viewers and a 0.36 rating in the demo — down from last season’s premiere (3.4 million/0.5 rating) and finale (3.7 million (0.5 rating).
The series continues Sundays at 10/9c on ABC.
What are your thoughts on the surprising exit?
Do you think the show handled it well?
Hit the comments below.
Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.