The Rookie aired its season 7 finale, “The Good, The Bad, and The Oscar”, on May 13, leaving a handful of questions for the series to answer when it returns to ABC. On par with recent years, the Nathan-Fillion-led police procedural will be held until mid-season, reportedly premiering in early 2026 (TVLine). There will be plenty to explore with Chenford now that the exes appear to have turned a corner, but there’s another romance fans are hoping to see when The Rookie returns.
When catching up with showrunner, creator, and executive producer, Alexi Hawley, ScreenRant asked if he would be open to exploring a relationship between Celina Juarez (Lisseth Chavez) and Miles Penn (Deric Augustine) in the future. While Celina is currently dating musician and “Daddy Cop” singer, Rodge, the showrunner would consider pairing up the officers if the story felt organic. Check out Hawley’s full response below:
ScreenRant: I don’t know if you’ve seen it, but there are some Miles and Celina fans out there. Is that a relationship that you would be open to exploring in future seasons?
Alexi Hawley: If it felt organic, I’m not going to say no to it. It didn’t occur to me until you said that. I do really like them together. Yeah, I don’t know. That’s interesting. I hadn’t thought of that. If it feels like it’s where the story wants to go, then maybe. You never know. Again, it’s very easy, and I actually said this going into the room at the beginning of last season, we’re lucky enough to now be heading into season 8, but it’s super easy to fall in love with your characters and round off the edges.
We love them all, we want them to be happy, but there’s inherently less drama in that, and so just constantly trying to go, “Okay, well how do we keep the stakes there? How do we keep it fresh? How do we still celebrate our characters, but not just make everything easy?” Because then it’s just a feel-good show, and that’s not what we are, necessarily. We’re a fun show to watch, but I don’t want to just be soft, so to speak.
More About Miles And Celina’s Friendship In The Rookie
The Duo Grew Closer Throughout Season 7
Miles first transferred to the Mid-Wilshire division in The Rookie season 7, episode 1, previously serving as a police officer in Sugarland, Texas. He is assigned as Tim Bradford’s new rookie, and bonds with Celina, who recently graduated from the training program. Although there are yet to be any clear romantic implications, they’ve grown to trust one another, with Miles even calling Celina when he suspects his date is part of the Eastern Front.
A Romance Between The Two Would Take Time
Celina Is Currently Dating Zander Hawley’s Rodge
One of the most unexpected twists of The Rookie season 7 is when Celina reveals that she is dating Rodge, the musician behind “Daddy Cop”. He is portrayed by Alexi Hawley’s son, Zander Hawley, and first appears in season 5, episode 13. It was questionable whether the two were meant to be a long-term match, but the series has continued to build upon their romance. Although Rodge is going on tour, he and Celina appear invested in making their romance work.
Related
“Did It Really Read That Way?”: The Rookie Star Addresses Celina & Miles Romance Speculation
EXCLUSIVE: The Rookie star Lisseth Chavez addresses Celina and Miles’ romance speculation after it seemed like sparks were flying between the pair.
Because she is currently in a relationship, Celina likely won’t be paired with Miles anytime soon. However, if The Rookie does decide to make them more than friends, it’s a dynamic that would be best served as a slow build. With the writers open to wherever the story may take them, anything is possible for Chavez and Augustine’s characters as the show continues.
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The Rookie returns to ABC in 2026. All episodes are currently available to stream on Hulu.
