“We can bring him back”: The Rookie showrunner reveals if Oscar will return in Season 8

Oscar Hutchinson has proved to be one of the most formidable villains in The Rookie. Whether breaking prison or becoming an informant, Oscar has mostly stayed a step ahead of the LAPD, and has appeared in all the seasons.

In the recently released Season 7 finale, Oscar, played by Matthew Glave, once again escaped from the hands of the officers, but did give them important intel about Monica. Now that the villain is at large, fans were wondering if he would continue his streak and appear in The Rookie Season 8.

Showrunner Alexi Hawley has confirmed that Oscar will return in the next season of the police procedural drama. In an interview with ScreenRant, the showrunner said that while he is not sure what is next for Oscar in the storyline, the audience will certainly see him in the show:

“Oscar has always been a joy and a nemesis and super fun, but also really dangerous. I always love when we can bring him back. I don’t think we can keep him out there forever, just sort of not getting caught. So what is the next chapter of Oscar’s journey in Season 8, and where does it go? I don’t know yet, but we’ll definitely see him again.”

Alexi Hawley confirms Oscar’s return in The Rookie Season 8

Matthew Glave has become one of the few actors to appear in all the seasons of The Rookie so far. During the interview, Alexi Hawley added that while Oscar was supposed to be a minor villain in the show, Glave’s acting talent forced them to make him a recurring character:

“Matthew is so brilliant, and it’s one of those cases that we’ve been lucky to have multiple times across the series. You write a character that, in theory, is meant to be a one-off, and then you cast an actor who comes in and is amazing, and you’re like, 'I want to see them again.’”

In the Rookie Season 7 finale, Oscar continued to cause trouble for the LAPD officers. After escaping from prison in season 6, he returned to search for the diamonds he had stolen during an earlier heist. He killed one of his former partners to get a map that showed where the diamonds were hidden.

Then he kidnapped Nolan and forced him to help dig up the treasure in the desert. Harper found them with help from a kid’s drone, which led to a shootout. Although Nolan got the diamonds back, Oscar escaped by helicopter.

Meanwhile, The Rookie Season 8 has already been confirmed by ABC, though audiences will have to wait a little for the show’s return. ABC has announced that the next installment of the procedural drama will premiere during the mid-season 2025-2026 schedule, which means a January 2026 release seems likely.

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Apart from Matthew Glave, the series stars Nathan Fillion as John Nolan, Alyssa Diaz as Angela Lopez, Richard T. Jones as Wade Grey, Jenna Dewan as Bailey Nune, Melissa O'Neil as Lucy Chen, Eric Winter as Tim Bradford, Tru Valentino as Aaron Thorsen, Mekia Cox as Nyla Harper, Shawn Ashmore as Wesley Evers, and Lisseth Chavez as Celina Juarez.

The Rookie is available to stream on Hulu.

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