Posted in: ABC, TV | Tagged: The Rookie

The Rookie: O'Neil Needs You to Watch Her Nathan Fillion For a Second

In a post from earlier, The Rookie star Melissa O'Neil wanted to know if you could do her a favor and watch her Nathan Fillion for a second.

We've said it before, and we'll repeat it. A whole lot of shows out there could learn a thing or two from ABC and series creator and showrunner Alexi Hawley's The Rookie when it comes to using social media to keep fans engaged between seasons and during production. Yesterday, Deric Augustine (Miles Penn) and Director Tori Garrett had some very cool updates to pass along. Today, we've got Melissa O'Neil enlisting Nathan Fillion (whether he realizes it or not) for a round of the "Can You Watch My Boss For A Second" prank. Serious bonus points go to Fillion for his facial reactions and body language – spot-on!

Here's a look at O'Neil's TikTok from earlier today, followed by a look back at some things we've learned about the eighth season over the past few months and more:

@missoneil

the one, the only – The Real Nathan Fillion @Nate F @The Rookie Universe

♬ original sound – Melissa ONeil

@missoneil the one, the only – The Real Nathan Fillion @Nate F @The Rookie Universe ♬ original sound – Melissa ONeil

"Wrapped Rookie! Just a few of my favourite peeps. Fun shoot. Epic episode. Now into edit I go," read the caption to Garrett's post, which included looks behind the scenes with Mekia Cox, Alyssa Diaz, Eric Winter, and others. Here's a screencap from the director's Instagram Stories, followed by the actual post:

The Rookie/SDCC: Fillion & Hawley Preview Season 8 & More

"I have friends who are good actors in their own right. They're calling me saying, 'Hey, man, my daughter just turned 11, and she and her friends are all crazy about 'The Rookie.' Can I please have a birthday with you?' I love that," Fillion shared about the show's success with multigenerational viewing audiences during his San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) 2025 panel earlier this summer

"I think that ultimately television, specifically television with lots of episodes with characters that you can really invest in, has become comfort food for people," added Hawley. "There's 1,000 shows on the air, but it does feel like people sort of grab lots of shows that they look forward to watching. They're an escape. I take that very seriously. It doesn't mean that bad things don't happen on our show, that there aren't stakes, that we don't go dark sometimes. People really look to us as an important storm."

After a sizzle reel was screened, spotlighting the trip to Prague in the Season 8 opener, as well as a number of new and returning cast members. "In the first episode, we go to Prague and [John] becomes James Bond in the episode. We have a lot of exciting stories for [the cast] this season," Fillion teased. Here's a look at the official image gallery that was released from this weekend's SDCC panel:

Here's a look at some highlights from the panel, including that moment Fillion got everyone in attendance for a huge group video for O'Neil and much more:

And here's a look at some highlights from Fillion and Hawley's time in the Variety Studio, including what the chances are of there being a new rookie during the eighth season and more:

ABC's The Rookie Season 7 starred Nathan Fillion as John Nolan, Mekia Cox as Nyla Harper, Alyssa Diaz as Angela Lopez, Richard T. Jones as Sergeant Wade Grey, Melissa O'Neil as Lucy Chen, Eric Winter as Tim Bradford, Shawn Ashmore as Wesley Evers, Jenna Dewan as Bailey Nune, and Lisseth Chavez as Celina Juarez. Deric Augustine (Godfather of Harlem) and television-debuting Patrick Keleher were set as the newest rookies for the season. Augustine's Miles is one of the newest rookies at the LAPD. As a Texas transfer, Miles is a 'rookie' despite being a two-year veteran of the force. Keleher's rookie Seth seems like the ideal police officer, but the job requires quick, decisive action — something that doesn't come naturally to Seth. In addition, Ivan Hernandez (Max's And Just Like That…) had joined the cast as Detective Graham and appeared in several episodes.

Alexi Hawley is the series creator, writer, and executive producer. Mark Gordon, Nathan Fillion, Michelle Chapman, Jon Steinberg, Bill Norcross, Bill Roe, and Brynn Malone are executive producers of the series. Entertainment One (eOne) is the lead studio on The Rookie, a co-production with ABC Signature.

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