“I'd like to see them together again” - The Rookie showrunner wants to rekindle this fan-favorite romance

ABC's long-running procedural drama The Rookie has attracted a devoted fan base in its seven seasons thanks to its engaging characters, action-packed narrative, and changing personal dynamics. As the series continues to thrive, fans can expect to see a familiar romantic plot from its short-lived spin-off, The Rookie: Feds, return into the flagship series.

During a recent interview with Screen Rant, The Rookie creator Alexi Hawley indicated a desire to reprise the chemistry between Laura Stensen (Britt Robertson) and Brendon Acres (Kevin Zegers)—two characters from Feds. Although the spin-off was cut short after a single season, their chemistry stuck with audiences and creators alike.

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The Rookie: A romance worth revisiting

Laura and Brendon were co-stars on The Rookie: Feds and their professional relationship frequently suggested stronger emotional undertones. Although they were technically never a couple throughout the short duration of the spin-off series, their repartee and encouragement of one another fostered speculation and wishes among supporters that their relationship could be rekindled in the future.

Responding to questions about whether they might revisit their relationship, Hawley stated:

"Down the road, for sure. I'd like to see them together again. Some of it is literally just about availability and stuff like that. We've had Felix back, we've had Antoinette and him back as well. We just haven't managed to land the right story with the right availability to get them back together. But I always really liked them."

Hawley's words verify that the notion of resurrecting Laura and Brendon is not only something fans are speculating about but something that writers are currently contemplating.

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The Roadblocks: Timing and relationships

Though the wish to reunite Laura and Brendon is strong, logistics are difficult. Guest stars from Feds, such as Brendon and Antoinette Benneteau (Devika Bhise), have already appeared on the flagship series. However, coordinating actors' availability and merging characters smoothly into existing storylines requires careful planning.

Making it more complicated is Brendon's present relationship status. During season 7 of The Rookie, Brendon and Antoinette, a forensic biologist with the FBI, are officially dating. This would be a narrative hindrance if writers wanted to switch to a romantic plot with Laura. However, The Rookie has experience with complicated romantic journeys.

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A familiar pattern: Chenford echoes

The concept of an emotional slow-burn romance reflects the show's overall love story between Lucy Chen (Melissa O'Neil) and Tim Bradford (Eric Winter), known by fans as the "Chenford" couple. The couple finally got together after seasons of will-they-won't-they drama, only to break up in season 6 in painful circumstances.

Hawley, speaking about Chenford's storyline, prioritized emotional realism:

"I didn't want to make it easy, partly because I felt like what Tim had done to her, the way he broke up with her, the way he punished himself by punishing her, was fairly seismic."

Hawley explained.

"And I felt like it would be a disservice to the characters if we just had a couple of episodes of penalty box, and then they were back together."

This cautious approach to romance might serve a future Laura-Brendon plot well if the chance presents itself.

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What's next on The Rookie?

As the show rolls out its seventh season, the stage might be set for welcoming back Feds fan favorites. With Hawley's excitement and some exciting guest stars already in the pipeline, the door is ajar. Whether as a one-time reunion or something more ongoing, Laura and Brendon's fans have reason to hold on to hope—and keep watching.

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Fans can tune in to the show on Tuesdays at 9 pm ET on ABC. The full episodes are also available to stream on Hulu.