Why Did Tru Valentino Leave The Rookie? His Exit and What It Means for the Show

Aaron Thorsen, portrayed by Tru Valentino, was another officer who the Rookie lost in season seven. As the newest rookie on the ABC police procedural TV series, Aaron joined the plot at the start of season 4, and Nyla Harper served as his training officer.

Prior to his eventual promotion, John Nolan served as Aaron’s TO during season 5 while Harper was on maternity leave.

Aaron was a P2 (Police Officer II) on The Rookie for two seasons. But he also mentioned that he wanted to work as a detective. Regretfully, Aaron was never given the opportunity to fulfill his dream in The Rookie.

Valentino had a very distinct backstory, which set him apart from the rookies who came before him. Aaron was raised in a wealthy household and went on to become well-known on social media. Unfortunately, when his best friend and roommate, Patrick Hayes, was killed while they were studying abroad in Paris, his entire world fell apart.

Aaron was convicted of Patrick’s murder and imprisoned for more than a year before being found not guilty. Aaron then made the decision to become a police officer, and the rest is history. However, the season 7 premiere marked the end of the Rookie character’s arc.

Tru Valentino’s Reasons for Leaving the Rookie

TVLine revealed months after the season 6 end that Deric Augustine and Patrick Keleher will join the cast of The Rookie, while Tru Valentino would depart before season 7. Initially, it was unknown why Valentino had left.

There was no indication in the last episode that Aaron, the actor’s character, would leave the program. Indeed, Dr. Blair London, Aaron’s therapist, was one of the villains employed by Monica Stevens. But at the moment, Aaron didn’t seem to have any compelling reasons to leave Mid-Wilshire.

As the days passed, it became evident that The Rookie’s creators had made a creative choice in letting Valentino go. He left because showrunner Alexi Hawley and company wanted to write Aaron off the series, not because he saw another opportunity.

On his Instagram stories, Valentino expressed his response to the news. TV Insider claims that the actor wrote:

“Although I will always treasure my time on The Rookie, I am incredibly eager for what lies next. I love the connections and friendships I developed there. I feel incredibly fortunate to have enjoyed the last three seasons because it was such an incredible opportunity. Though I may not say much, I want to express my gratitude to all of my amazing admirers.

How Aaron Thorsen Is Written Out in The Rookie Season 7?

Aaron’s final episode as a main character was the Rookie season 6 finale, therefore the season 7 opener had to provide an explanation for his departure. Regretfully, there weren’t many details surrounding his departure.

Nolan questioned Celina Juarez, his rookie, about Aaron’s adjustment to working at the North Hollywood station as they were in their squad car.

“He’s doing well,” she replied. The one time Aaron’s lackluster exit was discussed in The Rookie season 7, episode 1, Celina disclosed that nobody there is aware of what transpired between Aaron and Blair, which appears to be the reason he switched stations.

Therefore, Celina’s casual remark at The Rookie season 7 premiere explained Aaron’s absence. Simply put, he is no longer employed in Mid-Wilshire but rather in North Hollywood. Although the character’s station change makes some sense, Aaron’s departure wasn’t given the emphasis it deserved by the program, particularly considering Valentino was a series regular.

But at least Aaron wasn’t killed offscreen in season 7 like Jackson West was killed offscreen in season 4 of The Rookie.

Will Aaron Possibly Appear in the Rookie’s Future?

Aaron can still make an appearance in upcoming episodes of The Rookie, which is wonderful news. During his Instagram story, Tru Valentino said, “You never know who may pop back up in the Mid-Wilshire Precinct.”

In an interview with Screen Rant, Alexi Hawley, the showrunner of Rookie, also hinted that there was a chance Aaron may return. Regarding Aaron’s potential comeback, Hawley revealed:

“Obviously. We would love to have Tru [Valentino], who is an excellent performer and played a significant role in our show for a number of seasons, return in some way. In the end, it seemed that we needed to change course a little bit in terms of the show’s creative direction. But in our universe, he is still very much alive.

In the future, Valentino might return for one or two episodes. Hawley did not, however, imply that Aaron’s possible comeback would be permanent. However, given Aaron is still alive and well in The Rookie universe and Valentino is welcome back, fans should be on the lookout for cameos.

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