Crossovers between shows set in the same universe are nothing new, and ABC’s police procedural The Rookie, and its spinoff, The Rookie: Feds were no exception. There have been multiple episodes on both shows involving characters from one show showing up in the other. However, while crossovers are welcome, they’re not always a hit with fans, and The Rookie dropped the ball quite a few times.
The Rookie season 4: episodes 19 and 20
Episodes 19 and 20 of season 4 of The Rookie served as a backdoor pilot for The Rookie: Feds. In these episodes, fans were introduced to FBI trainee, Simone Clark, who would go on to be the protagonist of The Rookie: Feds. Thankfully, this episode was welcome by fans, especially since the Emmy-winning Niecy Nash was at the center of it all. Unfortunately, Feds was canceled after one season in 2023.
The Rookie season 5, episode 4 / The Rookie: Feds season 1, episode 4
Shortly after The Rookie: Feds began airing, the series had another crossover with The Rookie. The plot of this crossover began in The Rookie, where Rosalind Dyer was killed by her partner Jefferey Boyle after attempting to get John Nolan to kill Bailey. In The Rookie: Feds, we see The Rookie’s Officer Tim Bradford show Agents Stenson and Acres the crime scene. After Tim leaves, the plot of Feds continues as normal. Sadly, this underwhelmed fans, particularly those who were expecting a bigger team-up.
The Rookie season 5, episode 10 / The Rookie: Feds season 1, episode 10
This crossover began in The Rookie as the mid-season premiere kicked off with a bank robbery gone wrong when Nyla was stuck in the building. While tracking down the robbers, the team finds out that one of the thieves had hacked the FBI. This leads to Feds, where it is revealed that the thief from The Rookie had obtained a list of all active undercover FBI agents. They spend the episode tracking the list down, and a guest appearance from John Nolan makes it all worth it in the end.
The Rookie season 5, episode 17 / The Rookie: Feds season 1, episode 17
In this crossover, the cast of The Rookie is dealing with long-time antagonist Elijah Stone. The episode branches off to Feds, when Monica, Elijah’s accomplice, warns Abril Rodas on the phone that the Feds are on to her. In Feds, we see this continue as the team tries to track down Abril. This crossover was rather disappointing to fans, as none of the characters from either show guest-starred in the other.
The Rookie season 5, episode 21 / The Rookie: Feds season 1, episode 21
The last official crossover between The Rookie and its spinoff begins with the LAPD trying to solve a case involving some severed limbs that they have been finding all over the city. The case is handed over to the Feds team when other body parts are found in Arizona, raising suspicions that the culprit was a serial killer. Through their investigations, they manage to identify the victims and the killer without any further help from the LAPD, further disappointing fans of The Rookie.