Melissa O'Neil has been shooting season seven of The Rookie since July, and in a new post, she confirmed that the show has officially entered the post-production phase. "First ADR (Automatic Dialogue Replacement) session for Season 7!" she captioned a snap taken in a recording studio.
"I get really giddy about getting to do a 'previously on…' tag," Melissa continued on her Instagram story.
Sparking a reaction from fans, several raced to the comments. "So excited and proud of you," wrote one. "Omg it's the FIRST ADR OF S7 can't wait to see more," replied a second. Meanwhile, a third penned: "January taking absolutely FOREVER BUT WE'RE ALL SO EXCITED."
Set to return in 2025, season seven will consist of 18 episodes. Currently, details surrounding the plot are being kept under wraps, but Eric Winter – aka Tim Bradford – has teased what's in store for exes Lucy and Tim.
Speaking exclusively to HELLO!, Eric said: "I think we're going to see Tim and Lucy continue to learn how to navigate their feelings while being on the job.
"We'll see them pick up in a place where they've shown that they care about each other and now they have to figure out, 'can we give each other space to do our job and allow our feelings to stay in a safe place but not rush anything and hope one person doesn't go astray?'"
Asked how he felt about 'Chenford's' breakup in season six, Eric replied: "When I was informed about it by [showrunner] Alexi, I thought it was a great opportunity for us to learn more about Tim and why he would even go through that or put her through that.
"When we got that breakup scene, it was a very atypical breakup," he continued. "It's traditional in one sense – 'it's not you it's me' – but we talked a lot about it. Melissa had her way of approaching it and I had my way, and it was very different – I wanted to let a lot of it happen in the moment.
"What was interesting though was that there was no good reason for the breakup; Tim was just completely lost in who he is and what he had been through. He had lied to two people that were very important in his life and at the end of the day, he just didn't think he was good enough for her."
When The Rookie returns in January, fans will get to find out what happens next – and meet two new recruits. Back in July, it was confirmed that Deric Augustine and Patrick Keleher had signed on as rookies Miles and Seth.
Billed as "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." Meanwhile, Seth "seems like the ideal police officer, but the job requires quick, decisive action — something that doesn't come naturally to Seth."