The Rookie: Feds is a spinoff of the popular ABC drama series The Rookie, so numerous characters from the parent show crossover to the second one.
Following the success of The Rookie, ABC ordered a spinoff of the police procedural television series in 2022 centered around a middle-aged first-year FBI special agent — Simone Clark, played by Niecy Nash-Betts. As of the writing of this article, only one season of The Rookie: Feds has aired, and the network has yet to renew it for a second season, given the writers and actors strikes in 2023. However, across the spinoff’s first 22 episodes, eight significant actors from the first television show made cameos in the second series.
Aside from Nash-Betts, the main cast of The Rookie: Feds includes Frankie Faison as Christopher “Cutty” Clark, James Lesure as Carter Hope, Britt Robertson as Laura Stensen, Felix Solis as Matthew “Matt” Garza, and Kevin Zegers as Brendon Acres. The six characters undoubtedly hold their own in the ABC crime drama series. But from time to time, the network tries to promote the spinoff by having figures from The Rookie pop up in the second show.
8. John Nolan (Nathan Fillion)
Nathan Fillion, who stars as John Nolan, the protagonist of The Rookie, has appeared in more episodes of The Rookie: Feds than most of the other cast members of the ABC procedural television series. Nolan formed a special bond with Simone Clark during the backdoor pilot of the spinoff, and they have been friends ever since. They both changed their careers in their forties and joined law enforcement, which put them in a unique situation that very few people have been in. As a result, Fillion’s character has crossed over to The Rookie: Feds multiple times — in the pilot episode, episode 10, and episode 21. However, the final two hours were crossovers between the two shows.
7. Lucy Chen (Melissa O’Neil)
Melissa O’Neil has played Lucy Chen in The Rookie since the series premiere, and she has appeared in the ABC television show’s spinoff twice in its first season. Lucy began the series as a rookie alongside John Nolan and Jackson West and quickly proved herself a force to be reckoned with. The young police officer was paired up with Tim Bradford, who served as her training officer before becoming her confidant, friend, and eventual romantic partner.
When Lucy guest starred in two episodes of The Rookie: Feds (episode 2 and episode 6), she was no longer a rookie and on her way to becoming well-established in her career. However, she could not help but be starstruck while interacting with Kevin Zegers’ Brendon Acres, a rookie FBI agent and former actor. Lucy’s tendency to fangirl over Brendon is endearing to most but not to Tim, who is more serious than any other Rookie character.
6. Tim Bradford (Eric Winter)
Just like Lucy Chen, Tim Bradford, played by Eric Winter, made two special guest appearances in The Rookie: Feds season 1. The former training officer turned sergeant has experienced a lot of character development over the course of The Rookie’s five seasons. When the audience first met Tim, he was tough, unyielding, and probably more by the book than any other police officer in the Los Angeles Police Department.
Of course, he is still all of these things. He would not be Tim Bradford if he did not have a steely expression on his face 90 percent of the time. But Tim has also opened up more over the seasons, partly due to his connection with Lucy. Tim is a fan-favorite Rookie character, so it’s not surprising that he has popped up in two episodes of the spinoff — episode 2 and episode 4.
5. Wade Grey (Richard T. Jones)
Wade Grey, played by Richard T. Jones, is a sergeant in the LAPD and the watch commander of the Mid-Wilshire police station in The Rookie. Given his leadership status and presence in the parent series, it makes sense as to why he has appeared in one episode of the spinoff. If anything, Sergeant Grey should have been in more hours in the first season. The character guest starred in The Rookie: Feds season 1, episode 7, when the LAPD and the FBI worked together on a case.
4. Angela Lopez (Alyssa Diaz)
Angela Lopez, played by Alyssa Diaz, is another original Rookie character who has guest-starred in The Rookie: Feds season 1. Like Tim Bradford, Angela started the ABC police procedural show as a training officer, and Jackson West was her rookie. However, in recent seasons, she became a detective, which makes it easier for her character to cross over to the spinoff. All in all, Angela has appeared in two hours of The Rookie: Feds — the pilot episode and episode 8.
3. Wesley Evers (Shawn Ashmore)
Angela Lopez’s better half, Wesley Evers, has also achieved special guest star status in The Rookie: Feds after his portrayer, Shawn Ashmore, attainted a series regular position in The Rookie season 3. Wesley is a defense lawyer Angela met and started dating in season 1 of the crime drama series, and the couple later married and had two children. Wesley’s profession allows him to easily cross over to the ABC spinoff. But so far, he has only appeared in The Rookie: Feds season 1, episode 8.
2. Quigley Smitty (Brent Huff)
Quigley Smitty, played by Brent Huff, is one of the most prominent recurring characters in The Rookie, and surprisingly, the police officer has starred in more episodes (four) of The Rookie: Feds than any other Rookie cast member. Smitty is painted as an incompetent LAPD officer, but despite all of his faults, he has kept his job over the ABC show’s five seasons. So, viewers have to give him kudos, especially since Smitty provides comedic relief in the police procedural series. Smitty has also taken his talents to The Rookie: Feds season 1, having appeared in episodes 1, 2, 9, and 12.
1. Abril Rodas (Gigi Zumbado)
Abril Rodas, played by Gigi Zumbado, was one of the villains in The Rookie, but her story ended in the spinoff instead of the parent series. Abril was introduced in season 4 as La Fiera’s successor following her death, making her a cartel leader. She continued to appear throughout the fourth and fifth seasons, but her downfall came in The Rookie: Feds season 1, episode 17, when the FBI tracked her down and shot her after she killed someone else. So, The Rookie fans would have to watch the spinoff to see the end of Abril’s story.
