Proving that the brightest flames burn the quickest, The Rookie simply mentioned goodbye to its most luminous beginner after one hour of tv. Certainly, after being launched in Season 7, Episode 12, “April Fools,” followers felt like a sensible joke was pulled on them when rookie LAPD officer Connor Craig (David Gridley) was abruptly transferred from the Mid-Wilshire Precinct. Simply as followers acquired to know him and his pleasant charisma, Connor was rushed out the door and by no means heard from once more.
Aside from detailing who Connor Craig is and why the beloved character had such a brief keep in The Rookie, followers might have hope for the character’s return within the newly introduced Season 8 renewal. With such an outcry of public assist for the most effective new characters within the present’s historical past, Connor might return to the Mid-Wilshire division as rapidly as he left.

The Rookie
- Launch Date
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October 16, 2018
- Community
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ABC
- Showrunner
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Alexi Hawley
Who Is Connor Craig in ‘The Rookie’?
Launched in The Rookie Season 7, Episode 12, “April Fools,” Connor Craig (Gridley) is the most recent rookie patrol officer assigned to the LAPD’s Mid-Wilshire Patrol Division. Upon arrival, Connor meets his Coaching Officer, John Nolan (Nathan Fillion), who realizes the rookie officer is severely inexperienced and underqualified. Nolan’s suspicions are confirmed when Connor has bother dealing with his first two police calls, leading to him calling Lieutenant Gray (Richard T. Jones) for assist.
With one month left in his coaching program, Nolan feels Connor is not going to fulfill his necessities and is doomed to fail as a patrol officer. Upon discussing the state of affairs with Gray, Nolan agrees to fulfill with Connor’s earlier coaching officer, Sergeant McAdams, at a close-by hospital. Nolan learns that McAdams intentionally gave Connor a light-weight coaching load in order that he would simply cross his examination and permit McAdams to retire rapidly. McAdams claims he fast-tracked Connor as a direct favor to the police captain.
Although not his fault, Connor paid the last word value for McAdams’ hasty, incomplete coaching regiment. Nevertheless, Nolan permits Connor an opportunity to show his patrol expertise and to see how certified or unqualified he’s along with his personal eyes.
Connor Craig Proves Himself as a Nice Rookie Officer
As soon as Nolan permits Connor to show himself, the rookie officer solutions the decision with excessive honor. Working side-by-side, the pair reply to a taking pictures within the metropolis and find a corpse on the crime scene. The sufferer is an abusive husband who the police imagine was murdered by his abused spouse. Arriving on the scene, Connor goes by the e-book and does what Nolan orders. Connor secures the crime scene and obtains essential proof, which Nolan praises out loud. At this level, Connor ought to get a promotion, not a switch.
After performing his job admirably, Connor backs up Nolan throughout a confrontation with masked purgers trying to lash out violently. Regardless of being overpowered by the criminals and compelled to flee on foot, Connor obtained key proof implicating the useless man’s spouse. Nolan, who beforehand believed Connor was wildly ill-prepared for police work, walks away impressed by Connor’s dutiful actions.

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The rookie officer made such an enduring impression in a short while that followers had been upset when Gray transferred Connor to a different division on the finish of “April Fools,” leaving many to surprise if it was a merciless vacation prank. A number of Reddit threads have supported Connor as a terrific character who acquired short-changed. One Thread needs Connor would have stayed for a couple of episode, with one response articulating the overwhelming sentiment finest:
“I wanted he would have stayed for greater than an episode. Would have been attention-grabbing to see him, particularly once you evaluate him to Seth. I say evaluate as a result of they’re each dangerous on the job. Seth is only a liar pants who will not admit it whereas this man genuinely desires to get higher.”
Regardless of gathering the important thing homicide proof, Connor’s incompetence in “April Fools” pertains to the offended legal mob. He appears out of his factor when taking up giant legal teams without delay, which is why Gray thought he’d match higher in a slower, softer division.
What Occurred to Connor Craig in ‘The Rookie’?
Though he proved himself properly underneath Nolan’s supervision, “April Fools” ends with Gray inviting Connor into his workplace. Gray tells the rookie officer he will probably be transferred to a much less harmful division throughout the LAPD. Whereas Connor is confused and dissatisfied by the information, Nolan provides solace by encouraging him, telling him he did job, and that he has a promising future in police work. Connor expresses his gratitude and vows to not let Nolan down if given one other likelihood.
This is the issue. Except for being an affable character who followers genuinely like and wish to see extra of, Connor’s therapy by Gray was no higher than by McAdams. Connor was purposely rushed via his coaching to accommodate McAdams’ impending retirement, and his coaching was short-shrift. Equally, Gray transfers Connor after someday, claiming that the precinct is just too busy and Connor requires a quieter division to study the commerce. Connor is dogged in each circumstances. The wiser transfer for all events would have been to maintain Nolan coaching Connor in Mid-Wilshire, enabling him to hone his craft and enhance his police expertise. One other Reddit thread observed as a lot, with the OP stating:
“They cross him [Connor] on to another person on the pretext that the station is just too busy for him and he must be someplace quieter. However is not a busy station the most effective place to study as a lot as attainable in a month?
In the long run, they did what the sergeant did: they removed him as a substitute of coaching him. I feel it will have been extra attention-grabbing to see his coaching and the way it turned out – in any case, Nolan already did a terrific job with Celina. Does anybody else agree?”

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Sure, loads of followers agree. Snowflakebites makes an astute level, including:
“Yeah, I’d agree… I suppose Nolan was simply involved that Craig wasn’t as fast on his ft as he wanted to be after so many months, so he ought to construct up his expertise earlier than being dropped into the chaos of Mid Wilshire. Comparatively, Celina did make a foul cease on her first day, however she might deal with herself in any other case (she chased down that one kidnapper).”
With Connor leaving for an unknown vacation spot on the long-running cop present, Nolan now not has a rookie to coach. This robs the present of a compelling storyline that would have continued between the 2 and strengthened the precinct. Fortuitously, David Gridley is eager for a future return following the optimistic suggestions Connor acquired on-line.
After showing in All American in 2024, Gridley has one upcoming quick movie and an open schedule in 2025. Maybe a Rookie return is on the playing cards, which might re-instill fan confidence. In spite of everything, “April Fools” is the lowest-rated Season 7 episode on IMDb (7.4), proving Connor’s abrupt switch to be silly past perception. The Rookie is out there to stream on Hulu.