The Rookie Fans Are Not Happy About The Extra Long Wait For Season 5 Episode 8

ABC's "The Rookie" is a police procedural inspired by the true story of William Norcross — a man who abruptly left his family business in Pennsylvania and traveled across the country to join the Los Angeles Police Department at 44. Norcross' counterpart within the series is John Nolan (Nathan Fillion), the eponymous "rookie" who pressed the reset button on his life at the ripe age of 45 — abandoning his business and venturing out west to join the LAPD.

Since its premiere in October of 2018, "The Rookie" has become a highly-successful mainstay of ABC's programming; to the point where the series has even spawned a spinoff entitled "The Rookie: Feds," which premiered to a whopping 6.3 million viewers (via Variety). Indeed, "The Rookie" itself has amassed an immense audience throughout its first five seasons on the air, and the ongoing fifth season premiered to 8.2 million total viewers, according to a press release from ABC.

The incredible success and popularity that "The Rookie" has earned over the past few years make it one of the most prolific shows in ABC's programming, which is why it might surprise some fans that the series' fifth season is heading toward a short hiatus. In fact, plenty of fans online have already expressed their extreme displeasure at the nearly month-long wait for Season 5, Episode 8 of "The Rookie."

The ending of Season 5, Episode 7 of "The Rookie" included a brief promo for the forthcoming eighth episode –- which confirmed that the release date for Episode 8 is set for December 4th, 2022. Although the reason for this extended absence is currently unclear, fans across social media are unhappy about this extra-long wait.

"You're telling me I've to wait a month ... give it to me now," tweeted @swiftlydynasty. "Have to wait a whole month!" echoed @Chenfordfan12 on Twitter, accompanied by a crying face emoji. Fans on Reddit were similarly confused and upset by the unexpected delay of Episode 8, with one user lamenting the 28-day wait period for the forthcoming episode and another fan reflecting that there will be no new episodes until December.

Although this brief episode promo may have come with some unwelcome news regarding the release date of the next episode, it did at least give fans a glimpse of what to expect when it finally releases. The promo revealed that this upcoming episode will see John Nolan and his fellow officers attempting to save a woman who has been forced to drive around Los Angeles with a bomb around her neck. Although fans certainly seem upset by the extended wait, the episode's promo makes it clear that "The Rookie" will return from its lengthy absence with a bang.