Melissa O'Neil of The Rookie reveals exciting update on season seven

Melissa O'Neil has been filming the seventh season of The Rookie since July, and confirmed in a new post that the show has officially entered the post-production phase. “First ADR (Automatic Dialogue Replacement) session for season 7!” she captioned a snapshot taken in a recording studio.

“I'm so excited to be doing a 'Previously on…' tag,” Melissa continued in her Instagram story.

In response, several fans wrote comments. “So excited and proud of you,” one wrote. “OMG this is the FIRST ADR OF S7 can't wait to see more,” a second replied. A third wrote: “January is taking FOREVER BUT WE ARE ALL SO EXCITED.”

The seventh season is set to return in 2025 and will consist of 18 episodes. Plot details are currently being kept under wraps, but Eric Winter – aka Tim Bradford – has hinted at what awaits ex-partners Lucy and Tim.

In an exclusive interview with HELLO!, Eric said: “I think we'll see Tim and Lucy continue to learn how to deal with their emotions at work.

“We'll see them get back to a point where they've shown that they care about each other, and now they have to figure out, 'Can we give each other the space to do our work and give our feelings a safe framework without rushing into things and hoping that nobody goes astray?'”

When asked how he felt about the split from 'Chenford' in season six, Eric replied: “When I found out about it through [showrunner] Alexi, I thought it would be a great opportunity for us to learn more about Tim and why he would even go through this or do this to her.

“When we had that breakup scene, it was a very atypical breakup,” he continued. “In some ways it's traditional – 'it's not you, it's me' – but we talked about it a lot. Melissa had her way of dealing with 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, however, was that there was no good reason for the breakup. Tim simply had no idea who he was and what he had been through. He had lied to two people who were very important in his life and ultimately he just thought he wasn't good enough for them.”

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When The Rookie returns in January, fans will find out what happens next – and get to know two new recruits. Back in July, it was confirmed that Deric Augustine and Patrick Keleher had signed on as rookies Miles and Seth.

Touted as “one of the LAPD's newest recruits. As a rookie from Texas, Miles is a 'rookie' even though he's been on the force for two years.” Meanwhile, Seth “seems to be the ideal cop, but the job requires quick, decisive action – something Seth doesn't naturally possess.”