Talia Bishop, played by Afton Williamson, is moving on to better things in The Rookie season 2. The premiere episode back, which aired on Monday, Oct. 1, on ABC, didn't show Talia's new job but it was explained in clear details without little fanfare.
The Rookie season 2 opens just two weeks after the events of the first season finale last May. Right off the bat, Nathan Fillion's character, the rookie John Nolan, expressed to his girlfriend, Jessica Russo (played by Sarah Shahi), that it will not be the same without his training officer around.
Jessica, however, told John that it was simply smart of Talia to take that new job with the AFT (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives). Had she stuck with the Los Angeles Police Department, then, she won't be able to have the job she wanted especially when her superiors figured out that she omitted her brother with a criminal past on her patient health questionnaire.
That was all it took for The Rookie season 2 to explain to viewers why the actress' presence will no longer be seen in the series. The premiere's treatment of Talia's new job comes as no surprise. Since Williamson announced that she wouldn't be back, showrunner Alexi Hawley and the writers have been devising a way to make Talia's departure a lot more organic to the show.
In an interview with TV Line, Hawley said that they would have to write out that she's moving to a federal agency. There, Talia can begin a clean slate and likely rise in the ranks, which she won't be able to do with the LAPD.
The short and quick send-off is as respectful as it gets, considering the drama behind the scenes. Williamson revealed, in August, that she was quitting the series over sexual misconduct and racism allegations.
The actress said that she reported the treatment she received from the hair department and also from a recurring guest star to the producers of The Rookie. However, after an independent investigation, the studio concluded that there were no inappropriate behavior and untoward treatment on the set.
Meanwhile, in place of Talia, John will have to work with different training officers in a few more episodes until they can find a more fitting partner. In the next installment of The Rookie season 2, John will team up with a night detective, as revealed in the episode synopsis. Harold Perrineau will be introduced in this episode as Pablo Armstrong.
The Rookie season 2 airs every Sunday at 10:00 p.m. on ABC.
