THE ROOKIE Stages (Another) CASTLE Reunion

THE ROOKIE is staging another CASTLE reunion: Tamala Jones is kicking off an arc on the ABC drama, starting with the Sunday, January 9 hour, “End Game.”

“She’s lovely,” THE ROOKIE (and former CASTLE) showrunner Alexi Hawley praises. “She’s come in to play Aaron’s mom. We get to have a fun storyline, but also get to use her to explore what Aaron went through [with the false murder conviction].”

For Aaron (True Valentino), despite the acquittal and his new career, “that’s still driving [and] defining him: the false allegation against him, being arrested, actually spending time in prison, being convicted, and then acquitted,” Hawley notes. “Even on the show, he’s won his way in with the police around him, [but with strangers] every day [they think], ‘Oh, that’s the infamous murderer.’ We do the story in a bit of a fun way, but there’s also some seriousness that is coming into play.”

In addition to bringing in Aaron’s mom, the show will also be diving into his past via a true doc-inspired episode. “True has been phenomenal for us,” Hawley gushes. “I think he’s really embraced his character, and [is] really good with the humor of it. And he and Mekia [Cox, who plays Nyla] have a really great on-screen chemistry as TO and rookie. But if I say he’s going to be around forever, then there’s no stakes to him being in jeopardy. So you never know on THE ROOKIE!”

What Hawley will allow? Jones will be around beyond her debut hour. “We have her for a few episodes.”

Jones portrayed M.E. Lanie Parish on CASTLE, where Nathan Fillion played the title character. Fillion stars on THE ROOKIE as John Nolan, who was the oldest LAPD rookie in the force’s history. (Nolan, now, is no longer a rookie.) Jones’ previous TV credits also include REBEL, 9-1-1: LONE STAR, and SEAL TEAM.

Former CASTLE regulars Seamus Dever, Jon Huertas, Molly Quinn, and Toks Olagundoye previously guest starred on THE ROOKIE. Former CASTLE co-showrunner—and current THE ROOKIE executive producer—Terence Paul Winter penned Jones’ first episode.

THE ROOKIE, Sundays,10/9c, ABC

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