Does Aaron Thorsen Die on The Rookie? Is Tru Valentino Leaving?

Ever since he was gunned down by masked assailants in the Season 5 finale, “Under Siege,” fans have had just one question on their minds: Does Aaron Thorsen die on The Rookie?! Well, True Valentino’s character’s fate on The Rookie was accidentally spoiled, and fans will sure feel a certain type of way.

The Rookie is ABC’s police procedural that follows the story of John Nolan, a recently divorced man in his 40s who pursues a career as a police officer at the Los Angeles Police Department, after inadvertently helping the police stop a bank robbery. Created by Alexi Hawley, the series is based on the true story of William Norcross, a real officer with the LAPD who moved to Los Angeles in 2015 and also joined the department in his mid-40s. The show premiered in October 2018 and just wrapped up its fifth season. The Rookie was recently renewed for a sixth season on ABC, our sister publication Variety reported.

Actor Tru Valentino has portrayed police officer Aaron Thorsen since Season 4 of The Rookie. He trained as a rookie under Nyla Harper (Mekia Cox) before she returned to her detective position. Although Aaron’s background is as a social media influencer, he works hard to earn his promotion to Police Officer II, which he achieves in the fifth season. As a result, his character becomes more involved in solving cases and faces increasingly dangerous situations, including this one in the Season 5 finale.

In an interview with The Man Cave Chronicles w/ Elias in November 2022, The Rookie actor talked about what it felt like to join a cast like this. “They had already done three seasons before I got there. I didn’t know how I would fit in with the cast — if they would be okay with this new person coming in or whatnot. But they welcomed me with open arms,” he said in the interview. “It’s been a really great experience ever since… I’m fairly new to acting especially this type of acting… this is my first TV show, so I’m just constantly trying to learn from them.”

So, doesAaron Thorsen die in The Rookie and is True Valentino leaving? Read on to learn all that we know.

Does Aaron Thorsen die on The Rookie?

Does Aaron Thorsen die on The Rookie? The answer is likely now. Aaron’s life seemed up in the air in the Season 5 premiere. In the episode, Aaron and Celina Juarez (Lisseth Chavez) are walking back after a night together. When they hear a strange noise in an alley and go to investigate, they encounter masked assailants. Aaron gets shot in the back and Juarez is knocked out. The rookie calls 9-1-1 and Bailey Nune (Jenna Dewan) rushes to the scene to take Thorsen to a hospital. When he gets there, he goes into emergency surgery while the team figures out who did this.

At the end of the episode, Thorsen emerges from surgery, but he was placed in a coma by doctors to save his life. The entire team is pulling for his recovery, but Thorsen’s condition only seems to worsen. Juarez was at his bedside when a Code Blue alarm sounded, and doctors and nurses stormed the room to transfer him back to the OR. Then, the show was over. Talk about a cliffhanger!

However, it seems like Aaron doesn’t die in The Rookie. For one, in an Instagram Story shared by Melissa O’Neil, who plays Lucy Chen, Tru Valentino was on set of The Rookie Season 6, which means he most likely survives. Valentino was also a part of ABC’s 2024 Winter Television Critics Association press tour with Lisseth Chavez, who plays Celina Juarez, so it’s also likely that Aaron is here to stay for now.

The Rookie has killed off a main character like this before. Police offer Jackson West (played by Titus Makin Jr.) was killed in the Season 3 finale. It was later revealed that Titus Makin Jr. left The Rookie on his own terms, and he almost left earlier in Season 3 following the tragic deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor at the hands of the police. “I woke up one morning and I was watching the news, and I was like, ‘I can’t do this. I can’t go play a cop on a show and not talk about the fact that I’m a Black cop.’ My character hadn’t addressed any of that,” he told Entertainment Weekly in 2020.

Is Tru Valentino leaving The Rookie?

Is Tru Valentino leaving The Rookie? As of now, it doesn’t look like Tru Valentino is leaving The Rookie. ABC and Valentino have not released any statements announcing the actor’s exit from the show. Valentino started as a recurring character in Season 4 before he was upgraded to a series regular in Season 5, our sister site Deadline reported in July 2022. Additionally, Valentino has not given any indication on his social media that this was his final episode. He continues to post pictures of himself on the show and alongside his coworkers.

The Rookie airs on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on ABC.

Check out our gallery on who The Rookie cast is dating and married to in real life below.

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