Ready for 'The Rookie' spin-off? A Netflix action star suits up as a new officer

ABC is piling more bodies into its The Rookie universe, with yet another spin-off heading our way. You'd be forgiven for losing track; they've practically set up a casting camp in Vancouver. The latest familiar face to join The Rookie: North is Curtis Lum, a bloke who managed to make an impression on Netflix's The Night Agent – despite having a character lifespan best measured in coffees, not seasons.

The Rookie: North was ordered straight to series in May, with production now rolling in Vancouver and ABC holding it for a midseason slot – no actual premiere date yet.

Lum's been tapped to play Officer Charley Furst – reportedly a cheerful, laidback sort who heads for the "path of least resistance" whenever possible. It's hard not to see the logic in that, given the show's main pitch: a middle-aged rookie proving he's not washed up yet, surrounded by career officers either breaking him in or quietly betting on how long he'll last. Furst isn’t a series regular – Deadline just calls him “recurring”, and no-one’s saying how many episodes he’ll survive. Make of that what you will.

Lum isn’t just clocking in for duty here; he’s also lined up to guest star in the next run of Prime Video’s Cross. That’s not a bad week’s haul for any actor. If you remember him from The Night Agent, he played Cisco Jenkins, a Maryland trooper and mate of lead Peter Sutherland. Cisco was one of those rare TV cops with zero delusions of grandeur, and fans still haven’t forgiven that show for dumping him three episodes in. So much so, they resurrected him for a flashback in Season 3, which got aired back in February.

Beyond Netflix, Lum turns up in The Agency (Paramount+), The Audacity (AMC), Siren, and Prison Break. There’s a pattern: shows with uniforms and short-lived happiness.

The Line-Up

• Jay Ellis as Alex Holland – the not-so-young rookie, taking a small-town Washington posting after a nasty home invasion.
• Chris Sullivan – unit commander Sergeant Nix.
• Janet Montgomery – training officer and taskmaster.
• Karen Fukuhara and Malik Watson – more training officers, patrolling a patch where help is never nearby.
• Froy Gutierrez and Mya Lowe – fellow rookies, all probably regretting their career choices by episode two.

Behind all this, showrunner Alexi Hawley (wrote and directed the pilot, also exec producing) seems determined to do things properly. Apparently, he ran the cast through police training with the rookies and trainers separated, which is very method. Nathan Fillion and Bill Norcross are still on board producing for Lionsgate Television. There’s a bit of trepidation, as the last spin-off (The Rookie: Feds) swapped street-level policing for FBI antics and bombed out after one series. Lesson learned, North goes back to boots-on-the-ground – just with rather more rain and pine trees.

Production’s underway, and ABC are holding the thing for midseason but refusing to name a window. If you’re after a familiar face, Fillion is back as John Nolan for the premiere in a proper crossover with The Rookie’s main timeline – something Hawley confirmed was filmed early doors.

So, after being shot and written out of The Night Agent in record time, maybe Curtis Lum’s luck in uniform will turn here. At the very least, Vancouver’s a nice spot to film until someone higher up decides who gets sent home this time.