The delays from the WGA writers strike and cancellation of The Rookie: Feds – which Nathan Fillion said was “sobering” news to him – obviously didn’t harm The Rookie’s future on ABC. On Instagram, Fillion shared his response to the Season 7 renewal:

It’s a good feeling to have work. It’s even better to be able to take pride in that work. If you are among those who are enjoying The Rookie, we owe you our thanks. Thank you, for having excellent taste in entertainment. Season 7, here we come. (And let’s not forget ABC! Thanks for being so supportive!)

While Nathan Fillion obviously has experienced long-running TV success in his career between the eight seasons of Castle and six seasons of The Rookie so far, he certainly knows the feeling of losing work too early after the cancellation of Firefly back in the day. The star not only thanked the fans who have been watching The Rookie for more than 100 episodes now, but also the folks at ABC who have supported the show.

And ABC certainly has good reason to show that support. Accounting to Variety, Live+35 ratings data (a.k.a. totals after 35 days of delayed viewing) from the network total 11.9 million viewers for the Season 6 premiere across platforms, which is the highest since 2018. After 35 days, the rating for the premiere is a 2.9 in the 18-49 age demographic.

Nathan Fillion’s post has gotten plenty of attention, including from former co-stars. Brandon Routh, who recurred in Season 3 as a polarizing character, posted in the comments: