“The Rookie”'s Nathan Fillion Works 'Smarter, Not Harder' and Decks Runaway on Scooter in Season 7 Teaser (Exclusive)

Officer John Nolan (Nathan Fillion) knows being the Rookie is anything but easy.

In PEOPLE’s exclusive first look at teaser for the upcoming seventh season of the hit ABC series, Nolan is patrolling the streets once again as the oldest rookie to join the Los Angeles Police Department.

“These are violent criminals so they’re not going to go down easy,” Tim Bradford (Eric Winter) warns but John is determined. He says, “Let’s get done” as they prepare to enter a crime scene by breaking through a glass window.

Related: ‘The Rookie' Cast: A Guide to All the Actors and Characters from Season 1 to Season 6

Lucy Chen (Melissa O’Neil) acknowledges nothing about their jobs is carefree.

“Being a cop is stressful, 24/7,” Chen admits as the officers racing to another crime scene is shown.

“Every year on the job is different. You never really stop being a rookie because if we lose control, bad things happen,” Nyla Harper (Mekia Cox) adds as a body bag is pulled from the ground amid an investigation.

The teaser concludes with Nolan decking a runaway on his scooter. He declares, “Work smarter, not harder.”

Related: Will There Be a Season 7 of The Rookie? Here's What Nathan Fillion Said Ahead of the Finale

The show also stars Richard T. Jones as Wade Grey, Alyssa Diaz as Angela Lopez, Mekia Cox as Nyla Harper, Jenna Dewan as Bailey Nune, Tru Valentino as Aaron Thorsen and Lisseth Chavez as Celina Juarez.

Ahead of the season 6 finale in April 2024, ABC announced the procedural drama would return for another installment. After Deadline confirmed the news, Fillion shared his excitement to continue working on the procedural drama on Instagram, alongside a screenshot of the publication's article.

“It’s a good feeling to have work," he wrote at the time. "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.”

The actor added: “Thank you, for having excellent taste in entertainment. Season 7, here we come. (And let’s not forget ABC! Thanks for being so supportive!).”

In 2018, Fillion — who also serves as an executive producer — opened up to The Hollywood Reporter about why The Rookie was relatable to audiences.

“[John Nolan] is literally starting his life over, from scratch,” he said. “He has an incredible history behind him, but he’s starting everything brand new. It’s a very attractive prospect that people can relate to.”

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The Rookie returns Jan. 7 on ABC.

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