Why Jackson West Left The Rookie (& What Titus Makin Jr. Is Doing Now)

Here is the reason why after being the main character in The Rookie for three seasons, Jackson West suddenly departed from the series in season 4.

Summary

• Titus Makin Jr.'s character, Jackson West, left The Rookie in season 4 because the actor did not want to return.
• Makin Jr. chose to leave the show because he felt he couldn't play a Black cop without addressing the reality of racial issues.
• Since leaving The Rookie, Makin Jr. has pursued other acting roles and focuses on his music career as Butterfly Ali.

Titus Makin Jr.'s The Rookie character, Jackson West, abruptly departed from the series towards the end of season 3, but there are some interesting behind-the-scenes reasons for why Jackson left The Rookie. Assigned to the Mid-Wilshire Division, Jackson West was among the main police officers in The Rookie throughout the first three seasons. However, in the closing moments of The Rookie season 3, he and Lopez got kidnapped by Sandra de la Cruz' men during Angela and Wesley's wedding. While this alone did not confirm that Jackson left The Rookie, audiences started speculating about his departure after he did not appear in season 4's promotional material.

Speculations rang true when The Rookie season 4's episode 1 revealed that Jackson West tragically died. To confirm this news, season 4 featured CCTV footage that showed how Jackson was shot by Sandra de la Cruz' men when he tried to escape them. The episode ended with a poignant scene where Angela Lopez paid her tribute to Jackson by naming her newborn son after him. Whilethe show gives Jackson's characterization satisfying and emotional closure, his death in Rookie season 3 is upsetting, given how he was among the primary protagonists since the show's episode 1.

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Jackson West Left The Rookie Because Titus Makin Jr. Didn't Return

Real-Life Tragedies Influenced Titus Makin Jr's Decision To Leave

According to reports (via TVLine), The Rookie's creators closed Jackson West's storyline in season 4 because actor Titus Makin Jr. did not want to return. Recalling the actor's decision to leave the series, The Rookie's showrunner Alexi Hawley said that after hearing the news of the actor's exit, they needed to do their best to honor him since he had been a crucial part of the show's storyline since the beginning. Although Hawley did not disclose the reasons behind Titus Makin Jr.'s decision to leave, Titus Makin Jr. had considered leaving The Rookie in 2020 after learning about the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.

In an interview (via EW), Makin recalled that while watching the news one day, he realized that he could not go back to "go play a cop on a show and not talk about the fact that I'm a Black cop." The fact that his character had not addressed any of that made him reconsider his decision to play his role in The Rookie. He added that he even talked to Hawley about the same and told him that if he wants to write him out, he will "politely receive that." All in all, Titus Makin Jr. preferred being written out over ignoring the reality of things.

What Titus Makin Jr. Has Done Since The Rookie

Makin Jr. Has Focused On Other Acting Roles And His Music Career

After his exit from The Rookie in 2021, Titus Makin Jr. appeared as Lt. Adam Parish in only one episode of NCIS: Hawaiʻithe same year. Since then, he has also played a supporting role in a movie called On the Come Up and has appeared in two short films: Pool Service, Inc and Aliens on Halloween. Apart from that, Titus Makin Jr. is also a soul/funk singer under the name Butterfly Ali. His official website suggests that he released his last album in 2021 around the time he left The Rookie.

Sources: TVLine, EW, Butterfly Ali official website

• The Rookie

  Cast:

  Nathan Fillion, Eric Winter

  Release Date:

  2018-10-16

  Seasons:

  5

  Genres:

  Crime

  Story By:

  alexi hawley

  Writers:

  Alexi Hawley

  Network:

  ABC

  Streaming Service(s):

  Hulu

  Directors:

  Toa Fraser

  Showrunner:

  Alexi Hawley