Sumith Prasad
In the fourth season of ABC’s police procedural show ‘The Rookie,’ Nyla Harper gets pregnant and starts to expect the baby with her partner James Murray. In the second episode of the fifth season, Harper takes leave from her duty to deliver their baby. Rather than opting to get admitted to a hospital, Harper and James decide to welcome their baby at their home.
Although Harper has to confront several life-threatening obstacles while awaiting the delivery of her baby, she finally manages to welcome her child and asks Wade Grey for enough time off from her duty to take care of the newborn. As Harper stays away from her duty, the viewers must be fearing whether the same is a gateway for Mekia Cox to leave the show. Let’s find out! SPOILERS AHEAD.
What Happened to Nyla Harper?
When her due date gets closer, Harper requests leave from the department and prepares for the delivery of her baby in her house, deciding against giving birth at a hospital. In the second episode of season 5, Harper gets readied for the delivery but her attention diverts to her two neighbors, who have been acting suspiciously all day. She starts surveillance on both of them and ultimately realizes that they are trying to dispose of a dead body. While she seeks the assistance of her colleagues, the two neighbors get into Harper’s house to attack her and James.
Harper fights one of the neighbors courageously even while having contractions. Even though her water breaks, she manages to protect herself and her baby from a murderer efficiently. By the time Wade arrives at her house, she takes care of the neighbor and gives birth to a baby girl. She then informs Wade that she is taking adequate leave to look after herself and her newborn. So, does that mean Harper will not be a part of the upcoming episodes of season 5? Is Mekia Cox exiting the crime series? Let’s see.
Is Mekia Cox Leaving The Rookie?
Neither ABC nor Mekia Cox has released a statement regarding the departure of the actress from ‘The Rookie,’ which shows that we may not need to worry about the commitment of the actress to the show. Harper’s pregnancy storyline was conceived parallel to the real-life pregnancy of Cox, who gave birth to a baby girl in May 2022. Considering that several months have passed since the delivery and the actress didn’t formally announce any maternity leave from the production of the show, it is safe to believe that Cox most likely will remain a part of the show’s cast.
Although Harper asks Wade for leave, two of the promotional photos of the fifth season’s third episode feature Cox’s character back at her station. In light of the same, the upcoming episode may start after a minimal time jump and Harper may have returned to official duty by then. In the upcoming episodes of the fifth season, we may see how she tries to divide her time between marital and professional duties. With James’ support at home and Wade’s support at the station, we may see her deal with the challenges of taking care of a baby efficiently.
Read More: Is Melissa O’Neil’s Lucy Chen Leaving The Rookie?
