The Real Reason Titus Makin Left The Rookie Killing Off Jackson West

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Oct 21, 2025, 2:04 AM

the real reason titus makin left the rookie killing off jackson west

Titus Makin Jr's Jackson West disappeared from The Rookie after Season 3, never to be seen again in the ABC series. The cast of The Rookie during Season 7 looks rather different from what it did when the series began in 2019, with Titus Makin Jr.'s Jackson West being a notable absentee as one of... Several years after his departure, fans still miss Titus Makin Jr.'s Jackson West. Speaking in an interview with Entertainment Weekly during the airing of Season 3, Makin revealed he almost did not return for the (at the time) current run, citing the killings of George Floyd and... Floyd and Taylor were just two examples of innocent Black individuals killed by U.S. police officers in early 2020, both of which helped light the fuse of the "Black Lives Matter" movement that swept the globe.

Despite the off-screen death, the writers could not develop Jackson's storyline after the actor's departure. Over the years, we've enjoyed following the professional and personal aspects of the LAPD's Mid-Wilshire Division, with John Nolan (Nathan Fillion) as the central character. But what makes The Rookie great is its diverse ensemble cast, and many fans still can't believe how the writers handled Jackson West (Titus Makin) at the beginning of Season 4. The character seemed to be hastily written out of the script. The reason was the actor's decision to leave The Rookie, but why did he decide to do so? Let's get to the bottom of it.

Jackson's father, Percy West (Michael Beach), was the commanding officer of the Internal Affairs Division, which created an interesting dynamic. Additionally, the rookie cop was the first openly LGBTQ+ character on the show, which had many of us rooting for him. Officer West had huge potential in terms of story development, as originally a by-the-book cop, he quickly found himself disillusioned by the harsh reality of both the underworld and the conditions in which people... One of the central motifs in Season 3 involved West confronting his interim T.O., Doug Stanton (Brandon Routh), who was an outspoken racist. Titus Makin Jr.'s The Rookie character, Jackson West, abruptly departed the series towards the end of season 3, but there are behind-the-scenes reasons for why Jackson left. 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's 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 Makin didn't 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's 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. While the 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 first episode.

Nathan Fillion's The Rookie has graduated into a long-running hit for ABC across six seasons, and now the popular cop drama has concluded season 7. According to reports (via TVLine), The Rookie's creators ended 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... Although Hawley did not disclose the reasons behind Titus Makin Jr.'s decision to leave, Makin 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 "play a cop on a show and not talk about the...

My character hadn't addressed any of that." The Rookie Season 4 premiere featured a shocking development. The character of Jackson West was abruptly killed off, leading to the immediate exit of original cast member Titus Makin Jr. Despite the cliffhanger in the Season 3 finale, which saw some police officers kidnapped by La Fiera (Camille Guaty), it wasn’t expected that a character would be killed. In the Season 4 premiere, the remaining cops watch security footage in which Jackson died from a single gunshot to the head. As a tribute, Angela (Alyssa Diaz) named her newborn baby after him.

Makin did not return to film the scene, with a double used in his stead. The reason for Jackson’s death is quite complicated, but originated from Makin Jr., who wanted to leave the series. As the news came to light that Titus Makin Jr. exited the ABC crime drama ‘The Rookie,’ fans could not hide their disappointment. Titus essays the role of much-adored Officer Jackson West, who has been a pivotal character in the show right from its debut season. However, the premiere episode of season 4 confirms the shocking death of the character.

This abrupt end to Officer West’s journey upset the fans all the more as it closes the door on the possibility of seeing him again unless the character resurfaces in flashback sequences. Naturally, you must be curious to know what happened. So, let’s get into the details and find out why Titus Makin Jr. left the series! Season 4 of ‘The Rookie’ brings with it quite a few shocking twists, the most unexpected being Officer Jackson West’s death. In the final episode of season 3, La Fiera kidnaps Angela Lopez, and as Jackson West tries to save her, he puts his life on the line.

Season 4 opens with surveillance footage of kidnappers shooting a man resembling Jackson West in the back. That is when fans knew they were to bid farewell to their favorite character. Although Titus Makin Jr.’s departure is all but confirmed, he hasn’t announced his exit publicly as of yet. But as fans anxiously waited for a statement from the actor, Alexi Hawley stepped up and addressed the matter. Speaking in a September 2021 interview, the creator and showrunner revealed that it was Titus’ decision to move on from the series. However, Alexi did not elaborate on why the star decided to step away.

Alexi continued that with Titus unwilling to come back to film, the show tried its best to give the popular character an honorable send-off. So, although the turn of events was quite heartbreaking, the writers had no choice but to kill off Officer West. Titus Makin Jr. has seemingly been off social media since mid-2021. And by the looks of it, he may not be interested in doing any exit interviews either, thus dashing the hopes of getting to know the real reason behind his departure. However, in January 2021, the actor had expressed some concerns regarding Officer West’s story arc as it did not address the fact that the character is a black policeman.

Titus felt it was important to include that perspective, especially in light of the killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. Fortunately, his concerns did not go unheard, as is evident in the third episode of season 3. The episode titled ‘La Fiera’ highlights the reality as we see Officer West lock horns with Doug Stanton, whose racist outlook comes to light. The Rookie’s Jackson West quickly became a fan favorite character after his first arrival in the show. Inspired by his father, Jackson wanted to become a cop with the ability to make a better change in society. He followed the law and made sure that the department also followed the law.

His loyalty and dedication towards his work made him a remarkable character in the series. However, it is truly devastating to see such a compelling character die. At the end of season 3, Jackson West gets kidnapped by Sandra de La Cruz’s men. Things take a gritty turn in season 4. Viewers were expecting Jackson to make a comeback in the fourth season. However, it was revealed that Jackson had been killed.

The manner of his death also raised many eyebrows among the fandom. Let’s explore the reason Jackson West was killed off in The Rookie. The reason behind killing off such a compelling character has been revealed by Alexi Hawley, the showrunner of The Rookie, in an interview with TVLine. Hence, the decision to kill off such a character was mainly because of the actor Titus Makin, who plays the role of Jackson West in the series. Alexi also added, Titus Makin was an integral part of ABC’s The Rookie during the first three seasons.

The police procedural drama follows John Nolan who becomes the oldest rookie in LAPD by joining the force in his mid-40s, and Makin plays his fellow officer Jackson West. Officer West brought depth to the narrative by being the first LGBTQ character on the show. However, he was surprisingly killed in the season 4 premiere as Makin decided to leave the series. At the time, showrunner Alexi Hawley revealed he had to kill off the character as the actor was not willing to return to the show. While the official reason for his departure was never announced, Makin had earlier stated he was hurt by the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor and felt he was being complacent by starring... Though Titus Makin left The Rookie ahead of season 4, he was contemplating his exit even before season 3.

At the time, he had an interview with Entertainment Weekly, revealing how he did not want to return for season 3 as the show did not address important themes like racism in the aftermath... He said: Both Floyd and Taylor were African-Americans who became victims of police brutality in 2020, leading to the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement. Makin said when he explained his concerns to Alexi Hawley, he graciously agreed to incorporate the relevant story into season 3. Hey everyone! Have you ever found yourself completely engrossed in a TV show, only to have a beloved character suddenly disappear?

That's exactly what happened to fans of The Rookie when Jackson West, played by Titus Makin Jr., was written out of the series. The question on everyone's mind was: Why did Jackson West leave The Rookie? Let's dive deep and explore the reasons behind this surprising departure, the impact it had on the show, and what the future holds for the remaining characters. This is going to be a wild ride, so buckle up! Jackson West's exit from The Rookie was a total gut punch, am I right? He was a fan favorite, known for his dedication, his budding romance with fellow officer Rachel, and his overall positive attitude.

The character brought a certain warmth and relatability to the show, so when he vanished, it left a massive void. Fans immediately took to social media, expressing their shock and disappointment. Many felt a deep connection to Jackson's character arc, his struggles, and his growth as a police officer. Losing such a pivotal character so abruptly left many viewers feeling heartbroken and betrayed by the show. The general consensus was, “Why, oh why, did Jackson have to leave?” Understandably, people were curious about the circumstances surrounding the actor's departure. There was confusion, anger, and a whole lot of questions.

The Real Reason Titus Makin Left The Rookie Killing Off Jackson West

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