The Rookie season 7 is here. The show has been on ABC since 2018. It follows John Nolan, played by Nathan Fillion, a middle-aged man who decides to chase his dream of becoming a police officer.
The series takes viewers inside the LAPD's Mid-Wilshire Division. It focuses on rookies and seasoned officers as they deal with challenges on and off the job. The seventh season has brought in new characters and created more complications in existing relationships. The latest episode (The Rookie Season 7 Episode 9), The Kiss, is no exception.
The Rookie season 7 episode 9 follows the aftermath of a shocking shooting. James Murray, played by Arjay Smith, is fighting for his life. His wife, Detective Nyla Harper, played by Mekia Cox, is suddenly under investigation. She is at risk of losing everything.
Assistant District Attorney Vivian Eckhart steps in as part of the legal response. She is determined to build a case even if it means targeting Harper. Necar Zadegan plays Vivian Eckhart in The Rookie season 7 episode 9. She is aggressive and ambitious. She is not afraid to push boundaries. Her presence makes her a major force in this latest storyline.
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Everything you need to know about Necar Zadegan

Necar Zadegan is an actress who has worked across television, film, and theater, with roles that range from network dramas to Broadway. She was born on June 20, 1982, in Germany but grew up in the United States, specifically in the San Francisco Bay Area. She studied literature at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and also spent time at the Sorbonne in France. She speaks multiple languages, including Persian, French, English, and German.
Zadegan’s television career started in the mid-2000s with small roles in various popular shows, including NCIS, Lost, How I Met Your Mother, and CSI: Miami. In 2010, she had a major breakout playing Dalia Hassan, the First Lady-turned-President of the fictional Islamic Republic of Kamistan in 24 Season 8. The role put her in front of a wider audience, leading to more prominent work on television. She later starred in Emily Owens, M.D., Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce, and NCIS: New Orleans, where she played Special Agent Hannah Khoury.
Her work isn’t limited to television. In 2010, She played the lead in the indie film Elena Undone and was in the psychological thriller Unthinkable alongside Samuel L. Jackson and Michael Sheen. In 2009, She performed on Broadway in Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo with Robin Williams.
What was Necar Zadegan's role in The Rookie season 7 episode 9?
In the latest episode of The Rookie season 7 episode 9, titled The Kiss, a complex web of personal and professional challenges unfolds after a shocking shooting incident, placing Detective Nyla Harper at the center of a legal melange. Amidst the chaos, Assistant District Attorney Vivian Eckhart emerges as a pivotal character, driven by her ambition and willingness to push boundaries in the pursuit of justice, or perhaps, her career advancement.
The Rookie season 7 episode 9 begins with James Murray critically injured after a shooting at a local shelter where he volunteered. His wife, Detective Harper, becomes entangled not just with the emotional turmoil of her husband's condition but also with suspicions cast in her direction. It is in this fraught scenario that Eckhart steps with a clear agenda. She doesn't wait for the investigation to unfold organically. Instead, she seizes the opportunity to assert her authority and shape the narrative to her advantage.
Eckhart visits Harper in the hospital. Instead of offering support or following protocol, she bombards Harper with allegations and accusatory questions. She brings up a recent kiss between James and another volunteer, Kylie Thomas, witnessed by Officer John Nolan, suggesting a motive for jealousy-driven violence.
Eckhart then compounds Harper's distress by mentioning a photograph in Harper's home showing James with Leonard Kelce, a known activist wanted by the police. Each piece of information Eckhart reveals is framed to cast further doubt on Harper, painting her as potentially complicit in the shooting.
Lieutenant Grey intervenes, reminding Eckhart of the protocols and boundaries she's skirting. Despite Grey's warnings, Eckhart's aggressive stance doesn't waver. Her motivations are clear; she's building her case and political stature. Being the ADA who cracks a high-profile case involving a detective could propel her career to new heights.
As the true narrative of The Rookie season 7 episode 9 unfolds through diligent police work by Nolan and the team, it becomes evident that the shooting was related to gang activity, targeting Kylie Thomas to silence her about another crime. Harper's connection to the shooter, Connor Lowe, was circumstantial, linked only through her professional duties and not personal vendettas.
Despite unraveling her hastily constructed accusations, Eckhart shows no remorse nor does she apologize for the undue stress placed on Harper. For Eckhart, the ends nearly justified the means, showing her as a character whose legal maneuvers are influenced more by personal ambition than the pursuit of justice in The Rookie season 7 episode 9.
The next episode of The Rookie, Season 7 Episode 10 titled Chaos Agent, is scheduled to air on ABC on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT.