How 'The Rookie' writes off Afton Williamson's character

The new season of "The Rookie" has a slightly different makeup than the last.

ABC's cop drama, starring Nathan Fillion, had a turbulent summer, after cast member Afton Williamson (who played training officer Talia Bishop) quit after alleging she was subjected to bullying, racism, sexual harassment and sexual assault while working on the series.

eOne, which produces the show for ABC, brought in third party investigators to look into her claims, and announced Sept. 18 that they had found "no inappropriate behavior." Williamson called the findings "heartbreaking" on Instagram. 

In the wake of the headlines, "Rookie" returned on ABC Sunday and quickly addressed Talia's absence in the first five minutes,  explaining her departure.

Season 2 kicks off immediately after the finale, as Nolan (Fillion) escorts the ambulance taking Bradford (Eric Winter) to the hospital after he was exposed to a weaponized virus. They are attacked at the hospital by one of the terrorists responsible for the virus, and Nolan and Bradford are forced to shoot her. 

The episode quickly cuts to two weeks later, when Nolan is on his last night of administrative leave after the shooting. DHS agent Jessica (Sarah Shahi) comes over for a date night, and they discuss life at the LAPD for Nolan now that Talia has left and taken a new job at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobbaco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), her new (off-camera) gig.

Talia is only mentioned again in the context of an argument about which rookie – Nolan, Chen (Melissa O'Neil) or West (Titus Makin Jr.) – scored the lowest on a six-month exam, in which Bradford suggests that Talia's rookie Nolan might have been the one to score the lowest. 

After that, the episode moves on. Instead of riding with Talia, Nolan hits the streets with Sgt. Grey (Richard T. Jones) as they investigate a group that steals 20 police uniforms. In Episode 4, a new character will join the team to replace Talia's role. 

In August, Williamson claimed she was sexually harassed by a "recurring guest star" on "Rookie," whom she later identified as actor Demetrius Grosse, who played Detective Kevin Wolfe in five episodes during Season 1, according to IMDb. 

She also accused the show's "hair department head" of racial discrimination and "racially charged inappropriate comments," as well as bullying that "escalated into sexual assault" at a party. She named the department head as Sallie Ciganovich. 

"As a result of the independent investigation, we have concluded that those identified in Ms. Williamson’s allegations did not conduct themselves in an unlawful manner or demonstrate behavior inappropriate for the workplace," eOne said in a statement to USA TODAY.

The investigation  included nearly 400 hours of interviews and the examination of video and other evidence. But eOne  concluded that "Rookie" producers, including Hawley, "addressed matters of which they were made aware promptly and in a fair and reasonable manner."

Williamson was not satisfied. 

"What saddens me the most is that the lengths that were taken to Deceive, Lie, and Cover Up the Truth, were far greater than those made to Protect and Maintain a Safe Working Environment for Employees," Williamson wrote in her Instagram response. "It’s Heartbreaking for everyone on that set; Past and Present. And for every Actor out there who Stands in the Face Of Harassment and Discrimination, Assault and Injustice."

She continued: "My Speaking the Truth, Standing up for myself, and Leaving an Unsafe Work Environment, Changed things for a lot of people: Black Women, Artists, Actors, Victims, and Survivors of Injustice and Discrimination; Gave Hope and a Promise that things Will Change; that things ARE CHANGING. And that is Not in Vain."

Contributing: Andrea Mandell, Cydney Henderson