‘Hudson & Rex’ Season 9 Release Date, Plot, Cast and Trailer as the Series Brings Back Its Original Detective and Fans Finally Get the Reunion They Demanded
Citytv’s long running canine procedural is back on the schedule, and this return carries the biggest casting reversal in the show’s history. ‘Hudson & Rex’ premieres on Monday, October 5, starring Mayko Nguyen, Kevin Hanchard and Justin Kelly, with John Reardon once again leading as Detective Charlie Hudson.
For a show built on the bond between a cop and his German Shepherd partner, the last stretch has been bumpy. Reardon’s exit and replacement drew massive backlash before the network reversed course, so this new chapter of ‘Hudson & Rex’ arrives with plenty of goodwill and plenty of questions.
‘Hudson & Rex’ Release Date and Episode Schedule
The first episode, ‘The Man in the Hoodie,’ lands on October 5, and listings place it at 8 p.m. on Citytv. ‘Three’s a Crowd’ follows on October 12 and ‘End of the Line’ on October 19, so viewers can expect a steady weekly rollout through the fall.
The network has been clear about the size of the order. Citytv announced a 12 episode season returning this fall, though episode guides are still filling in. One guide currently runs through a November 23 episode called ‘Heebie Jeebies’, which suggests the remaining titles will be revealed as the season unfolds.
The renewal itself came earlier this year. Citytv confirmed the show as part of its 2026 to 2027 programming slate, and production was scheduled to start in June in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. That is a tighter turnaround than the previous run, which began on September 22 of last year.
Fans outside Canada may need patience. Past seasons have reached Canadian viewers on Citytv Plus first, with other regions following later, and no international dates for the new episodes have surfaced yet.
Plot Details and What Happens in the Premiere
The opener sets the tone fast. Donovan is nearly killed in a mysterious attack, and Rex leads the team to an impossible discovery, the return of a familiar face. Given the casting news, it is not hard to guess who that familiar face might be, though the show has not spelled it out in the official description.
The story picks up a thread fans have not forgotten. When viewers last saw Charlie, he was heading to South America to search for his missing brother, Jack. How that search ends, and what it costs him, is likely to shape the emotional core of the new episodes.
The case of the week format is firmly intact. One episode finds a woman waking up covered in blood with a murder weapon and no memory, another follows a murder tied to a railway museum, and a third sends the team into the cutthroat world of elite gymnastics. These are the kind of cozy but twisty mysteries that made this crime drama a comfort watch.
The later episodes lean even more playful. A horror novelist discovers someone has been living inside his walls, and a wind energy CEO is found dead in her own laboratory. Another case sends the duo undercover at a halfway house tied to a gourmet cheese operation, which is exactly the kind of oddball hook this series loves.
Returning Cast and Who Is Back as Charlie Hudson
The headline is Reardon’s return. Citytv said Reardon is reunited with his canine partner, and he described himself as excited to step back into the role. For many viewers, that was the news they had been waiting on for months.
He is not coming back alone. Nguyen returns as Dr. Sarah Truong, Hanchard as Superintendent Joseph Donovan, Kelly as Tech Analyst Jesse Mills, and Luke Roberts as Detective Mark Hudson. That means the show now carries two Hudsons, which is a fascinating setup for the squad room.
The backstory explains the drama. Reardon left midway through the seventh season to receive treatment for tonsil cancer, and Roberts joined the cast to fill the lead role. Roberts is a veteran of canine units in the Canadian forces and the Halifax police within the story, and he is staying on rather than being written out.
Then there is Rex himself. The original Rex, Diesel vom Burgimwald, died unexpectedly in August 2024, and his nephews and a cousin have since taken over the role. The audience has had time to adjust to that change, but it adds another layer of emotion to a reunion built around man and dog.
Trailer and First Look at the New Episodes
Official promotional material is still thin. A first look video for the premiere has appeared on YouTube, billed as including leaked spoilers, so it is worth treating with caution until Citytv shares its own footage.
For context, the marketing last year set a different mood. The early trailer for the previous season suggested a slightly darker premise as Mark adapted to his new job. If the new promos return to the brighter, buddy cop energy of the early years, that would signal how much the show wants to lean into nostalgia.
What matters most now is the chemistry. Charlie and Mark Hudson now share the same station house, with Rex caught between a returning partner and the newer one, and that tension could either enrich the show or split its audience. Which Hudson do you want Rex to trust when the toughest case of the season hits, and should the original partnership get the spotlight over the newcomer?
