‘The Rookie’: Why Nolan and Bailey Need to Break Up
ABC‘s The Rookie Season 5 is currently on a hiatus, but we refuse to stop writing about the procedural series. And the first topic we want to touch upon is John Nolan and Bailey Nune’s relationship. They first met during the season 3 finale and are a relatively cute couple. However, when we see Nolan and Bailey onscreen while watching The Rookie, we feel nothing. And we believe that there’s an expiration date to their romance.
Nolan and Bailey became engaged in ‘The Rookie’ Season 5
After attending Angela Lopez and Wesley Evers’ almost-wedding in the season 3 finale of The Rookie, Nolan and Bailey officially became a couple in season 4. Their relationship moved quickly, and just a few episodes later, Nolan was ready to propose. However, the appearance of Bailey’s ex-con husband, Jason, put a damper on things.
Jason provided the first real test for Nolan and Bailey’s relationship. But they were able to work through the obstacle (after Jason planted cocaine in Bailey’s car and was sent back to prison).
Bailey later moved into Nolan’s house, and she proposed to him in The Rookie Season 5. He said yes, and they have been engaged ever since. But there have been very few details surrounding Nolan and Bailey’s upcoming nuptials, except that they are only inviting two people. There’s no word on who those lucky wedding guests will be, so we’ll have to keep watching to find out.
Nolan and Bailey’s relationship isn’t built to last
When Nolan and Bailey began dating in The Rookie Season 4, we were ready to get on board with their relationship. However, as time passed, we realized we would start tuning out during Nolan and Bailey’s scenes.
There are just no sparks between them (unlike Tim Bradford and Lucy Chen, but it might be unfair to compare the two couples). Heck, Nolan shared more chemistry with Tim’s sister Genny in the few scenes they were in together.
Honestly, we’re just waiting for the other shoe to drop. To us, it’s only a matter of time before Nolan and Bailey break up, especially because we have picked up on signs that tell us the end is near.
Nolan and Bailey are assumingly planning on marrying before the end of The Rookie Season 5. But we constantly forget they’re engaged because the show rarely mentions it. One would think that if the writers wanted to hype up a wedding between one of the series’ main couples, they would make their characters discuss it more.
The Rookie also might have foreshadowed Nolan and Bailey’s demise when Nolan couldn’t bring himself to kill Rosalind Dyer to save Bailey. And in another episode, Nolan claimed that one of Bailey’s gnomes would bring them luck, and an earthquake came and broke it. Plus, he referred to her as his “girlfriend,” not his “fiancée” in episode 15.
If these aren’t hinting at the end of Nolan and Bailey’s relationship, we don’t know why the writers added them to the show.
‘The Rookie’ fans agree that Nolan and Bailey should end their relationship
We aren’t the only ones anticipating a breakup between Nolan and Bailey in The Rookie — many viewers are also indifferent toward the couple.
One fan started a Reddit thread and wrote, “Does anyone else not like the match-up [between Nolan and Bailey]? I don’t see the chemistry with them. I feel like Nolan is her dad in the relationship.”
“Many of us find them unwatchable,” a Reddit user replied. “Tim’s sis and Nolan had a ton of chemistry. But instead [we] get Bailey and Nolan — watching paint dry is more interesting.”
Someone else commented, “If you compare the chemistry that Nathan Fillion had with Stana Katic on Castle to the chemistry he has with Jenna Dewan on The Rookie, it’s like night and day. Sarah Shahi and Ali Larter even had better chemistry with Fillion, and their characters were actually believable.”
The Rookie Season 5 returns with new episodes on Tuesday, April 18, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
