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John Nolan’s love life in ABC‘s The Rookie has been nothing short of a rollercoaster since the pilot. He moved to Los Angeles after divorcing the mother of his son, started a relationship with Lucy Chen, which swiftly ended when they began their training, and he went on to date a couple more women before meeting Bailey Nune. And while Nolan and Bailey are engaged in The Rookie Season 5, the signs point toward another breakup for Nathan Fillion’s character.

Nathan Fillion and Jenna Dewan star as John Nolan and Bailey Nune in 'The Rookie' Season 5. They share a scene where they are dancing. Nolan wears a light brown jacket. Bailey wears a black leather jacket.
Nathan Fillion as John Nolan and Jenna Dewan as Bailey Nune | Raymond Liu via Getty Images

Nolan and Bailey are engaged in ‘The Rookie’ Season 5

As fans recall, Nolan and Bailey met during the finale of The Rookie Season 3. She was dog-sitting for his neighbors when she got locked out of their house. And there were instant sparks between Nolan and Bailey. He invited her to Wesley Evers and Angela Lopez’s wedding, which turned into a disaster when La Fiera kidnapped Angela and her men killed Jackson West, but that’s a story for another time.

Nolan and Bailey officially started dating in season 4, and they have been together ever since. They ran into a speed bump when her husband, Jason, came back into her life. But Bailey eventually got a divorce when the police arrested Jason.

The couple encountered more trouble in The Rookie Season 5 when Rosalind Dyer, played by Annie Wersching, trapped Bailey in a deadly cage. The serial killer lured Nolan away from the scene with the promise that if he turned himself over, his girlfriend would be safe. But Rosalind had one more request before freeing Bailey — she wanted Nolan to kill her.

Nolan couldn’t bring himself to murder Rosalind, and he thought that his decision led to Bailey’s death. However, the LAPD and LAFD were able to save her. And later, Bailey proposed to Nolan, and he said yes.

The couple will have their biggest fight yet in episode 16

Although things seem to be butterflies and rainbows on the surface of Nolan and Bailey’s relationship in The Rookie Season 5, we’ve been picking up on subtle clues that may point toward their imminent doom.

In episode 7, Bailey admitted she had felt “off-centered” since her proposal. The couple agreed that maybe moving some of her things into his home would help. But at the end of the hour, an earthquake shook the house and broke Bailey’s gnome. Before its ruin, Nolan remarked the gnome would bring them luck. And if that’s not a sign from the universe, we don’t know what is.

In episode 9, Nolan helped Tim Bradford’s sister Genny settle into her new home. And fans couldn’t help but notice the chemistry between them. The writers might have introduced another love interest for Nolan, knowing that his and Bailey’s relationship wouldn’t last.

In episode 14, fans learned that Nolan and Bailey are only inviting two people to their wedding. So it appears it won’t be a grand affair like most prominent television weddings. Perhaps that’s because they never make it down the aisle.

And finally, our final clue that Nolan and Bailey are headed for disaster comes from TVLine. The publication teased that the engaged couple will have their “first big fight” in The Rookie Season 5 Episode 16, “Exposed.”

“Exposed” airs on Tuesday, Feb. 21, and is the ABC show’s Valentine’s Day episode. Perhaps whatever Nolan and Bailey fight about is what ultimately tears them apart.

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Nolan and Bailey deal with the aftermath of his mother’s death in ‘The Rookie’ Season 5 Episode 15

Before getting into the fight of their lives, Nolan and Bailey first have to deal with shady men from his mother’s past in The Rookie Season 5 Episode 15, “The Con.”

The synopsis for “The Con” reads, “With help from the FBI, Detective Lopez puts everything on the line to help Elijah Stone take down a gang leader in exchange for her safety. Meanwhile, Nolan and Bailey must deal with the secrets and shady dealings his late mother left behind.”

As the preview teases, Nolan and Bailey travel to his mother’s home to get her affairs in order. But while there, a couple of men approach the house. One of them tells Nolan, “Your mom’s got something that belongs to us. Get out of the way now.”

The Rookie Season 5 airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

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