The Rookie just threw a major monkey wrench into the marriage of Nolan and Bailey! Can they survive it?
Caution: The article contains SPOILERS for The Rookie Season 8 episode 4 “Cut and Run.”
The Rookie season 8 episode 4 opened with Nolan (Nathan Fillion) and Bailey (Jenna Dewan) meeting with Bailey’s old captain, Russ. He offered Bailey the opportunity to join a special Pentagon “think tank” focused on battlefield medicine. It was a fantastic chance for her, with the obvious issue that it would mean having to move to Washington, D.C.
At first, Bailey seemed to want to pass as Nolan wasn't into it. However, Nyla and Angela both pointed out that for someone as much of an “overachiever” as Bailey was, settling in L.A. wouldn’t work for her. At the same time, Nyla warned Nolan that D.C. wasn’t that nice a city and being a cop in the nation’s capital was a different beast.
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Bailey was swayed by another appeal from Russ, and over dinner, to explore the idea with Nolan agreeing they were in this together. However, Grey warned Nolan that if he were to transfer, he couldn’t just be at his current rank. He’d have to start over at the bottom, redo the academy and work his way up. Not only that, his annual salary would be much less in a far more expensive city.
Nolan told Bailey he couldn’t do it, but she wasn’t ready to say no, as she truly wanted the job. The episode ended with her asking, “Where does that leave us?”
That’s the same question fans are wondering and if this seemingly rock-solid marriage is in trouble!
Are Nolan and Bailey splitting up on The Rookie?
Interestingly, just before the episode, Fillion told TV Insider that he loved the Nolan-Bailey relationship for how solid it seemed, even amid challenges.
“This is a relationship on [The Rookie] that I really like because it is solid. It’s not rocked with drama and tribulation. Certainly, life throws curveballs, and you have to face those tribulations, those trials. You have to face them as a team. But I think Nolan and Bailey are a fantastic team. I think they have found happiness with one another, and I think it’s a strong relationship.”
It’s true the pair have survived numerous challenges via their jobs, Bailey held captive by a serial killer and a honeymoon that turned into a fight for survival on an island. This is a couple who truly love each other and each wants what’s best for their partner.
Yet this is a major obstacle. Bailey wants this job as she always wants to be the best and Russ played on that, making it sound like turning it down would be a cowardly act. That was some subtle manipulation, but it worked as Bailey wanted to go for it. That means Nolan has to choose between his standing in L.A. or completely upending his life by going to D.C.
It’s unlikely the show is going to do a major revamp by moving to Washington and Nolan in a new setting. It’s also unclear if this means Dewan could be leaving the series or Bailey moves for the job and she and Nolan try a long-distance marriage. Nolan won’t want that, he’s already been through one bitter divorce and doesn’t want to go through that again.
At the same time, Nolan knows denying Bailey a chance at her dream job can drive a wedge between them, with her secretly resenting him for it. That can doom the marriage faster than a separation could, while each wants to follow their own path.
Hopefully, this resolves itself soon, as Nolan and Bailey are a great couple and it’d be a tragedy for The Rookie to see that end.
The Rookie season 8 airs on Mondays at 10/9c on ABC.