‘The Rookie’s Nathan Fillion Talks Nolan’s Potential Move: ‘Life Throws You Curve Balls’

Wait, Nolan (Nathan Fillion) can’t really be planning to leave LA, right? He’s at least thinking about it on The Rookie.

It’s in the Monday, January 26, episode — the show moves nights starting with it — that he raises the question of what a transfer to D.C. after his wife, Bailey (Jenna Dewan), got a job offer would mean for him to Grey (Richard T. Jones). He’d have to start all over again, only years later than he did when the series started, the new task force liaison informs him.

Below, Nathan Fillion talks about that potential move, the great interrogation room scenes with David Krumholtz in the January 20 episode, and much more.

This week’s episode was fantastic, one of the show’s best. Talk about filming those interrogation scenes with David.

Nathan Fillion: David is an old buddy of mine. When we were younger men, a short quarter century ago, we did a film together called Serenity. So I’ve known David for a long time. I haven’t seen him for a while, but boy, what a pleasure. He is an absolute peach, and he did some brilliant work. He’s essentially playing two characters, the one that he’s using to pull the wool over everyone’s eyes and the one that he truly is. And that second one was just all out spooky. Watching that shift… It was such a pleasure to watch his process and to see it happening in real life. And he’s an old pro, this guy, he’s been doing it for ages, so it’s not super challenging for him, but just to be able to watch that, what a pleasure.

Disney/Mike Taing

There was something so unsettling about this case, and Nolan has that line about not feeling better about what happened at the end. Is this one that stays with him?

We’re not always a super dark show. We don’t try to live in darkness. We try to be aspirational. We try to tell exciting stories, there’s fun stories, there’s lightness, there’s lightheartedness, but every once in a while, the stakes are much higher. And there are dark things happening in the world. And when that’s the case, you really hope that the police are going to be around, but police are human beings. So yeah, it’s going to have an effect. There is darkness out there. I would hate for Nolan to become this haunted, dark person that the police force is slowly destroying his soul. No, it’s a different story for him. He’s there to make the world a better place. But yeah, for certain, this sort of thing is going to have an effect.

During the interrogation, Nolan, as he’s aiming to make Ezra comfortable, talks about how he likes working the street, and we’ve seen how true that is. Is this one of those cases that kind of reiterates to him that he’s in the right place, doing what he does?

Sure. I mean, anything you can walk away from that’s a win, right?

It feels like Ezra is a character that the show could revisit. Do you think that’s a possibility?

Oh, I would love that. I would absolutely love that. I would leave that to more clever people who are cleverer than me — Alexi Hawley, for example — but that would be a joy. What a treat to have around. Also, I would love just to do a little shout-out to the young lady, Bailey Gavulic, who played Samantha. That was some incredible work. The entire spookiness of it really hinged on the effect he had on this young woman. And she did an amazing job for us. Everybody was talking about it. The crew was talking about it. The cast was talking about it. Just how every take she hit it right on the head every time.

Next week’s episode includes Nolan approaching Grey about what a possible transfer to D.C. would look like after Bailey’s offered a job. What can you preview about that and how serious that possibility actually is?

Well, life throws you curveballs all the time. I think if nothing else, The Rookie is all about that. And Bailey has this incredible job opportunity in D.C., and wanting to be supportive of his wife is a big deal to John. So yeah, he’s looking at yet another change to see what that would be like.

Do you think Nolan would’ve ever even thought about leaving L.A. if not for something like that?

I don’t think so. I think Nolan has made a major life shift in being a police officer. I think he’s, at the moment, fulfilled. I think he’s found his calling. He put his entire life on hold because he and his wife were having a family, and he had to support a family. He had to be responsible. And now he’s actually pursuing something that is fulfilling to him. So I don’t see him wanting to make the move away from that.

What can you say about Nolan and Bailey’s relationship at this point? Does it still remain as solid and stable as it’s been, even as they’re discussing this?

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This is a relationship on the program 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.

After Grey says he’d start at the bottom again, Nolan points out he’s done it before, but Grey reminds him he was younger. Nolan sounds confident, but how confident is he? There’s also the experience he now has that he didn’t…

Yeah, I think Nolan is a glass-half-full fella. I think he’s trying to be an optimist here. I think he’s trying to be supportive. I just don’t know how the reality will flush out for Nolan as far as what that would truly mean.

What’s Nolan’s take on Miles (Deric Augustine) so far as his new rookie?

I think Miles has a much different perspective. He’s starting out new with the LAPD, but he has been a police officer before in a different kind of city, in a different kind of job. So he’s got experience, but at the same time, not all of his experience serves him. So he has something to learn, but he’s also come a very long way.

And what else is coming up for Nolan?

Adventures, explosions, high-speed car chases, dry wit, that Nolan charm, all the things we’ve come to expect from The Rookie after eight wonderful seasons of having a brilliant time on this show. I got to tell you, I’m extremely happy.

I just have to say, I really hope that The Rookie: North happens because I’d love to see crossovers to see you and Jay Ellis together.

What a charming fella. And oh my God, that guy is tall. Yeah, I’m excited. That would be lovely, too.

The Rookie, New Time Period Premiere, Monday, January 26, 10/9c, ABC