‘The Rookie’: Nolan & Bailey’s Solution to D.C. Is a Bad Idea
Spoiler Alert
What To Know
- The Rookie‘s Valentine’s Day episode in Season 8 sees Nolan and Bailey make a decision about her job offer in D.C.
- Lucy and Tim run into a problem with their Valentine’s Day gift.
- Wesley and Nyla face a major setback ahead of Glasser’s trial.
[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for The Rookie Season 8 Episode 6 “Burn 4 Love.”]
There’s an explosion in the Valentine’s Day episode of The Rookie Season 8, and we can’t help but feel that’s an omen of what’s to come for Nolan (Nathan Fillion) and Bailey’s (Jenna Dewan) relationship.
Nolan and Bailey talk to Grey (Richard T. Jones) and his wife Luna (Angel Parker), respectively, about their current issues, stemming from her wanting to move to D.C. for a new job and him not. Bailey says she’s trying to come up with a solution that makes them both happy, but Luna warns her that sometimes marriage is about one person making a sacrifice for the other, like she did when her and Grey’s daughter was born. Grey, meanwhile, is happy to support his wife in her new chapter but doesn’t like it leading to canceled plans and him waiting for her to come home. (Later, the couple makes plans to have date nights.)
Things get awkward when Nolan and Bailey run into each other during an arson case. When he wishes her a Happy Valentine’s Day, she remarks, “I guess that depends on your definition of happy.” But she then gets a cover for her shift so she can spend the holiday with him, only for him to remind her they’re hosting a fundraiser for Wesley (Shawn Ashmore), who’s running for D.A. It’s there that Bailey gives Nolan his gift: a note reading, “Good for a lifetime of cohabitation with Bailey Nune. ‘Til death do us part.” She’s not going to D.C., having realized how hard it must have been for him to tell her no and that she hadn’t been listening. “You are the love of my life, John. I don’t want to be anywhere you’re not,” she says, and he feels the same way.
But after a bomb goes off at the station — an arsonist targeting a fellow arsonist and her girlfriend — and they emerge with newfound respects for each other, Nolan tells Bailey to go to D.C. He says they’re strong enough to navigate the separation and he knows she really wants it. He took it personally, but he knows it’s not about them. She thinks he thinks she’ll get bored of the new job in year and return home for a new challenge. They seem to have found a solution, but how long can that really last? Is a long-distance relationship sustainable for them? Something tells us that this will just cause new problems sooner rather than later.
Speaking of that bomb, everyone survives, with some minor injuries. Miles (Deric Augustine), whom Celina (Lisseth Chavez) is convinced is cursed after they interrupted a conflict at a crystal shop, gets the worst of it, but he’s going to be fine.
Meanwhile, Lucy (Melissa O’Neil) and Tim (Eric Winter) both struggle with their Valentine’s Day gifts — because she can’t remember where she hid his (an autographed baseball) and he orders hers (a skin care line) but it hasn’t been delivered. And so both come up with replacement gifts: She gets him a signed copy of the sci-fi book he used to read over and over again when things were bad, and he gets her earrings … then tries to book them a trip to Paris after seeing her present. Both confess about their troubles, and it turns out that he found the baseball where she hid it behind the washing machine. She also is the one to free him when he’s trapped following the bomb.
Elsewhere, Wesley and Nyla (Mekia Cox) are preparing for the serial killer Liam Glasser’s trial, and they’ve already hit a snag before her deposition: They have to hold back prosecuting him for one of his murders because of a lack of evidence, and the victim’s father is so upset after learning about it from a reporter, he goes after Wesley at the fundraiser. (He’s subdued.)
During her deposition, Glasser’s lawyer, Malcolm (Sean Patrick Thomas), pushes Nyla about not seeing his client during the attack and especially on her threat after “jumping to conclusions” about his involvement without any evidence, namely that she’d find a way to hang the murders around his neck and lock him away forever. The damage of that is “catastrophic,” Wesley tells Nyla after, with how Glasser’s lawyer will paint her in front of a jury. Furthermore, as an officer of the court, he must report her conduct with Glasser to Internal Affairs; if he doesn’t, Malcolm will and Wesley will be disbarred for covering it up.
Disney/Mike Taing
Angela (Alyssa Diaz), of course, isn’t happy with her husband on her best friend’s behalf, but Wesley tells her he’s trying not to blame Nyla because she’s their friend but he might lose the trial and Glasser might walk free because of her. Then, Angela tells Nyla as she waits to hear from IA that they have to keep things professional until it’s over — only for the bomb at the station to change that. It can start the next day, the three decide, as Angela and Wesley sit with Nyla in the hospital waiting room.
What did you think of the Valentine’s Day episode? Do you think a long-distance relationship is sustainable for Nolan and Bailey? Let us know in the comments section below.
The Rookie, Mondays, 10/9c, ABC
Conversation18 Comments
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L
I am for writing Bailey out of the Rookie. Jenna Dewan is not a good actor. And her role in the Rookie is not believable. She is not employed by the police department, yet she shows up on many of their cases and even went to Europe with the police to work on a case (which is also questionable). She works for the fire department but spends a lot of time with the police. Is she the only fire department personnel who can aid the police? Please send her to DC or somehow otherwise write her off the Rookie.
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T
I think Bailey is a pretty decent character on The Rookie. I get that she does get a lot of screen time especially since she came on in season 3 but however they have situations involving fire fighters and I think them adding Bailey as a firefighter played out well. I think that John and Bailey are a pretty good couple and I really did like them at the beginning when they hadn't had any problems yet. I fear that I was mad at her when lying about Jason to John especially when everything went down in season 7. I do agree with you about how is she going to to Prague when she isn't part of the police department but she is a former lieutenant of the military and has experience but she shouldn't have been there especially with a g*n. I think she was being selfish when she kept wanting to go to D.C after she told John they were in this together and yet she kept going on and begging him to figure out ways he could change his life for her. Then during the new v-day ep last night I appreciate the fact that she apologized and owned up to her mistakes when saying everything John called her out for in 8x5. I do think John should have accepted it instead if telling her she should go to D.C and I know he wants her to be happy but he's making it more difficult for himself and I also get he was trying to listen to Wade when he asked for advice but still. In all, I think Bailey would be better if she had less screen time even though she is married to the main character who kinda started it all
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T
RIGHT !! I never understood Why she was always in LAPD situations. Let her go to DC
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C
I agree 100%..I can't stand Bailey. She thinks she's super human and can outdo anybody..she is always around, everywhere John is..her and those big perfect lip glossed 💋 lips..sorry..
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D
I am rooting for Bailey to leave. She drags Nolans storyline down. Move on.
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G
Get rid of Bailey
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I
Most viewers seem to dislike Bailey, while wanting happiness for John. This seems the perfect solution. They can stay happily married and she can make the occasional guest appearance!
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A
I thought after Tim's sister had that moment with John at the fundraiser Bailey was sure to be the victim of the dad who crashed it and they were setting up an eventual new relationship for him. Just because I've seen a lot of TV. I guess instead we're getting what seemed like the natural solution from the start.
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B
I thought that too. Even before Bailey, I recall John and Tim's sister had "sparks." Also, whatever happened to John's son and grandchild? Never hear about them anymore. I hope this isn't the last year, especially since they are preparing to have another spin-off.
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A
I don’t feel like they’ve ever popped up a lot but they might be overdue for a drop-in and, hey, better them than his half-brother.
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K
Nolan and Bailey will be fine. Plenty of couples survive these separations. Think of military families. I did a 2 1/2 year separation with my husband. These story lines are stupid and makes it seem like people aren’t resilient and willing to commit to their partners to do what needs to be done.
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E
Baileys stock went down for me with the whole hit man arc..she didn't seem trustworthy to me anymore. I don't think the whole long distance thing will work, but watch her get pregnant in the middle of all this, lol
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G
Nolan and Bailey will be just fine as they do a long distance relationship but maybe Bailey might come back if her job in dc doesn’t work out! I just want both of them to be happy!
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D
Definitely write down Bailey.... I guess save on costs as this is likely final season of this show though it seems to do well on cable networks with the reruns... Maybe why it's lasted so long?? I figured the move to Monday at 10 would be its swan song as a show... The ratings have been trending down... So dumping the wife for the latter part of the season will save a lttle money and plot time for Nolan at home and let him get back to the action full time..
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J
Ditch Bailey once & for all.
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P
If any couple can make it work, they can.
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A
Bully show.
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J
I have a bad feeling about this.*
*With apologies to Han Solo.
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