The Rookie‘s seventh season returned with a bang—literally—as Officer John Nolan (Nathan Fillion) immediately plunged back into action after the harrowing events of the Season 6 finale. The premiere episode, titled “The Shot,” was a whirlwind of high-stakes drama, self-doubt, and the introduction of new dynamics at the Mid-Wilshire station.
In recent interviews, Nathan Fillion himself has broken down the central themes of the premiere, offering deep insight into Nolan’s psychological state following his injury, the lingering threat of Bailey Nune’s (Jenna Dewan) sociopathic ex-husband Jason, and the difficult, yet ultimately strengthening, road ahead for the newly married couple.
Nolan’s Core Struggle: Is He Still Up for the Job?
The Season 7 premiere saw John Nolan return to duty after being shot in the line of duty. According to Fillion and showrunner Alexi Hawley, this physical wound was merely the catalyst for a profound internal crisis.
The Problem of Age and Hesitation
From the very first season, Nolan’s age was both his greatest strength and his primary vulnerability. Now, after surviving a serious injury, those doubts resurfaced. Fillion described his character as “frustrated” and grappling with the question, “Is he still up for the job?”
The premiere showcased this struggle when Nolan hesitated to take a critical shot during an armed robbery, which immediately led to a civilian being shot. This split-second moment of self-doubt haunted him throughout the episode, forcing the veteran officer to confront his own mortality and the physical toll of his high-risk career.
Fillion praised the writers for giving Nolan this arc, noting it’s a “very human thing to do” and is a realistic consequence of the life-or-death pressures of police work. The joy of the episode was seeing Nolan overcome this hesitation. By the climax of the episode—a thrilling chase to secure a loose nuclear device in Los Angeles—Nolan took the critical, high-pressure shot required to neutralize the final suspects, reaffirming his capability and putting his self-doubt to rest, at least for the moment.
A Rookie Move (on a Scooter!)
In a classic Rookie moment of levity, the premiere also featured a sequence where Nolan commandeered a scooter 🛵 to pursue a fleeing suspect, something Fillion admitted he’d been pitching to the writers for years. This moment perfectly encapsulates the blend of resourceful, slightly unorthodox policing that defines Nolan, even as he struggles with serious issues.
Bailey and Nolan: A Solid Relationship Facing “Complications”
While the season premiere saw Bailey Nune absent due to her deployment with the National Guard, the threat posed by her escaped ex-husband, Jason Wyler, loomed large over Nolan.
The Ever-Present Threat of Jason
Fillion emphasized that the stakes for the “Nolan and Bailey” relationship were “very high,” describing Jason as “psychotically persistent” and having directly targeted “the love of Nolan’s life.”
Nolan’s inability to immediately capture Jason in the premiere left him with a dangerous “loose end,” which Fillion noted is something John cannot tolerate. The deployment of Bailey, which was extended for her safety, only intensified Nolan’s frustration and protective instinct, even though Fillion was quick to point out that “Bailey is not a damsel in distress.”
Resolving Bailey’s Moral Dilemma
A major relationship hurdle for the couple this season centered on the fallout from Bailey’s morally ambiguous actions in the previous season, specifically her contact with a hitman to deal with Jason.
Fillion assured fans that despite this intense conflict, the couple remains “still solid going forward.” Rather than driving a wedge between them, the drama surrounding Jason and the subsequent revelations about Bailey’s trauma—which she finally acknowledged to Nolan as a form of abuse—were intended to bring them closer together. The actors and writers ensured their reconciliation, particularly in an episode later in the season, showed Nolan moving past judgment to offer true support, while Bailey found the strength to confront her past.
The End of the Adoption Dream
One of the major developments for the couple later in Season 7 was the resolution of their desire to adopt a child.
Showrunner Alexi Hawley confirmed that the storyline has come to a close—at least for now. After meeting with a social worker, Nolan and Bailey were deemed unsuitable candidates for adoption due to the sheer volume of near-death experiences and the high-risk nature of their careers as a police officer and a firefighter/paramedic.
Fillion acknowledged that while this was a sad turn, it was also a “reality for lots of people.” This narrative decision grounds the show in a painful but realistic outcome, forcing Nolan and Bailey to find peace in having a life together that is just the two of them. It ensures that the drama surrounding their relationship is not centered on an overly used “adoption trope,” but on their continued commitment to each other amidst professional danger and personal trauma.
What’s Next for Nolan in Season 7 and Beyond
Beyond his personal life, Nolan remains the anchor of the series, continuing his role as a Training Officer (TO). Fillion confirmed that Nolan would continue to train new recruits, “passing his wisdom down to other rookies” throughout the season.
The show’s longevity, now entering its seventh season, is a testament to the fact that the job of a police officer is “not a static job.” As Fillion noted, “Every time a call comes in, it could be something goofy and hilarious, [or] it could be something life altering and dangerous.” This constant variety ensures that Nolan, despite having moved past his official “rookie” status, never stops learning and evolving.
With the threat of Jason neutralized (albeit in a complicated manner) and the painful but final closure on their adoption journey, Nolan and Bailey will now focus on the day-to-day realities of their healthy, but always-complicated, marriage. They are set to weather future storms together, proving that even a life lived on the razor’s edge can still be built on a solid foundation of choice and love . As Fillion suggests, while future “complications” are inevitable, the couple has shown they are ready to face them as a unified front.
