The Rookie has been following the life of Nathan Fillion's John Nolan throughout the show's run, and in the show's upcoming ninth season, the ABC hit is officially set to fix the biggest issues they've run into with the character over the past few years. As the anchor of The Rookie, Nolan is the emotional center of the series, but that doesn't mean his storylines are always the most fun or interesting. Despite the amount of chaos that happens from episode to episode on the ABC hit, which often sees the Mid-Wilshire division dealing with disaster, Nolan can be boring.
Even with Nolan's relationship with Bailey Nune (Jenna Dewan) complicating things for the LAPD's one-time oldest rookie in the past few seasons, it can sometimes feel like more of a chore to watch Nolan storylines than the other characters on the series. Some of this has to do with the fact that Nolan is thrown into storylines that push him to be a heroic figure, which doesn't always mean they're fundamentally the most interesting. The past few seasons have put Nolan in an odd position, as he's working with new rookies and simultaneously tasked with bigger stories within each episode.
While The Rookie season 9 isn't coming until mid-season, the next installment of the series could easily make a major shift when it comes to Nolan and the way his character impacts the larger story. Fixing the Nolan piece of the puzzle could push The Rookie into a new era.
The Rookie Season 9 Is Set To Put Nolan On Another New Path
After the back and forth of the past few seasons of The Rookie, which have seen Nolan teaching another rookie of his own and struggling in his marriage to Bailey, the next season of the series has the chance to right the biggest wrongs of the character's journey. When The Rookie started, Nolan was meant to be a perpetual rookie himself. As the oldest rookie in LAPD history, Nolan was set up to be a character who was always learning something new. As he moved through his training, he became a better officer, made new relationships, and found himself changed.
The Rookie season 9, after seeing Nolan and Bailey's struggles, appears to be putting the character back onto a different path. With a new class of rookie officers coming into Mid-Wilshire, Nolan will have another officer to teach, which should ground him back into his job rather than pushing him out into bigger cases so consistently. Similarly, Nolan will have to deal with new issues in his relationship, which could paint a very different picture as he moves forward in his marriage. Regardless of whether his new path is difficult or not, Nolan being grounded again is the right move.
POLL
How do you feel about John Nolan being refocused on mentoring a new rookie in season 9?
I love it — the show is best when Nolan is learning and mentoring
I love it — the show is best when Nolan is learning and mentoring 25.0%
I’m cautiously optimistic, but it depends on the new rookie
I’m cautiously optimistic, but it depends on the new rookie 50.0%
I’d rather the show focus more on the wider ensemble than Nolan’s mentoring
I’d rather the show focus more on the wider ensemble than Nolan’s mentoring 25.0%
I’m not very interested in Nolan’s storyline either way
I’m not very interested in Nolan’s storyline either way 0.0%
multi-answer Which kinds of season 9 storylines are you most interested in following?
Nolan mentoring a challenging new rookie
Nolan mentoring a challenging new rookie 25.0%
Nolan and Bailey navigating their marriage issues
Nolan and Bailey navigating their marriage issues 50.0%
Bigger ensemble cases with the whole Mid-Wilshire team
Bigger ensemble cases with the whole Mid-Wilshire team 25.0%
Character-driven drama about careers, burnout, and starting over
Character-driven drama about careers, burnout, and starting over 0.0%
How are you most likely to watch The Rookie season 9 when it arrives?
Live or same-night on ABC
Live or same-night on ABC 50.0%
Streaming next day on Hulu or Disney+ bundle
Streaming next day on Hulu or Disney+ bundle 0.0%
Binge-watching once several episodes are out
Binge-watching once several episodes are out 50.0%
Catching up only if I hear very strong buzz about the new direction
Catching up only if I hear very strong buzz about the new direction 0.0%
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Nolan's Eternal Rookie Status Is A Quintessential Part Of The Series
Throughout the run of The Rookie, one of the show's biggest themes is that the characters are eternally starting over in some capacity. Nolan is meant to be a perpetual rookie, starting over and trying new things as he moves through his career in the LAPD and in his personal life. While that perpetual rookie-ness has felt like a somewhat less prevalent theme in the past few seasons of the series, The Rookie season 9 has the opportunity to lean into Nolan starting over again. Nolan's life has been changing, and the show needs to continue following his movements consistently.
The Rookie may not make big moves with Nolan's character in terms of changing up his position or giving him a whole new relationship, but the show has the chance to kick start his storyline again with his newest rookie. Giving Nolan a challenging officer in the coming season, someone he has to figure out how to work with in a different way than he's trained in the past, could create a compelling storyline for the character. Nolan's story anchors the series, and with The Rookie moving into its ninth season, the show could use a different foundational style.
