The most recent episode was filled with breadcrumbs of Nolan and Harper’s relationship and the dynamic that fans fell in love with. After Nolan graduates from being a rookie, his storyline with Harper diverges, and the two are paired off with other characters. This resulted in the pair having limited screen time and brief interactions that showed a small fraction of their dynamic. Harper went on to work as a detective at the Los Angeles Police Department and partnered with Angela Lopez (Alyssa Diaz). Nolan became a training officer, working with other rookies like Celina Juarez (Lisseth Chavez). The new storylines made it easy for fans to remain focused on the new pairings, forgetting about this duo.
The career changes made their relationship relatable, as many people can attest that that’s one of the reasons people grow apart. With their different career paths, it makes sense why their interactions are brief, but Season 7, Episode 9 indicates that these two characters can share more moments where their bond and dynamic can be seen. In an interview with TV Guide, Fillion talked about the emotional scene between Nolan and Harper and the depth of their bond. He said:
“These are two people who are close. These are two people who, if you remember, started off incredibly antagonistically, but Nyla Harper has come a long, long way — as has John Nolan, just as far as his knowledge base in the job. But they have really built a friendship, a relationship of integrity, over the years, and again, John does not want to be the one to cause Nyla pain.”
‘The Rookie’ Needs More Scenes Between Harper and Nolan
The last scene with Nolan and Harper confirms that The Rookie needs more of these two together on screen. The fan response to this episode and the emotional scene is all the showrunners need to give Nolan and Harper a storyline that highlights their relationship. The showrunners were able to write a storyline that brings these two characters back together in this episode, so a future where they interact for more than a few seconds is possible. ABC needs to give The Rookie fans what they desire, and their answer lies in Harper and Nolan.
