The Rookie viewers may know them as Bailey and Tim, but Jenna Dewan and Eric Winter have a history that started before she debuted as a recurring character on Season 3 of the hit ABC series. While they aren’t paired on The Rookie, they were paired as love interests on Witches of East End, which only ran for two seasons on Lifetime before being abruptly cancelled without an actual conclusion.
Bailey is all over the place on The Rookie, making rash decisions and keeping secrets from those she should be confiding in. And this isn’t a far cry from Dewan’s Freya from Witches of East End, and both characters were set on self-sabotage despite their cushy circumstances. Meanwhile, Tim Bradford couldn’t be more different from Winter’s Dash. Tim runs a tight ship, though he has softened over the years with the help of Lucy (Melissa O’Neil), but Dash is more unassuming and naive than Tim could (or would) ever be. Freya and Dash’s story in Witches of East End led to some incredible moments with some wild highs and lows.
Jenna Dewan and Eric Winter Played Chaotic Lovers on ‘Witches of East End’
In October 2013, Witches of East End viewers were introduced to the Beauchamp family. This series followed the massive interest in supernatural and paranormal shows, prompted by hit series like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Charmed. Unfortunately, despite having a dedicated fan base, the show was cancelled after Season 2 without much of a conclusion.
Jenna Dewan played Freya alongside Julia Ormond, who played her mother, Joanna Beauchamp. Rachel Boston played Ingrid, Freya’s straight-laced sister. Freya was a spunky character, and Dewan was the perfect actress to play the role. She was paired up with Eric Winter, who played Dash Gardiner. Neither Freya nor Dash knew they had supernatural powers; however, that changed when Freya and Ingrid realized they were the next generation of a long line of witches, as her mom and Aunt Wendy (Mädchen Amick) were witches. Dash found out he was a warlock, but his witch mom, Penelope (Virginia Madsen), stole his abilities to use for herself at birth.
At the beginning of Season 1, the couple is engaged to be married, but by the end of the season and the start of the next, they split because Freya kisses Dash’s brother, Killian (Daniel Di Tomasso). Freya appears to be a chaotic soul in touch with a past life. Everything begins to make sense once she learns the truth about her heritage. The steamy dreams influence Freya’s actions, leading viewers on a roller coaster of emotions throughout the first and second seasons.
Dash was quite the catch for Freya. He was charming and wealthy, with a bit of mystery rolled into everything. Their supernatural powers thwarted their plans to marry and begin their life together. However, their mothers had a long-standing feud, and when Penelope attempted to kill Joanna, she failed. Her death led to Dash getting his powers back, causing chaos in his life. Meanwhile, Freya acted on her dreams about Killian, tearing the couple apart. Interestingly, this completely changed the character. The once charming and likable man became filled with anger and powers he couldn’t easily control. His rage made things difficult, which pushed Freya further away.
One of the biggest storylines happened when Joanna and Aunt Wendy find Freya and Ingrid dead in the backyard. Dewan and Boston are fantastic in the scenes, driving feelings of sorrow and shock home. Many of the scenes that included the “powers” the witches and warlocks felt a bit cheesy, which may have been one of the reasons viewership dropped for Season 2. It wasn’t due to the caliber of acting, though. Dewan, Winter, and their castmates delivered what was written, good or bad.
While in love and following their split, Dewan and Winter’s chemistry on Witches of East End matched perfectly. The heat and fire behind their characters shone through in their performances, leaving viewers torn between whether they wanted Freya and Dash to reunite or see Freya with Killian. Watching Dewan and Winter go back and forth in the scenes during their split highlighted their ability to work together in any position. They went from soulmates to near-enemies, all while their energy and screen presence stayed the same.
‘The Rookie’ Reunites With Jenna Dewan and Eric Winter
Following the cancellation of Witches of East End after just two seasons on Lifetime, Jenna Dewan and Eric Winter would cross paths again on another TV series — ABC’s The Rookie. Winter has been present since The Rookie’s inception in 2018, appearing as a main cast member in all seven seasons as Tim Bradford. Dewan became a recurring player in Season 3 as Bailey Nune, but quickly moved to the main cast when Season 4 debuted and has remained there since.
Over a decade after Witches of East End was cancelled, Jenna Dewan and Eric Winter are working together again. But, despite the chemistry that they might have had on screen in Witches of East End, Bailey and Tim have barely any interactions or scenes together, in stark contrast to Dewan and Winter’s time as Freya and Dash. The show hasn’t given them a reason to interact, but that could always change in the future. If you are a fan of them on the hit ABC drama, checking out Witches of East End is worth a shot, even with just two seasons available.
