Officer John Nolan (Nathan Fillion) always had aspirations of being a detective. During the events of the Season 3 finale of The Rookie, Nolan is cornered after being framed by corrupt Detective Nick Armstrong (Harold Perrineau), having discovered his connections to a known crime family. While Nolan ultimately proved his and Naya’s (Mekia Cox) innocence, his zealous actions earned him a Letter of Reprimand in his file — dashing any hope ofadvancement within the Mid-Wilshire Police Department. The tide turns for Nolan in Season 5, and he is granted a “Golden Ticket” due to his heroic actions during a border town shootout. While he was now free to choose any path he wanted — he decided to become a training officer. But did Nolan make the right call? The short answer is yes — his choice would have fundamentally changed the team’s dynamic. It coincides with what happened to him the day he got his Golden Ticket — the escape of one of The Rookie’s most terrifying villains — serial killer Rosalind Dyer (Annie Wersching). Her escape leads to the death of several people inside the courthouse and the nearly fatal stabbing of Assistant District Attorney Chris Sanford (Kanoa Goo), who was briefly Lucy’s (Melissa O’Neil) boyfriend.
Nolan’s Lack of Experience Drives Him To Prove Himself in ‘The Rookie’
John Nolan’s eagerness to prove himself is often at odds with his need to follow the rules. Sergeant Grey (Richard T. Jones) warns him that his time as a rookie later in life might be a detriment to training younger officers because he wasn’t in his 20s when he joined the training program. Instead, he suggests learning from his experience as a father. Bradford (Eric Winter) referred to being a training officer as the police department’s “highest honor.” Nolan’s choice was born out of necessity, at least in his head. While Nolan has seen his fair share of violence on The Rookie, his choice to remain with his boots on the ground puts him in a position to prevent crime. It also places him in a familiar setting — keeping him from venturing too far out of his comfort zone. Training the next generation of rookies is familiar to him, and the fact that Nolan is paired with Aaron Thorsen (Tru Valentino) doesn’t feel like a coincidence. Sergeant Grey likely paired them together because of the similar way they joined the training program, with Thorsen’s transition from the son of a famous musician to a police officer being similar to Nolan’s own mid-life career shift.
A Different Choice From Nolan Could Have Rocked the Team
When wrestling with how to spend his Golden Ticket, Nolan’s fellow officers offer many perspectives on his options. Using his usual blunt but relatable honesty, Smitty (Brent Huff) warns him of the hard work and long hours involved. Trading sleeves for a blazer would also put him at odds with Wesley (Shawn Ashmore) and the other district attorneys of the city of Los Angeles. If he entered the doors of Mid-Wilshire as Detective Nolan, that choice could have had a domino effect on the other team members. More resources and access could have helped Nolan begin his hunt for the escaped Rosalind Dyer sooner. The longer hours and emotional strain might have pulled him away from being present when his fiancée, Firefighter Bailey Nune (Jenna Newan). If Nolan had sought Rosalind out, the resulting manhunt could have shattered his unshakable sense of justice. Rosalind’s death gave him the closure he needed to put the events of her escape that unfolded on the day of his Golden Ticket behind him rather than being haunted by his action, should Nolan have decided to kill her.
The Other Rookies Need John Nolan as a Training Officer
Nolan’s first official rookie, Selina Juarez (Lisseth Chavez) has an unorthodox approach to policing and her methods nearly get her washed out on her first day in the training program. She is eager, almost erratic, often making decisions based on hunches and feelings rather than following procedure. She runs ahead of Nolan while pursuing a suspect in the woods. Nolan eventually finds her in time, but had she had a different training officer — she might have been killed. Or she could have just been kicked out altogether and would no longer be a cop. However, Nolan’s unwavering patience eventually encourages her to see her initiation as a subconscious intuition toward detail. Her perspective is shown to be an asset and not a distraction. Nolan’s decision to commit to being a training officer also affects Thorsen. Nolan’s unwavering empathy affects his perspective, and without it, Thorsen’s post-rookie policing could have been totally different. John Nolan’s Golden Ticket could have been seen as a free pass but, in reality, his choice is unknowingly selfless and directly helped the entire team.
