When the firefighter Bailey Nune (Jenna Dewan) made her initial debut in the Season 3 finale of the ABC series, The Rookie, “Threshold,” she exuded a suspicious vibe. At first, the potential new love interest for John Nolan (Nathan Fillion), seemed too good to be true. Bailey shows up at Nolan’s doorstep, wearing nothing but a towel, after locking herself out of a neighbor’s home, where she was house-sitting. Early on, the series arguably took a superficial approach to Bailey’s development. Her earlier appearances quickly established a relationship with Nolan, depicting her as an extreme, heroic badass who can keep up with Nolan’s equally extreme lifestyle as an officer for the Los Angeles Police Department. The problem is that Bailey’s initial appearances lacked an organic, natural quality, and her character development felt rushed. However, the last two seasons took a much better approach in writing Bailey, who has since become one of the show’s strongest characters.
Bailey Nune’s Early Appearances Felt Unnatural and Rushed
During her debut episode of The Rookie, it’s revealed that Bailey Nune is a Los Angeles firefighter, a lieutenant in the Army Reserve, and a Capoeira instructor. The show dumped a lot of exposition on the character without ever truly showing her in action. When things pick back up, and Nolan and Bailey start dating in Season 4, the series eventually depicts Bailey on the job as a firefighter and an EMT more often. Bailey’s introduction was not the most organic way to introduce a character and potential love interest.
The initial impression from Bailey is that she is an overachiever who is good at everything. One of her colleagues in the Season 5 episode, “The Choice,” even outright calls her an “adrenaline junkie.” Bailey initially attempts to break up with Nolan over text, claiming that she’s “terrible” at relationships, and she is “a lot” to deal with. However, Nolan persuades Bailey to continue giving their relationship a try, and the two resume their courtship. There was not a lot of depth to Bailey’s character early on. But later in Season 4, the depth and meaning of her words about being terrible at relationships and her being “a lot” to deal with became abundantly clear. That’s when the show essentially threw all the initial assumptions regarding Bailey out the window.
Jason Wyler Becomes a Pivotal Storyline for Bailey Nune’s Development
During Season 4, Episode 9, “Breakdown,” things are going so well between John and Bailey that he’s thinking about proposing. However, their romantic bliss is interrupted by the arrival of Bailey’s estranged husband, Jason Wyler (Steve Kazee). Wyler is a toxic and emotionally abusive partner, who Bailey was trying to divorce, and Wyler attempts to ruin Bailey’s life and her relationship with Nolan when he returns. Jason’s presence offers greater depth and explanation for Bailey’s attempt at rejecting Nolan earlier in the Season 4 episode, “Five Minutes.”
When Bailey first meets Nolan, she’s still dealing with the trauma of trying to separate from an abusive, manipulative partner. She might not have been ready to trust Nolan and start a new relationship. Bailey’s earlier attempt to break up with Nolan was likely a means of emotionally shielding herself. What she truly meant by “terrible at relationships” was that she was trying to recover from the emotional damage from her previous marriage. Nolan is initially upset that Bailey neglected to tell him about Jason, but he supports her efforts to effectively cut him out of her life. Jason is not only abusive, he’s a drug dealer who attempts to destroy Bailey’s career in the episode, “Heart Beat,” by framing her for drug possession. With help from Nolan and the Mid-Wilshire Division, Jason is sent back to prison in the next episode, “End Game,” and Bailey can finally divorce him. Nolan and Bailey successfully overcome the problem and get their relationship back on track.
The Jason Wyler episodes were important because they added exceptional depth to Bailey as a character. Even though Bailey was a victim of abuse by a toxic partner, the series never depicted her as a helpless victim. Dewan showcased incredible vulnerability in these scenes, yet she also displayed Bailey’s strength and grace in overcoming her past traumas. Despite Jason’s attempts to ruin her life and happiness, Bailey and John take decisive action in bringing Jason to justice. The Jason Wyler storyline was compelling and a major challenge in Bailey and John’s relationship. Through the ordeal, John proves himself as an understanding, compassionate individual, accepting Bailey’s past relationship with Wyler. Bailey finally divorces Jason, not allowing his past abusive actions to define her life, and her relationship with her true love, John Nolan, finally moves forward. Bailey’s later proposal of marriage to John in the Season 5 episode, “The Fugitive,” is a perfect example of their unconventional romance. While John and Bailey’s relationship started on shaky ground, it’s since become one of the best aspects of The Rookie.
Season 5 Adds Proper Context for Bailey’s Type-A Personality
In Season 5, there are some minor subplots involving Bailey that, while they are comedically playful, also provide her with some great character moments. In Season 5’s eighth episode, “The Collar,” Bailey tries to solve the mystery of a scratching noise underneath her and John’s home. Later, she discovers the source of the noise is a coyote, after mistaking it for a dog. Somehow, true to her character, Bailey traps the coyote in a crate. Later in the season’s nineteenth episode, “A Hole in the World,” there’s a fun subplot regarding Bailey taking a day off and being unable to relax. While it’s an amusing subplot, it delivers some genuine development for the character. All those aspects that made her seem like “a lot” when she first joined the cast stem from her inability to relax.
This subplot depicting Bailey’s discomfort at home does infinitely better in fleshing out her character than her debut episode, which simply dumps a lot of exposition about her various occupations. The episode adeptly illustrates why Bailey is so active. She simply cannot sit still and must constantly stay busy. Even when Bailey is not part of the central plot, stories such as this successfully showcase her as a fully realized character. In Season 5, Bailey feels more like a fully-fledged character rather than merely a love interest for John Nolan. She has become an indelible part of the series. It’s difficult to imagine The Rookie without Bailey Nune.
Bailey’s Ex-Husband Escapes Prison in Season 6
In the Season 6 finale of The Rookie, “Escape Plan,” Bailey’s ex-husband, Jason Wyler, is back in the picture, as he allies with Oscar Hutchinson (Matthew Glave) while in prison. Together, with help from Monica Stevens (Bridget Regan), they escape from prison, with Jason looking to get back to Los Angeles to take revenge on Nolan and Bailey. The good news is that Sgt. Wade Grey (Richard T. Jones) informs Nolan and Bailey of Jason and Oscar’s joint escape. That means they have time to either get the drop on their aggressors and/or set up a trap for them when Season 7 revisits the subplot. The bad news is that audiences will have to wait until early next year to finally see a resolution to the Season 6 cliffhanger.
The Rookie won’t be returning for Season 7 until early next year. All six seasons of the show are streaming now on Hulu in the U.S.
