After six seasons (and a seventh one on the way), The Rookie has perfected the police procedural. There are plenty of high-octane police chases, mysterious cases to solve, and some interpersonal drama thrown in for good measure. But, as with any series, there have also been some missteps along the way. One story line, that took place all the way back in Season 1, was so unfortunate that it’s a blessing the show decided to switch courses and abandon the plot altogether.
Chen and Nolan Used To Be an Item in ‘The Rookie’ Season 1
The beginning of the series introduces the rookie officers of the Mid-Wilshire Police Department. John Nolan (Nathan Fillion) is the oldest rookie in the history of the LAPD, and he’s joined by Lucy Chen (Melissa O’Neil) and Jackson West (Titus Makin Jr.) as they try to train in one of the most difficult jobs there is. It’s revealed right away in the pilot episode that Chen and Nolan are in a romantic relationship but that they’re hiding it from everyone else at the precinct. When Talia Bishop (Afton Williamson), Nolan’s training officer, catches wind of their romance, she cautions Chen about being tied to another cop. She advises Chen to break up with Nolan so that she can focus on her career and on reaching her goals as a police officer. Aside from Nolan being a distraction, there’s also the chance that Chen could come up against some judgment from her colleagues. It’s hard enough being a woman in a male-dominated field like law enforcement. Chen takes her advice to heart and knows that the relationship with Nolan will only cause her problems. Before things can get serious between them, she breaks up with him.
The Chen/Nolan Romance in ‘The Rookie’ Didn’t Work For So Many Reasons
Once Chen and Nolan call it quits, they move forward and never look back (although they are able to maintain their friendship over the years). At first, it would seem a little odd that this relationship doesn’t get mentioned in any major way at any other time in the show. However, it is very clear that the romance just didn’t work within the framework of the series, so maybe it’s understandable that this Rookie story line is better left forgotten. The partnership never really worked because it felt too stereotypical. Having the two main rookie characters fall in love and pair up was just a bit too convenient (and not all that original).
There’s also the fact that the pairing of Nolan and Chen as lovers was a bit icky. There’s a pretty major age difference between the two actors (Fillion is 53 and O’Neill is 36). While this doesn’t usually deter writers from pairing up co-stars, in this case, there was too much of a father/daughter vibe that ended up feeling off-putting. The way these two characters interact has always involved more of a teasing nature that makes them feel related versus being super attracted to one another. The chemistry that has to exist between co-stars for a romantic pairing to work was just never there between Fillion and O’Neill, so it makes sense that The Rookie writers decided to go in a different direction right away in the first season.
The good thing about Nolan and Chen not working out is that there have been some really intriguing pairings over the years with their respective significant others. Nolan has found a lifelong love in Bailey Nune (Jenna Dewan), and their dating history and nuptials have provided lots of captivating storylines for the series. And then there’s the fan favorite Chenford, when Chen paired up with Tim Bradford (Eric Winter). Although there have been plenty of bumps in the road for this couple, fans have shipped them since the very beginning. It’s definitely good that Chen and Nolan didn’t stay together for very long so that the series could grow in a more organic way with characters that actually seem destined to be together. Having two rookies in a relationship would have become boring very quickly, so thank goodness viewers didn’t have to stick around to see the Chen and Nolan romance play out for multiple episodes. With so many high-quality storylines, we can all be grateful that the Chen/Nolan romance is a thing of the past.
