The Rookie Season 6 Is Finally Paying Off One Couple’s Drawn-Out Endgame Tease

Following a long hiatus, The Rookie is back with season 6, and one of the television show's upcoming episodes will address a more than yearlong tease concerning one couple's fate. The ABC police procedural crime series, created by Alexi Hawley, revolves around Nathan Fillion's John Nolan, who, at the beginning of the show, became a middle-aged rookie in the Los Angeles Police Department after a life-changing experience convinced him to switch careers. Over the course of the series, Nolan's character has grown professionally and personally, including in his various romantic relationships.

Nolan was newly divorced at the beginning of The Rookie, so his career change and move from Pennsylvania to Los Angeles gave him another chance at romance and a new perspective on life. Throughout the ABC crime show's five seasons, Nolan has experienced an active dating life, which makes sense, given he's the main character. From Lucy Chen (whose cringeworthy relationship with Nolan most viewers like to forget about) to Jessica Russo and Grace Sawyer, Fillion's character has had his fair share of love interests. However, Nolan will finally settle down for good in The Rookie season 6.

Nolan & Bailey Are Getting Married In The Rookie Season 6, Episode 2

Jenna Dewan as Bailey Nune and Nathan Fillion as John Nolan in The Rookie season 6, episode 2.

Melissa O'Neil as Lucy Chen and Eric Winter as Tim Bradford watch a wedding in The Rookie season 6, episode 2.

Lisseth Chavez as Celina Juarez and Tru Valentino as Aaron Thorsen talk at a wedding in The Rookie season 6, episode 2.

Nolan and Bailey get married in The Rookie season 6, episode 2.

Angela Lopez, Wesley Evers, James Murray, and Nyla Harper talk while drinking Champagne in The Rookie season 6, episode 2.

Jenna Dewan as Bailey Nune and Nathan Fillion as John Nolan in The Rookie season 6, episode 2.

Melissa O'Neil as Lucy Chen and Eric Winter as Tim Bradford watch a wedding in The Rookie season 6, episode 2.

Lisseth Chavez as Celina Juarez and Tru Valentino as Aaron Thorsen talk at a wedding in The Rookie season 6, episode 2.

Nolan and Bailey get married in The Rookie season 6, episode 2.

Angela Lopez, Wesley Evers, James Murray, and Nyla Harper talk while drinking Champagne in The Rookie season 6, episode 2.

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Jenna Dewan as Bailey Nune and Nathan Fillion as John Nolan in The Rookie season 6, episode 2.

Melissa O'Neil as Lucy Chen and Eric Winter as Tim Bradford watch a wedding in The Rookie season 6, episode 2.

Lisseth Chavez as Celina Juarez and Tru Valentino as Aaron Thorsen talk at a wedding in The Rookie season 6, episode 2.

Nolan and Bailey get married in The Rookie season 6, episode 2.

Angela Lopez, Wesley Evers, James Murray, and Nyla Harper talk while drinking Champagne in The Rookie season 6, episode 2.

Jenna Dewan as Bailey Nune and Nathan Fillion as John Nolan in The Rookie season 6, episode 2.

Melissa O'Neil as Lucy Chen and Eric Winter as Tim Bradford watch a wedding in The Rookie season 6, episode 2.

Lisseth Chavez as Celina Juarez and Tru Valentino as Aaron Thorsen talk at a wedding in The Rookie season 6, episode 2.

Nolan and Bailey get married in The Rookie season 6, episode 2.

Angela Lopez, Wesley Evers, James Murray, and Nyla Harper talk while drinking Champagne in The Rookie season 6, episode 2.

Close

Jenna Dewan as Bailey Nune and Nathan Fillion as John Nolan in The Rookie season 6, episode 2.

Melissa O'Neil as Lucy Chen and Eric Winter as Tim Bradford watch a wedding in The Rookie season 6, episode 2.

Lisseth Chavez as Celina Juarez and Tru Valentino as Aaron Thorsen talk at a wedding in The Rookie season 6, episode 2.

Nolan and Bailey get married in The Rookie season 6, episode 2.

Angela Lopez, Wesley Evers, James Murray, and Nyla Harper talk while drinking Champagne in The Rookie season 6, episode 2.

Jenna Dewan as Bailey Nune and Nathan Fillion as John Nolan in The Rookie season 6, episode 2.

Melissa O'Neil as Lucy Chen and Eric Winter as Tim Bradford watch a wedding in The Rookie season 6, episode 2.

Lisseth Chavez as Celina Juarez and Tru Valentino as Aaron Thorsen talk at a wedding in The Rookie season 6, episode 2.

Nolan and Bailey get married in The Rookie season 6, episode 2.

Angela Lopez, Wesley Evers, James Murray, and Nyla Harper talk while drinking Champagne in The Rookie season 6, episode 2.

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Bailey Nune, played by Jenna Dewan, is Nolan's most recent (and longest) love interest in The Rookie, and the couple is getting married in season 6, episode 2, "The Hammer," which also serves as the show's 100th episode. The hour's synopsis reads:

The team comes together to celebrate John and Bailey's wedding. Meanwhile, Celina discovers a discrepancy in her case, leading to a new discovery. Elsewhere, Lucy and Tim's relationship is put to the test.

Nolan met Bailey during the season 3 finale when she showed up at his doorstep wearing only a towel. She immediately explained that she was dog-sitting for Nolan's neighbors when she got locked out. So, Nolan, being the kind person he is, lent Bailey a jacket and gave her the spare key he had for his neighbor's house, and the rest is history.

Nolan invited Bailey to Angela Lopez and Wesley Evers' wedding as his plus-one. The event ended in disaster and tragedy, but the couple was still committed to seeing their connection through. Nolan and Bailey have been officially dating since the beginning of season 4, and even though they have had their fair share of rough patches, they have stuck together. After Rosalind Dyer trapped Bailey and almost killed her in The Rookie season 5, episode 4, Bailey proposed to Nolan, and he said yes.

Why Nolan & Bailey's Wedding Took So Long In The Rookie

Nolan (Nathan Fillion) and Bailey (Jenna Dewan) embrace in The Rookie.

Unfortunately, the rest of The Rookie season 5 featured little to almost no talk about Nolan and Bailey's wedding. It seemed like the engagement never happened, given that the characters only mentioned it and the couple's impending nuptials a few times. It was unclear when the wedding would happen, how extravagant or minimal the ceremony would be, or who Nolan and Bailey had invited to the affair. As a result, some were worried that the lack of wedding talk indicated a breakup between Nolan and Bailey was in the cards, but season 6 eased those concerns.

Of course, a television couple's wedding occurring one season following their proposal isn't unheard of, even if it's out of the norm (typically, if an engagement happens early in the season, the wedding takes place during the finale). But the fact that the characters rarely discussed or mentioned Nolan and Bailey's exciting next step in their relationship was a bit strange. The lack of wedding talk might have just been an oversight by the writers, which is likely the case since the Rookie season 6 premiere featured the couple planning the wedding as if they had been doing so all along.

Are Nolan & Bailey Endgame In The Rookie?

Nathan Fillion as John Nolan and Jenna Dewan as Bailey Nune looking on in The Rookie season 6, episode 1.

Given that the Rookie writers reserved the ABC show's 100th episode for Nolan and Bailey's wedding, it might be safe to say that the couple is endgame (at least, for the foreseeable future). Of course, their wedding day will probably be full of mishaps and obstacles. But the promo for the upcoming episode indicates that Nolan and Bailey will get married by the hour's end, and the chances of Nolan getting divorced twice are low (but still not impossible). Ultimately, Bailey has been Nolan's most durable and compatible love interest in The Rookie, which bodes well for their endgame status.

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