u/Fit_Stage6901

I genuinely like Bailey as a character, and Jenna Dewan brings a ton of charm, warmth, and emotional grounding to every scene she’s in. She’s clearly giving the role everything she has. But I’ve always wondered why the writers didn’t just make her LAPD — or at least give her one consistent, realistic profession — instead of turning her into a one‑woman emergency department who somehow appears at every incident in Los Angeles.

Right now she’s written as:

• Firefighter
• Paramedic
• Reserve officer
• Tactical‑adjacent responder
• And apparently always on duty, always available, and always the only responder who shows up

It’s gotten to the point where she feels less like a character and more like a plot device the writers drop into whatever storyline needs an extra pair of hands. She’s the only ED/Fire/Reserve person who attends field incidents, shows up solo, and magically has clearance for situations that normally require entire teams.

None of this is Jenna’s fault — she sells every scene she’s in — but the writing choices around Bailey often pull me out of the story because they’re so exaggerated and inconsistent. If the producers were determined to have her in nearly every episode, wouldn’t it have made far more sense to make her LAPD? That would’ve given her:

• a grounded role
• a believable reason to be present
• natural overlap with Nolan’s world
• and no need for the “Swiss‑army‑knife responder” skillset

Instead, the writers went in the opposite direction and stacked her with so many qualifications that she’s become unintentionally unbelievable.

I genuinely like Bailey as a character, and Jenna Dewan brings a ton of charm, warmth, and emotional grounding to every scene she’s in. She’s clearly giving the role everything she has. But I’ve always wondered why the writers didn’t just make her LAPD — or at least give her one consistent, realistic profession — instead of turning her into a one‑woman emergency department who somehow appears at every incident in Los Angeles.

Right now she’s written as:

• ED nurse
• Firefighter
• Paramedic
• Reserve officer
• Tactical‑adjacent responder
• Survival expert
• And apparently always on duty, always available, and always the only responder who shows up

It’s gotten to the point where she feels less like a character and more like a plot device the writers drop into whatever storyline needs an extra pair of hands. She’s the only ED/Fire/Reserve person who attends field incidents, shows up solo, and magically has clearance for situations that normally require entire teams.

None of this is Jenna’s fault — she sells every scene she’s in — but the writing choices around Bailey often pull me out of the story because they’re so exaggerated and inconsistent. If the producers were determined to have her in nearly every episode, wouldn’t it have made far more sense to make her LAPD? That would’ve given her:

• a grounded role
• a believable reason to be present
• natural overlap with Nolan’s world
• and no need for the “Swiss‑army‑knife responder” skillset

Instead, the writers went in the opposite direction and stacked her with so many qualifications that she’s become unintentionally unbelievable.

I’m curious how other viewers feel. Do you like Bailey’s multi‑role setup, or do you think the character would’ve been stronger (and more realistic) with a single profession like LAPD?

I keep thinking about it while watching the show, especially because Bailey already gives the writers a built‑in bridge between PD, Fire, and EMS. She’s one of the few characters whose job naturally crosses into multiple departments, so she feels like the most logical anchor if ABC ever tried another spinoff.

The Rookie already has a ton of crossover-friendly elements:

• Nolan would organically appear during major rescue events or hospital scenes.
• Chen and Bradford regularly end up in multi‑agency emergencies, so joint PD/Fire episodes would make sense.
• Lopez handles arson/homicide cases, which could tie directly into firehouse investigations.
• Grey is the go-to for interdepartmental coordination, so he’d fit into any citywide incident.
• Even Thorsen or Smitty could pop in for comedic chaos, which the fandom already loves.

Given how Rookie: Feds struggled to find its footing, I’m curious whether a firefighter-focused spinoff would feel more natural — or whether it would risk becoming just another generic procedural unless it kept the same character-driven tone that makes The Rookie work.

****Bailey can only be in 50% of episodes**** ha

I’ve been watching The Rookie since the early seasons, and I’ve always loved its grounded patrol stories, character development, and the mix of humor and realism. Don’t get me wrong — I genuinely love the show and I’d watch it regardless. But lately it feels like it’s drifting pretty far from what originally made it work.

We’ve gone from street‑level policing to zombies, supernatural‑leaning plotlines, and Celina’s “second sight.” Chen has been kidnapped twice, which starts to feel more like a trope than meaningful development. Bailey seems to rotate through every emergency service imaginable — firefighter, EMT, search‑and‑rescue, bomb squad — basically filling in any role needed just to ensure she’s in the episode. ZuZu is now presented as something beyond artificial intelligence, almost a near‑sentient entity, which pushes the show into full sci‑fi territory. And then we literally had Sam and Dean Winchester in one episode, adding a meta‑supernatural vibe that feels miles away from the show’s original tone.

Honestly, I think the shift kinda happened after Dim and Juicy. That storyline felt like the moment the show started leaning harder into heightened, exaggerated, almost comic‑book energy — and everything since has just doubled down on that direction.

Individually, none of these things are deal‑breakers. But together, they make the show feel like it’s shifting from a grounded procedural into a genre‑blended, almost supernatural action‑drama.

Also nepotism with Dash and Rodge

I’m curious how others see it. Do you think the show is evolving in a good way, or drifting too far from its original identity?

I’ve started diving into the 9-1-1 universe to survive the wait for Season 9, but I’d love recommendations from people who know the vibe. Do you stick with police procedurals? Fire/EMS shows? Something totally different? What fills the Rookie‑shaped gap for you between seasons?

I’m trying to figure out what happened with Thorenson. He wasn’t written out, there was no exit arc, no transfer, no in‑universe explanation — he just disappeared.

But then he randomly pops back up in guest appearances, and the show can’t seem to decide who he is when he does. Sometimes he’s the rich kid again, other times he’s suddenly an LAPD officer like he never left.

Is there any official word on why the writers are handling him this way? Or is this just a case of the show quietly dropping a character and then reusing him whenever they feel

I’m curious what kind of storyline fans would create if you were in the writers’ room. If you could write an episode arc for The Rookie, what would you focus on?

Would you center it on specific characters (Chen, Bradford, Harper, Grey, Nolan, etc.), revisit threads from earlier seasons, bring back past villains, or expand on unresolved arcs?

Would your idea be a single episode, a short multi‑episode arc, or something that ties into themes the show has already explored?

I’ve been rewatching Season 1 and I can’t stop thinking about Captain Zoe Andersen. Mercedes Mason brought such a strong, grounded presence to the show as the no-nonsense leader who was also a Marine veteran. She had great chemistry with Nolan, Lucy, Jackson, and the rest of the team, and her character felt like a real anchor in those early episodes.

Her death in “Green Light” (S1E16) was absolutely shocking and hit hard, but I’ve always wondered if the show would have been better if she’d stuck around longer. She added a level of authority, experience, and emotional depth that was unique.

What do you all think?

• Should they have kept her as a main character beyond Season 1?
• Would the show have benefited from having a steady captain figure like her for more seasons?
• Or do you think killing her off was the right move for the story (raising the stakes, showing that no one is safe, etc.)?

Would love to hear everyone’s thoughts

Nathan Fillion has advised he would love to play Nolan for years to come.
This coupled with the fact season 9 has been granted a $34,000,000 California Tax credit which is double of that for season 8 bodes very well.

Its clear to see from between scene takes how much fun the cast has making this so I do hope it runs for a long time to come.

Would Baileys character played better as a TO or Detective instead of the always on hand paramedic/fire/Pentagon/National Guard lol

I'm waiting for her to run for Senate or President ha

With all the talk about the The Rookie universe expanding again, I’ve been thinking about The Rookie: Feds. It got axed after Season 1 back in November 2023, right around the strikes. ABC cited low ratings, the tough Tuesday 10pm death slot, and broader industry economics (streaming wars, consolidation). Creator Alexi Hawley said it wasn’t really a creative failure but a business one.

They tried hard to integrate it with frequent crossovers and shared plots (Rosalind Dyer stuff, etc.) to “bed it in,” but a lot of fans hated feeling forced to watch it just to follow the main show.

What do you all think?

• Was the cancellation fair, or did it deserve more time?
• Was Niecy Nash-Betts miscast as Simone (too over-the-top, know-it-all guidance counselor energy in the FBI)? Or was the character itself the main problem?
• Did the storylines feel unrealistic or repetitive to anyone else?
• Did the constant crossovers help or hurt it?

I know opinions are split — some people warmed up to the supporting cast (Garza, etc.) and thought it improved, others couldn’t stand it from the backdoor pilot. Curious to hear fresh takes now that some time has passed and we’ve seen more of the main show without it.

Did anyone actually enjoy Feds more than the OG? Or are you glad it’s gone?

If you could spin off 1 or 2 characters into their own characters into their own series who would it be?

Mine would be Lopez and Harper

It would just run between seasons of the Rookie lok

I've been thinking a lot about John Nolan's character arc, especially after Season 5's "Golden Ticket" moment. For those who might need a quick refresher on his path:

Nolan faced some major setbacks that blocked traditional advancement. The big one was the Letter of Reprimand in Season 3 after getting involved in exposing corrupt Detective Nick Armstrong (who briefly mentored him). Nolan got framed, went on the run, and that reprimand effectively closed doors to detective roles or specialized units for a while. It forced him to pivot.

By Season 5, the Golden Ticket — that rare chance to pick any assignment in the LAPD basically wiped the slate clean and reopened every door, including detective tracks. But instead of chasing the detective exam or a high-profile unit, Nolan chose to become a Training Officer (TO). He's since thrived in that role, mentoring rookies like Celina Juarez, Aaron Thorsen, Seth Ridley, and Miles Penn. It feels like he's found real fulfillment in shaping the next generation of officers.

The question is: Do you think Nolan should have used that Golden Ticket to pursue becoming a detective (or something more "prestigious"), or is keeping him as a Training Officer the right call and actually the emotional core of the show?**

On one hand:

Detective Nolan could open up fresh storylines — more intense cases, deeper investigations, higher stakes, and seeing him finally "level up" after all the obstacles he's overcome. It might feel like earned progression after everything he's been through.

Some fans argue the show started with him as the underdog rookie who was "too old" for the job, and becoming a detective would complete that classic hero's journey.

On the other hand:

Nolan as a TO has become one of the most wholesome and impactful parts of the series. His patience, life experience, and mentorship style bring heart, humor, and growth to the rookies (and the show itself). It keeps him grounded and relatable instead of turning him into just another hardened detective.

The show has always been about more than climbing the ranks — it's about found family, second chances, and making a difference in everyday ways. Staying a TO reinforces that theme beautifully.

What do you all think? Would detective Nolan energize the show going forward, or would it lose something essential? Is the TO path more true to his character, or does it hold him back? Curious to hear everyone's takes — especially from those who love the mentoring scenes vs. those craving more procedural detective work.

Bonus: How do you feel about the other rookies' trajectories in comparison?

I wondered how such an annoying character was persisting

Mine is Elijah Wood. He has an easy menace to him ha

If you had to cut two characters from the show who would they be and why

I think he brings some needed comic relief

I know she is a strong character and high achiever (Fire/Paramedic/National Guard) but that was such a stretch for me lol. I'm starting to see the same characteristics with Luna's character in that she's always on hand in the hospital