**Editor’s Note:** The following contains spoilers for *The Rookie* Season 8, Episode 1.
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It was pretty exciting when Jenna Dewan joined ABC’s *The Rookie* back in its third season. As Bailey Nune, Dewan injected some fresh energy into the cast. Bailey is an interesting character because there are so many sides to her. She’s a firefighter/EMS in the Los Angeles Fire Department, a 1st Lieutenant reserve in the Army National Guard, and can always defend herself since she teaches capoeira (a type of martial art). She has some zany ideas, but that makes her a perfect match for the more straight-laced John Nolan (Nathan Fillion).
But now that *The Rookie* has entered its eighth season, it’s easy to see that the series has absolutely no clue what to do with her character now that she and Nolan are married.
### Bailey’s Storylines No Longer Make Any Sense on *The Rookie*
Bailey hasn’t always felt out of place with *The Rookie* crew. She’s played an instrumental role in several of Nolan’s investigations and was even part of one of the show’s most intense storylines when her sociopath ex-husband, Jason Wyler (Steve Kazee), re-entered her life in Season 7.
In that plot, Bailey takes matters into her own hands and enlists the help of the notorious hitman, Malvado (Jimmy Gonzales), to take Jason out. This storyline was an intriguing way to gain more insight into Bailey’s character and revealed some moral ambiguity. As a survivor of domestic abuse at Jason’s hands, we learned much more about Bailey’s traumatic past.
The series also explored Bailey’s journey into motherhood, which offered a relatable and heartfelt storyline for viewers.
However, now that we’re in Season 8, it seems like *The Rookie* has no idea how to further develop Bailey’s character.
When she is included in the action alongside her husband, it often feels completely illogical. Case in point: in the premiere episode, which aired on January 6, Bailey tags along with the Mid-Wilshire crew and Nolan on an international sting operation. But it seems like the writers have forgotten she’s a firefighter, not a cop, making it unrealistic that she would be part of such a mission.
Sure, Bailey knows how to defend herself, but she doesn’t add anything meaningful to these scenes—only a frustrating sense of silliness. There’s no plausible way a regular civilian wife would just accompany her husband on a top-secret, dangerous mission.
### *The Rookie* Needs to Figure Out Another Plan for Bailey
We’re not advocating for *The Rookie* to have Bailey play second fiddle to Nolan. Portraying her as nothing more than a wife does a disservice to Bailey’s wide array of talents.
Perhaps the writers could develop a storyline where Bailey realizes she wants to pursue becoming a police officer. Entering the force as the newest rookie would offer plenty of interesting storylines and align well with the overall theme of the series.
It’s not that Jenna Dewan isn’t a capable actor; rather, the material *The Rookie* writers have given Bailey either feels boring or totally inauthentic. Bailey often “pops in” to save the day, but rarely in a way that feels organic to the storytelling. Moreover, she seldom faces consequences for her actions, especially concerning the Jason/Malvado plot, which makes her choices seem unfair.
If the writers don’t come up with an authentic, exciting story arc for Bailey soon, viewers will quickly tire of her seemingly random appearances alongside the other characters.
We don’t want to be Bailey haters, but she’s definitely the weak link so far in Season 8.
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*New episodes of The Rookie air on Tuesday nights on ABC, with episodes available to stream on Hulu in the U.S.*
https://collider.com/the-rookie-season-8-bailey-nune-jenna-dewan-character-change/