Is Nolan Losing His Appeal? Fans of The Rookie Weigh In on His Character Development
Nathan Fillion's much-adored character appears to be devolving into a mere caricature of his former self.
Since its debut in 2018, The Rookie has captivated audiences with its portrayal of John Nolan, the LAPD's oldest rookie, as he confronted the challenges of street-level police work while grappling with his personal problems. Fans have raved about the show's fresh take on the tried-and-true police procedural formula, engaging weekly storylines, and deep character development.
However, some viewers have begun to sense that the series may be losing momentum, with a noticeable drop in quality.
This shift in direction has not gone unnoticed, leaving fans anxious about the future of their beloved show.
Many found season five fascinating as it pushed the show's winning formula to the limit, introducing a slew of new characters and plotlines. There was one thing fans didn't like, though: John Nolan seems to be going stale even as the other characters around him are getting more and more interesting. What's going on here?
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Fans say Nolan is turning into a caricature of himself this season. A character that was once a realistically-written human has been devolving into a walking-talking laughing stock.
All the recent happenings in his story have been presented as jokes that have had little effect on his personality. This can be clearly seen in one of season five's most interesting subplots, the downfall of Rosalind.
Rosalind Dyer was one of the most compelling villains in the series, constantly putting Nolan and his colleagues through their paces. The manipulative murderer was first introduced in season two and quickly became a fan favourite owing to her devious scheming. She hurt Nolan badly and even kidnapped his girlfriend, Bailey Nune.
So it's natural that Nolan should wish her dead, but when Rosalind finally did die in season five, Noland seemingly shrugged it off like it was no big deal.
The fandom's consensus is that season-one-vintage Nolan would have handled the Rosalind situation very differently. Nolan has changed a great deal over the past few years, and not all the changes have been for the better.