Nathan Fillion Teases ‘Complications’ for Nolan and Bailey in Season 7 (Exclusive)

[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for The Rookie Season 7 premiere “The Shot.”]

To describe John Nolan in one word, he’s “frustrated,” Nathan Fillion says, to have his wife Bailey’s (Jenna Dewan) sociopathic ex-husband Jason (Steve Kazee) still free at the end of The Rookie Season 7 premiere.

But the episode does begin with Nolan thinking they’ll get him, only for Jason to not be at the location they raid. “The stakes are very high. Jason is nothing if not persistent. He is psychotically persistent and he has targeted the love of Nolan’s life,” notes Fillion in the debut of Booked: The Rookie Aftershow. (Watch the full video above.)

“So the stakes are very high and when he thinks he’s going to be able to do something about it, of course that makes him feel like he’s taking care of the people he loves. But when it doesn’t turn out, it’s a loose end, and John can’t have that,” he continues.

Bailey has been deployed with the National Guard, and while that’s set to end soon, her stay has been extended so she’s safe outside the country. But as Fillion is quick to point out, “Bailey is not a damsel in distress. She is a woman who can take care of herself. It kills John, of course, even though his job is to run directly into danger as is hers — and one could arguably say she has more experience with the military as well.”

The good news is this is not going to put a strain on their relationship. “They are still solid going forward,” promises Fillion. “There are going to be complications, there are going to be things that are problematic in their relationship as there are in all relationships. I think that’s reality. But this is something I don’t think that drives a wedge between them. I think this is something that brings them closer together.” But it’s also something that they have to keep in mind when it comes to future conversations about adoption.

The premiere also featured something that Fillion has been pitching for many years: Nolan commandeering a scooter to go after a suspect (which pays off!). It’s such a Rookie move.

“I was kind of surprised at how fast they go,” the star admits. “I wasn’t really prepared for that. I was not wearing a helmet. I tend not to get on a vehicle that requires balance, A, without a helmet and B, at any speed faster than I’m comfortable falling off of it. And we were doing a nice little stunt on there where I ran right into a young lady, knocking her down on that scooter. It seems easy, but you’re trying not to actually hurt somebody and you’re trying not to actually get hurt all at the same time. But it was nice to finally be able to do it. I’m telling you, I’ve been pitching that one for ages.”

Watch the full interview above as Fillion breaks down the premiere (including taking that shot at the end), teases what’s ahead for Nolan and Bailey, his dynamic with Celina (Lisseth Chavez) as she progresses in her training, and more.

The Rookie, Tuesdays, 10/9c, ABC