The Rookie: Is Bailey Nune Turning Heel?

The fourth season of the hit ABC series, The Rookie, ended a long arc involving the sinister La Fiera, but began another storyline involving a serial arsonist and killer. In addition, the season has seen its lead character, John Nolan, with a new love interest in form of firefighter Bailey Nune, played by Jenna Dewan. This was Nolan's third on-screen relationship; he dated fellow officer Lucy Chen during the first season, and the second season saw him involved with Dr. Grace Sawyer. Dewan's Bailey Nune debuted on the third season finale, and has appeared in all but two episodes of the fourth season. However, as the storyline progresses, and Nolan and Bailey's relationship becomes closer, there lurks a possibility that Bailey could be the villainess behind everything.

The latest chapter in the arsonist angle took place in "Poetic Justice," which saw Nolan invited to what was revealed to be a sober gathering orchestrated by her superior, Lt. Fred Mitchell. While there, Nolan saw something interesting: a collection of acetone jugs in the garage, leading him to call Chen with suspicions that Mitchell could be the arsonist. The call is noticed by Bailey, and when she learns about Nolan and Chen's suspicions, she quickly goes off.

It's in this episode that we see the worst version of Bailey's main trait, and a lot of fans know what I'm talking about. We have seen Bailey tell Nolan and Chen to stay in their lane in her cases, and she let them have it regarding their look into Mitchell, but what do we see later? Bailey, going gung ho, entering her boss's home and conducting her own investigation--and not really doing a good job of it. We see Bailey find a vast collection of items (among them, a gold watch), which she touches bare-handed. Ever heard of gloves, Bailey? There is such a thing as fingerprints, just saying.

Nolan, rightfully so, gets angry at Bailey's actions, and lets her have it after his distraction allows Bailey to leave without her boss catching her, but we see Bailey go on the defensive regarding her conduct. Also not good. Bailey's convinced of Mitchell's guilt, but on their way to the house with their warrant, the house suddenly explodes. Which brings me to this:

Now, I've had a gut feeling for weeks now that Bailey's the true arsonist. It's mainly due to four things; one, my adoration for villainesses, two, my adoration for a good female heel turn, three, a wish to see Jenna Dewan play a very fiendish villainess, and four, stories I've heard about firefighters doubling as arsonists. Plus, something seems a bit off about Bailey, I don't know what, but it's something. Anyway, the promo for the next episode, "Fire Fight," played at episode's end, and now it's furthered my belief that this is the episode where Bailey finally turns heel.

Though the 30-second promo shows Bailey laid up, it's the last few seconds that stay with me. The promo shows that Nolan had been taken and tied up, and the mysterious attacker (most likely the true arsonist) is really beating him down. I and others who commented on the video noticed the frame of the attacker; the legs are quite slender (the attacker's shown waist down, of course). That definitely gives the possibility that it is a woman, and I truly believe that very villainess is Bailey. It would be perfect; Bailey's close to Nolan, she can be cunning when she wants to be, and she could use that relationship to cover her evil tracks.

Though part of me wants Bailey to be evil, another part doesn't. Nolan cannot have three failed relationships in this show; he truly deserves someone in his life. I read a possibility that if the arsonist is female, it could be Abigail, who is involved with Nolan's son, Henry. It's a nice twist, but I don't really know if that'll happen. The next episode will tell the tale. Has it really been Bailey all along? Is Bailey the one beating down Nolan and laughing evilly at him in the promo? We'll find out soon enough.

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