Despite his best efforts, nothing is ever easy for The Rookie’s John Nolan — including his and wife Bailey Nune’s adoption process.
In Us Weekly’s exclusive sneak peek at the Tuesday, April 8, episode of the ABC series Nolan (Nathan Fillion) and Bailey (Jenna Dewan) face their biggest hurdle to welcoming a baby into their home: the social worker meeting.
“Sorry, parking was a nightmare. I’m almost there,” Nolan tells Bailey while walking down the streets of Los Angeles to their first meeting with the social worker.
Bailey is stressed, replying, “Oh, great, we’re both running late. Fantastic first impression.”
“I’m sure the social worker will understand,” Nolan says as a woman on the street gives him a strange look.
Bailey reminds him, “We’re asking her to trust us with a baby. We need to be perfect.”
As Nolan hangs up the phone with his wife another passerby gives him a dirty look causing him to turn around. In that moment, Nolan understands why people are staring — and it’s not a good look.
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“Is John Nolan a dirty cop?” a giant billboard reads with his face plastered up for everyone to see. “Our lives are in their hands, do you feel safe?”
“Oh no!” Nolan says, stunned to be associated with a possible dirty cop reputation. To make matters worse, their social worker is standing outside and could see his face any minute.
“It is such a nice day, I figured we could sit outside?” the social worker named Miss Greer asks, but Nolan quickly shuts down the idea, saying, “No! No, my allergies are just very [bad]. Do you mind if we sit inside?”
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As she goes inside the café, Bailey asks her husband why he’s acting so odd, and he turns her around to see the billboard.
“Oh, god!” she says before turning her attention to their adoption meeting. “This place has the best muffins,” Miss Greer says, as she starts to walk outside again. “I love muffins, can you show me?” Bailey quickly responds, whisking her back into the restaurant.
During the Tuesday episode, Nolan’s face won’t be the only one fans see on a billboard attacking the Los Angeles Police Department.
The episode, titled “Three Billboards,” will focus on what happens “when anti-LAPD billboards emerge throughout the city, [and] the team searches for who’s responsible,” according to the logline.
It will also include a story line about a car bombing investigation, rookie Miles Penn (Deric Augustine) reconnecting with an “old friend” and Nolan and Bailey assessing “their ability to adopt,” per the network.
Fans will have to wait and see how the billboard affects Nolan and Bailey’s chances of adoption, but both actors are on board with adding a baby to their TV family.
“They have the recognition of like, ‘timing is everything,’ and maybe right now is not the right time,” Dewan, 44, exclusively told Us in February, noting that after the death of Bailey’s ex-husband, she and Nolan were focusing on “healing and their love.”
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However, the actress teased at the time that the couple “ultimately still desire that next step.”
After repairing their relationship in the episodes since, it’s become clear that Nolan and Bailey are ready for a baby when the stars align.
“They would make incredible parents,” Fillion, 54, exclusively told Us last month, pointing out that Nolan already did a “bang up job” raising his adult son, Henry (Zayne Emory).
The actor added, “I would be very excited to see what kind of parent Bailey would be. I think that’s a very well-rounded mom. If you could get one of those, it’d be good on you.”
The Rookie airs on ABC Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET.
