WARNING: This article has spoilers for The Rookie season 2 finale. Read at your own risk.
Nathan Fillion's John Nolan is in a tight position when The Rookie season 3 premieres in early 2021. His future and job have been jeopardized following the events that transpired at the end of the season 2 finale. He was caught in a situation where it could permanently damage his reputation.
The Rookie season 3 picks up where the second installment left off. Nolan was accused of being a dirty cop after being framed by the new night detective Nick Armstrong (Harold Perrineau). Initially, the two became friends as the former is eager to learn from him.
However, it was eventually revealed that Armstrong is a dirty cop and he's working for the Armenian mob. Nolan trusted him, but this person turned out to be his worst nightmare after finding himself in handcuffs. The recently-released promo features Fillion's character trying to deal with his current situation.
This will be a huge storyline in the early run of The Rookie season 3. Nolan must figure out how to prove his innocence. The good thing is that his fellow cops believe that he is not a dirty police. They've spent years working together, and they're convinced that he's not guilty of anything.
His fellow cops will help him get out of his current situation, proving that he is not a dirty cop. It remains to be seen whether or not this particular storyline will be resolved immediately, but this could have a huge impact on Nolan's arc moving forward.
After addressing this, the police procedural will deliver other topical issues in the policing world including police reform, police brutality, racism, and biases. These are complex subjects that made headlines in the real world over the past few months. Such stories will be incorporated through the show's perspective.
Meanwhile, The Rookie season 3 will be introducing a new character. Legends of Tomorrow alum Brandon Routh is set to recur as Doug Stanton, who's been working for the LAPD for 11 years. His views are said to be polarizing at the Mid-Wilshire station.
Doug is set to appear for four episodes, with the second episode serves as his introduction. Based on some available details, he has a "terrible way of administering justice" and an example of what's wrong with policing across the country.
The Rookie season 3 is set to premiere on Sunday, January 3, 2021, on ABC.
Brace yourself! #TheRookie returns to ABC January 3. pic.twitter.com/2d9ZibQHf5 — The Rookie (@therookie) December 11, 2020
