The Rookie is poised to kick off Season 8 with an explosive episode taking Nathan Fillion’s John Nolan and Jenna Dewan’s Bailey Nune all the way across the world to Prague with Monica Stevens (Bridget Regan) in tow. After getting immunity at the end of Season 7, Monica is a wild card for the gang at Mid-Wilshire and remains one of the deadliest characters in the series, one that the team will have to face head-on this season. Collider caught up with Fillion and Dewan to discuss the season’s big opening episode in Prague, where the two actors filmed on location in the beautiful city. Fillion and Dewan also tease some major action sequences set for the rest of the season and the return of Oscar Hutchinson (Matthew Glave) to the series. Dewan also discusses the fallout after the death of Jason (Steve Kazee), and Fillion ponders what Nolan would do if he ever met the DCU’s Guy Gardner (also played by Fillion).
Nathan Fillion and Jenna Dewan on Filming in Prague and Meeting International Fans

“It’s a first for us on the show. We’ve never gone international, teaming up.”

Bailey Nune (Jenna Dewan) and John Nolan (Nathan Fillion) hugging in ‘The Rookie’Image via ABC

COLLIDER: What can you tell me about filming in Prague? Obviously, we know that there is a Monica situation, and you two are there kind of being babysitters. What was it like filming there, and what are you most excited for people to see from that shoot? NATHAN FILLION: The crew is incredible. JENNA DEWAN: The crew. The location is… stunning is not strong enough of a word. We continually showed up to the different locations, going, “Oh my gosh.” We both said we felt like we were filming a James Bond movie. That’s how incredible it is, and that’s how epic the storyline is while we’re there. FILLION: Yeah. It’s very important where you point the camera, where you have somebody set up. What are you seeing behind you? It didn’t matter where we pointed the camera; everything was gorgeous. It’s like a storybook. DEWAN: Yeah, a storybook. FILLION: It was fantastic. DEWAN: You feel like you’re back in time. It’s an incredible, fun storyline. It’s a first for us on the show. We’ve never gone international, teaming up. FILLION: We faked an island vacation one time. DEWAN: That’s true.

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You did go to an island. DEWAN: Listen, that’s one of my favorite episodes ever. FILLION: That was good. It was fun. DEWAN: That was really fun. FILLION: We went to the beach, and also we made a set with woods. A woodsy, dirty set. DEWAN: Yes. This one, we really went on a vacation, and it was very fun. FILLION: And the support from the fans was incredible. DEWAN: We had huge crowds. FILLION: Huge crowds holding banners and signs and being sweet and saying nice things, and just being really supportive. And then super quiet during our takes, which was appreciated. DEWAN: Yes, very respectful. FILLION: Very considerate. And how many episodes is the arc going for? FILLION: The arc of being in Prague? Just the one. It’s like a big season opener. You want to grab everybody’s attention, and we use Prague for that purpose.
Nathan Fillion Teases Nolan’s T.O. Arc for Season 2

“You went too deep!”

Melissa O’Neil as Lucy Chen and Nathan Fillion as John Nolan in The Rookie season 4ABC via MovieStillsDB

I’m curious about Nolan because he has been the T.O. for a while. Are there any new rookies that he’s going to be training this season? And are we going to see Seth return at any point? Because he was kind of the only one gunning for him at that point, towards the end. FILLION: I wish I could tell you. Nolan will continue to be a T.O. You’re asking some insightful questions that we really can’t… DEWAN: You can’t. The thing I was going to say, you can’t say because it’s a spoiler. FILLION: The thing I was going to say, you can’t say. That’s fair. You know what? I tried. FILLION: You went too deep!
Fillion and Dewan Hint at Oscar’s Big Return in Season 8 of ‘The Rookie’

“Oscar doesn’t come back in a small way, ever.”

Oscar Hutchinson appears in prison in The Rookie Season 6.Image via ABC

Last season, you had that big scene with Oscar in the desert, and it was this huge action sequence. Do you have any more of those either planned or that you’ve already shot? Is that something that you’re looking forward to? FILLION: Oscar will be back, and Oscar doesn’t come back in a small way, ever. DEWAN: Ever. And he comes back with so much fun. You just love to hate Oscar. He’s so good at being that charismatic bad guy. FILLION: He’s funny, he’s quippy, he’s charming. He stabs people. FILLION: He’s a killer! He has no empathy. Psychotic. You get charmed by him, and you forget this is the worst kind of man there is. He’s got so much pizzazz, though. DEWAN: Yes, he does. We do have a lot of big action pieces, though. That is, for sure, coming. One was so big and shocking that I read it, and I went, “Hold on. Did I really read what I just read?” So, that’s really cool. FILLION: Yeah, a lot of smoke machines. Whenever there are smoke machines, you know there’s going to be something dramatic and exciting happen. DEWAN: That’s true!
Dewan Discusses the Jason Storyline From ‘The Rookie’ Season 7, and Its Impact

“We learned what we needed to learn. We stuck together.”

Jenna Dewan as Bailey Nune in The RookieImage via ABC

Last season, Bailey had to deal with Jason coming back, and that storyline I thought was quite interesting because it really balanced her ethics and morality versus keeping herself safe and just protecting herself. Is any of that fallout still looming over her, or are we past that at that point because of what she did with Malvado? DEWAN: I feel like Jason, a lot of times, permeates still in our scenes and in our storylines. We move on, for sure. Bailey, I think, learned what she needed to learn, recognizes where she could have been better, and also where her vulnerabilities are, in a sense that as a character, it helps her to grow and deepen and understand herself more. So, she moves forward, but we do at times mention it still because it is such a defining part of her life and her character. It was such a dramatic moment in the show. Also, just for John and Bailey, it would be silly for us not to, at times, refer to it. But I do think I’m proud of our characters and our relationship, that we went through it. We learned what we needed to learn. We stuck together. We stuck it out, and we grow in new ways in this season. So, I think it made us deeper.

FILLION: I think we also learned not to mess with Bailey. She took care of business, didn’t she? DEWAN: This is true. She did what she had to do, and I respect that. DEWAN: Thank you!
Nathan Fillion Jokes About John Nolan Meeting Guy Gardner

Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner / Green Lantern in SupermanImage via Warner Bros. Pictures

Nathan, what would John Nolan think of Guy Gardner? FILLION: John Nolan’s a patient man — I don’t think he would have the patience for that. I mean, he’s a vigilante. FILLION: There are all sorts of things going wrong with that. DEWAN: You’d have your red flag up immediately. FILLION: Yeah, I don’t think the two of them would get along very well at all. DEWAN: No, actually. I don’t either. Two opposites. That’s sad to know, but then if he ever shows up, there would be some drama on screen. FILLION: That would be something to see. The Rookie Season 8 premieres on January 6 on ABC in the U.S.

Release Date

October 16, 2018

Showrunner

Alexi Hawley

Directors

Tori Garrett, Chi-Yoon Chung, Michael Goi, Sylvain White, Lisa Demaine, Lanre Olabisi, Bill Johnson, David McWhirter, Liz Friedlander, Daniel Willis, Toa Fraser, Anne Renton, Jon Huertas, Cherie Nowlan, TK Shom, Rob Seidenglanz, Valerie Weiss, Barbara Brown, Charissa Sanjarernsuithikul, SJ Main Muñoz, Nelson McCormick, Marcus Stokes, Adam Davidson, Anna Mastro

Writers

Corey Miller, Bill Rinier, Zoe Cheng, Mary Trahan, Ally Seibert, Liz Alper, Nick Hurwitz, Racheal Seymour, Madeleine Coghlan, David Radcliff