Here's The Real Reason The Rookie Fans Dislike Bailey So Much
We all have characters we appreciate for the depth and variety they bring to seemingly not-so-great series.
On the contrary, there are plenty of rather bland characters which only illustrate the script's flaws. And while some characters we dislike because the writers want us to (and because the acting itself makes us feel that way), others we dislike because the writers try too hard to make us like them.
The situation seems to be the same in the case of The Rookie, which tells the story of a 45-year-old cop who recently got a job with the LAPD.
Fans of the ABC series generally love the protagonist, portrayed by the magnificent Nathan Fillion. Nonetheless, they can't say the same for his new girlfriend, Bailey Nune (Jenna Dewan).
First and foremost, fans disliked the fact that Bailey was overly successful at everything, which the audience felt only diminished interest, as opposed to characters who felt alive and believable because of their strengths and weaknesses.
'She is just the absolute best at everything, even dying because she has had more practice than any other person and she only missed winning all those Olympic medals because she was too busy saving the world to participate…' Reddit user Different_Ad4821 says.
No, we are not going to call her Mary Sue, that is a derogatory term that does not reflect the reality of the problems associated with writing. Bailey, on the other hand, manages to juggle it all, working as a firefighter and paramedic, while also serving in the Army Reserves and teaching a capoeira. Certainly, working several jobs at once is a sad reality of the modern world. However, these aspects never managed to make the character more interesting.
Also, fans don't feel any chemistry between the titular character and Bailey, finding their romance too artificial:
'I haven't seen a single way either of them has changed the other's lives. They still seem like two single people who share a bed and nothing more. Not my idea of a good couple,' Redditor GFVeggie6 shares.
All in all, most fans agreed that it was not the acting, but the script that introduced the character too intrusively.