After 141 Episodes, John Nolan's Best Line From The Rookie Is Still The Show's Best

MovieStillsDB Published Aug 15, 2026, 8:00 AM EDT Cher Thompson is a Senior Staff Writer at Screen Rant, where she covers everything from explosive reality TV moments to cast interviews about the twists and turns of scripted dramas. With a background in creative writing, marketing, and teaching, Cher knows how to spot both the storytelling genius and the guilty pleasures in pop culture. Her work blends wit with insight, making readers feel like they’re chatting with a friend who just happens to know way too much about TV. Sign in to your ScreenRant account As the original rookie on The Rookie, John Nolan (Nathan Fillion) has had a ton of iconic quotes throughout his time on the series, but none have been more iconic than his best line, delivered early on in the show's run. Nolan has a ton of great quotes that have shaped his character and helped to explain the scope of the show throughout its 8-season run. From hilarious running gags like his inability not to be destructive with the Mid-Wilshire shops to heartfelt lines about getting into law enforcement after nearly losing his life, Nolan's been an anchoring character. Throughout The Rookie's run, Nolan's story has been woven through every season of the series in an intricate, interesting way. With his arc shifting as the series has gone on, Nolan has gone from a bumbling rookie to a training officer in his own right, making a difference with his own rookies as he struggles with regular interpersonal issues and large-scale threats, often more of the latter. Despite the fact that there are other storylines happening around him, Nolan's still the central figure of The Rookie, and the show always leans back into that perspective when it's looming large. As Nolan is the main figure of the series, some of the show's best lines belong to him. Always witty and ready with a comeback, Nolan's best lines have been able to intertwine themselves with the onus of the show, bringing The Rookie's key themes into situations he's dealing with on the job and off. Even as a rookie himself, Nolan was quick to understand the nuance of his position and make it clear that he was working with the LAPD to ensure that his community was safe. Nolan's best line, from The Rookie season 1, encapsulates the show's messaging. Nolan's Best Line On The Rookie Looks At The Show's Constant Tug Between Good & Evil ABC (via MovieStillsDb) Although The Rookie has come a long way since its first season, the show's identity has remained the same since the very beginning. During an early episode of the series, Nolan and his training officer Talia Bishop (Afton Williams) are working their standard shift when they begin a discussion about whether people are fundamentally good or evil. While Bishop is a bit more hardened by the job in her stance, Nolan makes it clear that he believes most people are good, or will choose good if given the option between good and evil as a decision to be made. In The Rookie season 1 episode 3, "The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly," Nolan's assertion that most people will choose to be good may seem idealistic, but it sets the tone for his character throughout the series. Nolan explains, "I think that good people will make the right choice when it really matters." While he's not discounting that some people they deal with as officers will be inherently bad or struggle to make good decisions, Nolan's realistic about the fact that most people aren't trying to make the "wrong" decisions when they come to a potentially difficult crossroads. While Nolan isn't in a place when he says the line to know everything about his job and what it entails, the rookie's life experience is far greater than most in his position. Debating with Bishop, who's visibly younger than Nolan and has been dealing with the difficulties of her job for years, Nolan taking the more affirmative stance is a surprise. With more lived experience, it seems like Nolan would go out of his way to be cynical, but the optimistic star of The Rookie instead finds himself with an all-time great line that explores a philosophical question. Release Date October 16, 2018 Network ABC, Hulu 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 Franchise(s) The Rookie Creator(s) Alexi Hawley