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ABC's 'The Rookie' trailer proves Nathan Fillion should stick to comedy

He made us fall in love with Richard Castle, but it's highly doubtful Nathan can make us fall in love with John Nolan

Nathan Filion is a rainman when it comes to picking the right kind of shows that leave an impression on the viewers. With 'Firefly,' the brilliant actor gave us a cult sci-fi, while 'Castle' became one of the first names we think of when the topic of procedural drama comes up, and now, he is trying to answer the age-old question of "How old is too old to chase your dreams?" 

The trailer for the actor's latest venture 'The Rookie' is out, and, if anything, it proves that Nathan was meant to play comedic roles. It narrates the story of a 40-year-old man joining the Los Angeles Police Department as the oldest rookie.  

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While the premise itself sets itself up to be a quirky little sitcom, the newly-released trailer proves that it is anything but that.

The story is presented as that of the small-town guy who moves to the big city to chase his dreams, who is met with skepticism from the officers higher-ups who see him as just a walking midlife crisis. Meanwhile, there is also the fear of being unable to keep up with the young cops and the criminals, which translates to putting his own life and that of others in danger. 

From the trailer, the show seems to be every bit preachy, corny and dramatic as it sounds.

Since 'Castle' ended, Nathan has displayed his comedic prowess by appearing on shows such as 'Modern Family,' 'American Housewife,' 'The Big Bang Theory,' 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine' and more predominantly, on 'Santa Clarita Diet.' On 'Santa Clarita Diet', especially, he stood out as a talking head who becomes an unlikely companion to leading man Timothy Olyphant's Joel. Nathan's Gary West regales him with amazing stories and pearls of life wisdom.  

With each of these roles Nathan proved that he is a comedic genius, possibly even more so that he did as a crime fiction writer on 'Castle.'

In fact, even on the show, some of Nathan's most memorable moments on the ABC show were the ones in which the character's quick wit and easy sense of humor were highlighted. Amid murders and personal life drama, it is the banter with his leading lady Stana Katic that stood out on the show.  

Despite being disappointed by the trailer, we do believe that 'The Rookie' has the potential to positively surprise us, mostly because of Nathan's natural charm and charisma. If he can incorporate the humor of Castle to John Nolan, then he may actually have yet another long-running hit on his hands. We are definitely rooting for him.