Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for The Rookie Season 7, Episode 1.
FromThe X-Files' Mulder (David Duchovny) and Scully (Gillian Anderson) toCastle’s Castle (The Rookie’s own John Nolan himself,Nathan Fillion) and Beckett (Stana Katic), there is nothing like a great slow-burn procedural romance.The Rookie’s contribution to this romantic subcategory is “Chenford,” the romantic pairing of Lucy Chen (Melissa O’Neil) and Tim Bradford (Eric Winter). There was always a spark between these two, even when they were platonic and he was her Training Officer.
The buildup to Lucy and Timbecoming a couple was truly fantastic–that is, untilThe Rookiebroke them up the very next season. It’s clear that this breakup is only temporary while Tim works on himself, but that doesn’t make it any less painful. The back half of Season 6 saw the two of them suffering on their own and being awkward with each other, but things got a little better when Lucy went out of her way to help Tim on multiple occasions. Their dynamic has once again shifted as of the start of Season 7, and I am loving this latest development for “Chenford.”
‘The Rookie’ Season 7 Brings Back Tim and Lucy’s Playful Banter
Although the breakup was heartbreaking, I really enjoyed the post-breakup angst that it brought for Tim and Lucy,particularly the scene in the elevator when she hugged himafter Mad Dog (Nick Gomez) died. Still, there’s only so long thatThe Rookiecould play a guilty Tim trying to make things up to a scorned Lucy, and I’m glad that the show has shifted things for Season 7. The season opens with Sergeant Grey (Richard T. Jones) asking Lucy to fill in as a T.O. so he doesn’t haveto assign a poor rookie to Smitty(Brent Huff).
Lucy and Tim then get assigned as T.O.s to the two new rookies, Seth (Patrick Keleher) and Miles (Deric Augustine). Tim and Lucy make a bet to see who can better train their rookie, and then, in a really fun scene, Tim becomes jealous and full of rage when Miles hits on Lucy. Lucy is delighted at his reaction and claims she’s just glad her rookie will be easier to train. It feels likea return to their old dynamicfrom the early seasons when Tim was Lucy’s T.O. and was still pretending not to like her. Things got so heavy between the two of them at the end of Season 6,and it’s fun to see them tease each other and compete with each other again.
This New Era of “Chenford” Sets the Stage Perfectly for Their Reunion
Tim and Lucy aren’t ready to get back together yet because Tim hasn’t solved the issues that led him to break up with her. Lucy also needs to be able to seethat she can trust him not to leave her again. Returning to their old dynamic is the perfect step to put Tim and Lucy on the path towards getting back together. The episode ends on a sweet note with the two of them, with Tim walking up to Lucy’s car at the end of the day as she’s getting ready to drive home.
Tim and Lucy tease each other about their respective rookies' failures that day, and then they agree that, “Tomorrow’s a new day.” This is quite a significant shift in their dynamic from where we left off with them at the end of last season, but it doesn’t necessarily feel unearned to me. Despite everything that they went through last season,Tim and Lucy really just adore each other. When you take away the romantic relationship, you still havethese two people who like to compete with each other and show off to each other.It only makes sense that they will resort to that when they’re working in close quarters.
I would have liked to see a little bit more of an on-screen resolution after Tim’s apology to Lucy at the end of last season so that we could better understand how they could bring back their old banter so quickly. Ultimately, though, I am optimistic about what Season 7 has in store for Tim and Lucy, and I love seeingThe Rookiebecome fun againafter such a heavy sixth season.
The Rookieairs Tuesday nights on ABC and is available to stream the next day on Hulu.
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The Rookie
Starting over isn’t easy, especially for John Nolan who, after a life-altering incident, is pursuing his dream of joining the LAPD. As their oldest rookie, he’s met with skepticism from those who see him as just a walking midlife crisis.
