We’re still reeling from that epic Chenford cliffhanger from The Rookie season 7 finale, “The Good, The Bad, and The Oscar,” which aired on May 13 on ABC.
Throughout the episode, Eric was on a razor’s edge, wondering how to plan a future with Lucy. She has been promoted to sergeant, which caused a schedule change to the night shift, while Tim still works the day shift.
The changes shouldn’t affect the couple’s time together, and after all that has happened during the season, Tim’s bound to recoup what he and Lucy had before. She wants the same thing; otherwise, all those hook-ups and co-worker conversations would’ve hit dead ends.
To recap what happened with Chenford in the finale, Tim pops in Lucy and Celina’s apartment, on a cooking breakfast high. He prepares her all of her favorites, surprising her, but also feels appreciative by his gesture. Tim also addressees that he has been working on himself through therapy and realizing his past errors, affirms that he’ll not hurt Lucy or break her heart again.
He then suggests that they should move in together, a leap that could only push their relationship to a more positive level. However, Lucy, exhausted by the night shifts, is fast asleep on the couch, so she didn’t hear any of Tim’s speech, which leaft an open space for discussion next season.
Fans of Chendford loved the way the storyline played out, and the great news is that more good stuff is on the way for our favorite cop couple.
Chenford will continue to make progress in The Rookie season 8
The Rookie creator, showrunner, and boss, Alexi Hawley, spoke with Screen Rant after the finale’s airing. He discussed the major cliffhangers that occurred and what’s next for Lucy and Tim, feeling confident that they’re headed in a “good direction.”
At the same time, the writers desired to make the Chenford storylines realistic since Tim was the one behind the break-up, and his evolution as a character has since changed. He’s not perfect, but he wants to do what’s right if he wants Lucy back.
“We’re heading in a really good direction for fans of Chenford. This season has taken them on a journey that we all felt, on the show and in the room, was important to both deal with the real repercussions of what Tim did and the very real pain that he caused, including to himself, and trying to figure out why he did what he did and having Lucy have to forgive him.”
Hawley additionally mentioned that the couple’s rocky post-breakup journey is nearing the end. Things could only go “up” from this point forward, and Chenford fans should feel satisfied that Tim and Lucy’s future will have a happy ending. Getting there took some time, heartbreak, and lots of work, though.
“That didn’t feel like a ‘three episodes and everything’s good again’ kind of story. But I feel like now that that journey has been taken that we’re at the end of that journey. I think that moment at the end is very sweet. We’re not teasing anybody. We’re heading in a good direction.”
Season 8 of The Rookie will premiere sometime during the midseason block on ABC in 2026. It’s going to be a while before we’re reunited with our favorite characters and their journeys. On the plus side, it’ll give us a reason to rewatch some of our favorite Chenford episodes on Hulu.
