After Lucy Chen’s promotion to sergeant in season 7, The Rookie showrunner Alexi Hawley explains why one aspect of Lucy’s undercover work will have to change in future seasons. Heading into The Rookie season 8, Chen’s new duties as sergeant haven’t been explored too deeply yet. Although The Rookie season 7 finale features Lucy leading her squad to rescue Miles from the Eastern Front, most of her first night shift is spent answering calls alone while her team dozes off in a parking garage.
Speaking with ScreenRant’s Rachel Foertsch, Hawley clarifies that Lucy’s undercover assignments as a sergeant will have to look a bit different than before. Prior to her promotion, one of the things that made Lucy Chen particularly interesting among The Rookie cast was her interest in taking undercover assignments. She and Tim didn’t engage in much discussion regarding how that would change if she made sergeant, but Hawley confirms that Lucy Chen will indeed continue with occasional undercover work in The Rookie season 8.
She could still do it for sure. That door’s not closed to her. Going undercover as a job for long-term assignments, I don’t think we’re there going in season 8, but I do think that we will probably see her go undercover in season 8. Again, we just need to come up with a different way to do it.
We’ve told multiple undercover stories, both with her and Harper and all that kind of stuff, and it’s easy to fall into the same pattern of, “Is she going to get caught? Is she not?” And so for us, it’s, “Where’s the fresh drama and the fresh way to tell the story?” So that’s what we’re kicking around now in the room.
What Hawley’s Comments Mean For Lucy In The Rookie Season 8
How Will Her Undercover Work Look Different As A Sergeant?
It sounds like the writers’ room is already making plans for Lucy’s next undercover assignment, but Hawley raises the valid concern that Lucy can’t repeat the same storylines now that she’s in a leadership position. Additionally, Lucy’s relationship with Tim in The Rookie began during Chen’s undercover days, so it would make sense if her next undercover assignment affects Chenford’s dynamic somehow. Bradford likely wouldn’t be involved in the case this time around, but that could be precisely one of the story elements that changes the stakes when Tim finds himself unable to keep Lucy safe.
The series could also add new drama to Chen’s next undercover assignment by placing her in charge of the operation rather than putting her in the middle of it. Lucy knows she can keep it together undercover, but deciding what to do when one of her officers is potentially compromised would challenge Lucy’s instincts as a sergeant. She could still step in if the situation calls for it, but having her spend at least some time monitoring an undercover officer’s wire would challenge Lucy with adapting to her new position in a way that evolves naturally from her character arc.
Our Take On Lucy’s Undercover Work In The Rookie Season 8
Her Leadership Role Paves The Way For Fresher Undercover Stories
Enjoy ScreenRant’s primetime coverage? Click below to sign up for our weekly Network TV newsletter (make sure to check “Network TV” in your preferences) and get the inside scoop from actors and showrunners on your favorite series.
