Forget Chenford! This Unexpected ‘The Rookie’ Pairing Is the Real Game-Changer

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When The Rookie first broke Chenford up, after the initial heartbreak wore off, I was actually excited. I love pining and angst, and The Rookie gave Tim (Eric Winter) and Lucy (Melissa O’Neil) some excellent scenes along these lines in the latter half of Season 6. There was that elevator hug after Mad Dog’s (Nick Gomez) death, Lucy’s epic jump out of one moving vehicle and into another to save Tim’s life, and then Tim’s promise to make it up to her in the season finale. Season 7 started off strong with a return to their old dynamic, that culminated in a beautiful love confession during a near-death experience for both Tim and Lucy. The Rookie should have gotten them back together then, but the season has now officially ended, and this pairing is still separated.

As of the Season 7 finale of The Rookie, I am less excited about the big moment where Tim and Lucy will get back together, and I just want the show to get it over with. I won’t even feel cheated if it happens off-screen, because the show has dragged it out for over a season now. I never thought that I’d say this, but at the moment,The Rookie pairing that I’m most excited about going into Season 8 isn’t Chenford. I look forward to seeing them as a couple again, but I don’t need that big moment of reconciliation. Instead, I’m really looking forward to seeing the show build up to what looks like a budding slow-burn romance between Celina (Lisseth Chavez) and Miles (Deric Augustine).

I’m Excited About the Future of Celina and Miles in ‘The Rookie’

As of the end of Season 7 of The Rookie, I have a feeling that the show is setting up a slow-burn romance for Celina and Miles, and I can’t wait to see how this plays out. Miles was first introduced in the Season 7 premiere alongside Seth Ridley (Patrick Keleher), as one of two new rookies. Miles’ arc was about getting a second chance after ruining his football career with one careless mistake, and since then, he’s been trying to figure out what he wants. His time in LA has seen a lot of change fir him, as he moved into Smitty’s (Brent Huff) trailer lot, broke up with his long-term girlfriend (Tyra Joy Smith), and passed up a job opportunity that would’ve paid him a lot more than he makes with the LAPD. All the while, Mile developed close friendships with Celina and Seth. After Seth was exposed for lying and then fired, Miles and Celina only grew closer, and they already have a strong connection.

The Rookie‘s first real, recurring love interest for Celina came in the form of Rodge (Zander Hawley), previously known for singing “Daddy Cop” once per season. Although the show has been leaning too heavily on Rodge for comedic relief this season, it has been nice to see Celina in a happy relationship. That said, Celina and Rodge’s relationship just doesn’t seem built to last, and it is missing the spark that Celina already has with Miles. Chavez and Augustine have great chemistry, and these characters have been confidantes for each other throughout the season, including in their love lives. In the penultimate episode of the season, Miles helped Celina figure out what to get Rodge for his birthday. In the Season 7 finale, Celina gives Miles advice about dating apps, and he turns to her for help when he realizes that his date (Steve Lynn Jones) is involved with the Eastern Front. Now, with Rodge away on tour for a while, The Rookie has the perfect opportunity to develop a slow-burn romance between Celina and Miles in Season 8.

‘The Rookie’ Needs to Let Chenford Be Together, and to Make Celina and Miles Its Next Slow-Burn

I understand the hesitation for The Rookie to get Chenford back together, because viewers will always stay tuned into a show in the hopes of seeing a slow-burn romance finally get together. That said, these two are no longer a true slow-burn, because they’ve already dated. They should have gotten back together by the end of Season 7, and I am no longer excited about these two as a will-they-won’t-they. Instead, I want Tim and Lucy to become one of The Rookie‘s stable couples, in the likes of Angela (Alyssa Diaz) and Wesley (Shawn Ashmore). I’d like to see The Rookie let them get back together and build a life together, while pouring its slow-burn energy into Celina and Miles.

Ultimately, I am all for The Rookie keeping the emotional stakes of the show high, but that stage has gone stale for Chenford. It’s time for the show to have them reconcile, move in together, and start taking those next steps in their relationship. Lucy and Tim can have outside obstacles and storylines while being in a lasting and committed relationship, just like the other couples in the show do. All the while, Season 8 can show Celina and Miles continuing to become closer friends, as feelings become complicated, mainly due to her relationship with Rodge. I got everything that I needed from the Chenford reconciliation out of the mid-season finale, and now, I’m ready for the next chapter for them.

The Rookie will return to ABC in the fall. In the meantime, it is available to stream on Hulu.

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