Are Tim and Lucy Too Far Apart in Age? The Rookie’s Romance Mystery Explained

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Despite their age gap, Tim Bradford and Lucy Chen have been The Rookie‘s main and most popular romance since the beginning. When the ABC police procedural series premiered, the writers didn’t intend for them to become a couple. Tim was Lucy’s training officer, and she was his “boot.” However, over time, no one could deny the palpable chemistry between the two Rookie characters, and a slow burn romance was born.

Throughout The Rookie‘s many seasons, Tim and Lucy’s initial professional relationship turned into a friendship and eventually became the furthest thing from platonic. By season 5, both officers had recognized they had developed romantic feelings for the other person. Of course, Tim and Lucy couldn’t simply confess their love for one another and expect everything to be smooth sailing. They were in relationships with other people, and Tim remained Lucy’s superior. However, they eventually figured out a way to be together. Tim later broke up with Lucy, which complicated matters, but they eventually found their way back to each other.

Tim Is 10 Years Older Than Lucy In The Rookie

The Rookie Season 7, Episode 8 Reveals Tim & Lucy’s Birthdays

Based on context clues, many assumed that Tim and Lucy shared a significant age gap. However, it was unclear how much older Tim was than Lucy until The Rookie season 7, episode 8. During the hour, Tim and Lucy get caught in a wildfire. They survive and are later taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation and any other injuries they sustained while fighting off the flames. Although the episode itself didn’t reveal Tim and Lucy’s birthdays, Melissa O’Neil shared behind-the-scenes footage on her TikTok, including a close-up of Tim and Lucy’s hospital bracelets, confirming he’s 10 years older than her.

According to The Rookie season 7, episode 8, Tim’s birthday is September 25, 1978. Meanwhile, Lucy was born on March 24, 1988. Based on these dates, Tim is about 10 years older than Lucy, which makes sense, given their stories in the ABC police procedural series. A 10-year age gap is also reasonable since Eric Winter, who plays Tim, is 12 years older than Lucy’s portrayer, O’Neil, in real life.

How Old Are Tim & Lucy In The Rookie Season 1 Vs. Now

Lucy Was Fresh Out Of The Police Academy In Season 1

If the events of all seven seasons of The Rookie unravel in real time (and the birthdays on the hospital bracelets are correct), that would mean that Lucy was 30 years old during season 1, while Tim was 40. So, Lucy would be 37 in season 7, and Tim would be 47. However, the timeline of The Rookie has always been a bit confusing. Plus, Lucy explicitly stated her age in season 1, and it wasn’t 30.

Lucy claimed she was 29 in The Rookie season 1, which would make Tim 39 years old. Unless the series had a year-plus time jump between seasons (and it didn’t), their birthdays in season 7 don’t make much sense. However, TV shows are famous for retconning ages and birthdays (with one of the biggest examples being Friends), and being one year off isn’t a horrible mistake to make. Going forward, we’ll just assume that after season 7, Tim is 47 and Lucy is 37. The only tidbit that truly matters is that they are 10 years apart.

How Tim & Lucy’s Age Gap Impacts Their Relationship In The Rookie

Tim Was Lucy’s Superior At Work

Once Tim and Lucy realized they had feelings for each other in The Rookie season 5, one of the main obstacles they had to overcome to be together concerned their age gap. The fact that he was 10 years older than her was never a concern in itself. However, Tim had a greater rank at Mid-Wilshire.

Lucy passed the sergeant’s exam at the end of The Rookie season 7, meaning she and Tim, also a sergeant, will be free to date as equals going forward.

He was Lucy’s superior, and the LAPD typically frowns upon officers dating below their ranks. They eventually found a workaround for that issue, but encountered the same problem in season 7. Thankfully, Lucy passed the sergeant’s exam at the end of The Rookie season 7, meaning she and Tim, also a sergeant, will be free to date as equals going forward.

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