In Season 2 of the show, Jasmine Mathews starred as Rachel Hall, Lucy’s college friend and Tim’s ex-girlfriend. Tim and Rachel were in a committed relationship, and by the Season 2 finale, it was revealed she was headed to New York, with the pair deciding to try a long-distance arrangement. However, The Rookie fans, and Tim to be fair, have not heard of her since. In Season 7, Episode 3, “Out of Pocket,” Rachel shows up at Mid-Wilshire Division, revealing that her life in New York has fallen apart. So why bring her back now? Showrunner Alexi Hawley reveals that bringing back Mathews was always part of the plan.
There Won’t Be a Love Triangle Here
Speaking in an interview with TV Line, Hawley was quizzed if Rachel’s return was geared towards causing some mayhem in the Chenford reconciliation agenda. The showrunner responds, saying, “Jasmine [Mathews], who plays Rachel, was such a great addition to the show, but she was super busy, so part of the reason that Rachel went away [at the end of Season 2], at least for us, was to try and get ahead of Jasmine being unavailable to us.” Adding, “I was always looking for a way to bring her back.”
“With Tim and Lucy broken up, it felt like a good opportunity to do that — but not to do the expected, which is to make it a love triangle. I thought that would ultimately be manipulative to the fans in a way that I don’t like to be. So that was really what it was about. It seemed like a good opportunity to stir the pot a bit, but also to get Jasmine back on the show.”
