How ‘The Rookie’ Season 7 Took Lucy Chen’s Character to a Whole New Level — You Won’t Believe the Transformation!

Lucy has endured some terrible, traumatic ordeals throughout the series. In Season 2, she is abducted by Caleb Wright (Michael Cassidy), a disciple of the deranged serial killer Rosalind Dyer (Annie Wersching), and she is left to die. Lucy survives the harrowing experience and completes her rookie training. In later seasons, she proves her worth as an undercover officer and an aspiring detective. Lucy demonstrates her compassionate nature and becomes a role model and guardian figure when she takes in the young teenager, Tamara Collins (Dylan Conrique). Although Lucy doesn’t officially adopt Tamara, by inviting Tamara into her home, she becomes a positive influence in the young woman’s life. Thanks to Lucy’s help, Tamara turns her life around, and she is now enrolled in college. However, Lucy later endures multiple setbacks in the sixth season.

During Season 6, Lucy’s hopes of becoming a detective are hindered by her low score on the exam. Additionally, Lucy experiences heartbreak when Tim ends their relationship in an emotionally devastating moment. Lucy bounces back in Season 7 and manages to get her career back on track, culminating in earning her sergeant’s promotion in “The Mutiny and the Bounty.” It’s a great moment for fans who have watched the show since the beginning. Even during her short-lived time as a training officer in Season 7, Lucy’s exceptional instincts also prove invaluable while instructing rookie officer, Seth Ridley (Patrick Keleher). Lucy recognizes that Officer Ridley is a pathological liar and that he was lying about various events in his life, including having cancer. Lucy has overcome every challenge she has faced in the series and endured for the better, but the sergeant promotion brings an intriguing new challenge for the character.

Lucy Has Her Work Cut Out for Her as Sergeant on the Night Shift

Learning her lesson after orchestrating the legendary “five-player trade” in Season 5, Lucy realizes she has no choice but to accept the night shift opening for sergeant, which plays out in the Season 7 finale, “The Good, The Bad, And The Oscar.” Lucy is assigned command of the “Dream Team.” Unfortunately, she later learns that the nickname derives from the fact that the officers spend their time sleeping on the job. Lucy is already struggling to adjust to the night shift time change, and now she must deal with a lackadaisical team. This creates quite a challenge for Lucy as she will have to whip the Dream Team into shape, which presents a likely narrative thread for exploration in Season 8. The good news is that when Officer Miles Penn (Deric Augustine) is nearly abducted by members of the Eastern Front, the Dream Team prevails under Lucy’s leadership, saving Officer Penn. The moment implies that all hope is not lost for the Dream Team, and that Lucy has the makings of becoming a strong sergeant.

Lucy’s Evolution Is Not Over Yet, and There’s More Room To Grow

Lucy’s promotion as a sergeant marks a major change in the series’ status quo, but it’s only another stepping stone in Lucy’s journey. Undoubtedly, Lucy is bound for bigger and better things, and it remains to be seen whether that entails returning to the detective career path. First, Lucy must turn the Dream Team into a real, thriving team. It would not be surprising if she eventually earns a detective promotion when she gets another shot at the exam. Lucy’s exceptional skills, background as a psychology student, and sharp intuition prove that she will rise through the ranks of the LAPD.

Even if Tim and Lucy do not reconcile immediately in Season 8, fans can still look forward to Lucy’s continued growth and evolution as a police officer. At the very least, the series’ writers appear dialed in on Lucy’s progression, which is one of the best aspects of the show’s run.

All Episodes of The Rookie are available to stream on Hulu in the U.S.