“I Would Be Disappointed”: Why ‘The Rookie’ Fans Are Freaking Out Over Season 7 Finale Theory

The Rookie season 7 finale is coming up, and after hearing showrunner Alexi Hawley tease “a big action movie,” fans can guess it will be filled with adventure. As John Nolan (Nathan Fillion) continues his second act career as a rookie LAPD officer, his personal life is often in flux, and his teammates have also had some dramatic experiences in the past 17 episodes.

While The Rookie season 7, episode 18, “The Good, The Bad, and the Oscar” will bring back Oscar Hutchinson (Matthew Glave), fans know that there will likely be some huge surprises in store. But no matter what happens, viewers hope the ABC procedural will avoid one potential plotline.

The Rookie Season 7 Finale Shouldn’t Include This Chenford Storyline, According To Fans

In a Reddit thread, Redditor @Pink_Strawberry2010 wondered if Lucy Chen (Melissa O’Neil) could learn at the end of The Rookie season 7 that she’s pregnant. Redditor @JGalKnit agreed, “I wouldn’t hate that. I could also see that she finds out that she is pregnant at the beginning and tells Tim, who proposes.” Redditor @Sufficient-Note-1778 wrote that it would be okay if Lucy had “a pregnancy scare, especially if it leads to an actual conversation,” but she shouldn’t be pregnant.

Redditor @SecuritySweaty8096 shared:

“Honestly I would be disappointed if they’ll repeat the unplanned pregnancy for a third time. A bit uninspired.”

I agree with fans who are frustrated that The Rookie has featured surprise pregnancies quite a few times. I also don’t think this would be the right note for The Rookie season 7 to end on. There’s no doubt that Chenford will be a big part of The Rookie season 7 finale, but the focus should be on how they’re going to move forward together. First of all, a cliffhanger about a pregnancy can be cheesy, and it feels played out at this point. Second of all, Tim and Lucy have been broken up for a little while, and they have a lot of problems to work out. If they want to have a family, I want them to sit down together and make that decision thoughtfully and carefully.

After some viewers wondered if Lucy would learn that she’s not pregnant after all or would lose the baby next season, Redditor @NoGround851 mentioned the sensitive nature of loss and infertility:

“It’s not a storyline that needs to toyed with unless it’s going to be seriously dealt with.”

I agree this is a storyline that would need to be handled with care. The Rookie featured a memorable plotline Nolan and Bailey Nune’s (Jenna Dewan) wish to become parents, along with the upsetting news that it’s unlikely they would be approved for adoption because of their dangerous jobs. If any two characters are going to explore parenthood, I’d rather see Nolan and Bailey go down that road. I don’t think their journey is over, and I’d be happy to see them have a family in The Rookie season 8.

There have definitely been a few hints that Lucy and Tim are going to start a family at some point. When they’re interviewed for the documentary in The Rookie season 7, episode 15, “A Deadly Secret,” viewers find out they talked about potential baby names when they took the truth serum at Westview Psychiatric Hospital. However, I want this storyline to take place at a later date, not in the next episode.

Melissa O’Neil Addressed Lucy Chen And Tim Bradford’s The Rookie Season 7 Relationship

In an interview with Us Weekly in February 2025, Melissa O’Neil said Lucy Chen is waiting for Tim Bradford to have a serious chat with her about their breakup. There are many strong and smart characters on The Rookie, and Lucy is one of the most endearing.

O’Neil said:

“She’d need a real sincere conversation and accountability because he kind of hung her out to dry. It’s like classic avoidant attachment. Like, ‘OK, so you’re really struggling and so now you wanna, like, isolate yourself and cut me out? Make it make sense.’”

While Tim is a good person, he can be prickly, whether dealing with Lucy or while mentoring rookie cop Miles Penn (Deric Augustine). I think Tim needs to change and grow, and if that doesn’t happen in The Rookie season 7 finale, then he definitely needs to show some shifts in season 8. I’ll be watching, and I’ll be counting down the months until The Rookie season 8.