The Rookie is officially back, and with it comes new episodes, new characters, and a return to the Mid-Wilshire Division. Somehow, despite a chaotic Season 6 that led to the escape of several criminals, one of the most controversial things to happen in the previous season remains the breakup of Chenford — also known as, Tim Bradford (Eric Winter) and Lucy Chen (Melissa O’Neil). With the new season of The Rookie taking off, it seems that although Bradford and Chen aren’t dating, their rapport is still alive and well. Meanwhile, Celina Juarez (Lisseth Chavez) spends the season making it through her rookie training, and as of Season 7, she is the most senior rookie of the bunch and ready to graduate and move on. Not only has she flourished under John Nolan’s (Nathan FIllion) mentorship, but she is now also Lucy’s new roommate since Tamara (Dylan Conrique) moved out.
Melissa O’Neil and Lisseth Chavez Look Back on Their Characters’ Growth
“She’s able to maintain a sense of joy when she’s at work and when she’s out in her life, even though she’s had so many things chop her down.”
COLLIDER: The Rookie Season 7. We are jumping in, but before I look into the future, I’m going to look into the past. For each of you, when you look back at your character and their growth, what is the thing that you’re most proud of?
MELISSA O’NEIL: Wow. I feel like the thing that I’m most proud of when it comes to Lucy is we’ve seen her go through so many different setbacks, both personally, in interpersonal relationships and professionally, and somehow, she’s retained this heart. There’s a levity to her experience. She’s able to maintain her inner smile. She’s able to maintain a sense of joy when she’s at work and when she’s out in her life, even though she’s had so many things chop her down. That’s not something that’s accidental or that I’ve sprinkled in. That is absolutely something that’s come from Alexi [Hawley], as a character decision about who she is. If I were a friend to Lucy and I was looking at her, that’s something that I would be so proud of because we might not see it on camera, but it takes work to heal yourself and to continue to be open to the world and be open to love and be open to joy. So yeah, I think that’s what I would be most proud of.
LISSETH CHAVEZ: I would have to say Celina’s spirit. I feel like there’s something about her that I like, that she has this very bubbly personality, but I feel like she’s a Powerpuff Girl. [Laughs] She’s very sweet and awesome, but then when it comes down to having to protect the city or take over, she can kick some butt. She can turn that on. So I do love that she can be both.
There are layers.
CHAVEZ: There’s lots of layers, yeah.
Lisseth Chavez on Celina’s Future as Detective at the Mid-Wilshire Precinct
Celina is kind of at the end of her rookie journey. She’s coming up on it. She’s done a little bit more of the work than the new rookies who are coming in. But I’m curious if you have an idea or a dream for where this character could go after she’s done being a rookie.
CHAVEZ: You know, she is a great detective. She is very intuitive. At the beginning, I wasn’t sure if she was a little psychic, you know? But she is naturally. I, as Lisseth, feel like I would like I do the undercover a little bit. I feel like it’d be fun to sort of dive into that world.
You’ve got the perfect roommate.
CHAVEZ: Exactly! There you go.
Where Does Melissa O’Neil Want To See Lucy Go in the Future?
“I think maybe I would like her to do something else, and I’d also like to tell different stories for the audience.”
Melissa, Lucy has explored this undercover world and she’s really good at it. I love seeing the way you play her character when she gets into these roles, because she’s so soft and gentle, but then she immediately turns it on. Is that something that you’re interested in exploring more and leaning into that undercover identity and that part of her career?
O’NEIL: Obviously, I love doing that, and as an actor, I’ve really enjoyed those opportunities to step out. Then I also zoom out, because after so many years, you start thinking about all the different elements of this industry, and sometimes when I zoom out, and I get an eagle eye perspective, “If I were a creative, would I want to continue doing the same thing with this character?” And I think no. I think maybe I would like her to do something else, and I’d also like to tell different stories for the audience. So I don’t know if we’ll utilize that, but what I do like thinking about, as far as Lucy and undercover work is concerned, is that she’s always got that in her back pocket. If we have something, if the stuff starts to hit the fan, then we can always know that she or any other of our dope lady officers will come in and handle it, you know?
Melissa O’Neil Discusses the “Intangible Quality” of the Connection Between Chen and Bradford
“It’s because it’s missing this intangible quality of, like, connection and feeling kismet, you know?”
And talking about the Chenford of it all, I’m not going to ask you how they’re going to get back together because that’s a whole journey, but I’m curious what you think it is about him that makes Lucy a better person. What do you think about their relationship has made her a better person and a better cop?
O’NEIL: I think it’s one of those situations that, like, it’s not just opposites attract, but it’s that there are qualities that Lucy has that Tim doesn’t, and he has a ton of qualities that he possesses that she does not. In that way, they make each other better because it’s a different perspective. It’s not just being in an echo chamber where everyone has the same opinion, because that’s not ever the place where anybody grows. So I think that’s one of the primary ways they make themselves better. And at the end of the day, when it comes to the romance aspect of it, there’s an intangible quality about people that just feels like home. You see that in friendships, you see that in just regular acquaintances that you suddenly just hit it off with, and you have it in those relationships. Everybody knows that feeling of being in a relationship with someone where you’re like, “I should love you. Everything works, but I don’t get it.” And it’s because it’s missing this intangible quality of, like, connection and feeling kismet, you know? So I think that’s one of those things about Chenford — you don’t know completely why it works, but for some reason, it just fits.
I think the chemistry is a big reason.
O’NEIL: [Laughs] That’s what I’m talking about!
What Storylines Do O’Neil and Chavez Want To Explore in Season 7?
“I wish that for her, to be in another situation where she gets to grow in that way.”
I’m curious if there’s a storyline or maybe some aspect of your character that you want to see grow in future seasons that maybe hasn’t happened yet, and we can manifest it right now. Is there an aspect of your character that you’re like, “I want to explore that,” or maybe a storyline?
CHAVEZ: Perhaps a little bit more behind-the-scenes training, or even having those challenges like real life and how that can conflict with work, but they also do a good job in doing both.
O’NEIL: For sure. I mean, the audience is going to love whatever comes down the pipe, and there’s a lot to love this season. But as far as any stuff on my wish list, I love Lucy when she is a student. I think she’s a student of life, and I like watching her learn. I like watching her fail. And, so I think my secret bucket list hope for her in the future is for her to be in a position where she is receiving mentorship in whatever she’s doing. I think that’s one of the things I loved about her in the first few seasons, receiving mentorship from Bradford, and I like watching her learn and watching her be corrected and then growing from that. I think that’s really compelling stuff to play and to watch. So, I wish that for her, to be in another situation where she gets to grow in that way.
What Are Lucy Chen and Celina Juarez’s Musical Episode Songs?
When you get a lot of seasons on a show, sometimes it starts getting a little crazy. If there was a musical episode, give me the song that your character would sing in that musical episode.
O’NEIL: I feel like Lucy — and I’m just going to go out on a limb here, I also feel like Celina is like this, too — I feel like if the two of them were to get into a singing situation, they both have like pretty typical A.D.D. going on on the show that they’re probably not even singing a song. They’re just, like, stimming and making weird sounds. [Laughs] I don’t know if they have a theme song, but there would be a lot of enjoyable adlibs on other people’s songs, perhaps. Do you like that?
CHAVEZ: Yeah, yeah, I do.
New episodes of The Rookie Season 7 premiere on Tuesdays on ABC. You can watch all of the previous seasons on Hulu in the U.S.
