The season finale of The Rookie is rarely a quiet affair, and Season 7’s conclusion, “The Good, the Bad, and the Oscar,” proved to be an explosive and deeply frustrating capstone to a tumultuous year. While the episode delivered the high-stakes action fans expect, with the return of two fan-favorite villains, it also managed to twist the knife for shippers of Tim Bradford and Lucy Chen, better known as Chenford, leaving their reunion hanging by a thread and igniting a firestorm of discussion across social media.
The Return of the Bad: Oscar Hutchinson
The “Oscar” in the episode title was, of course, a clear signal that the charismatic yet deadly criminal Oscar Hutchinson (Matthew Glave) would be making his dramatic return. Having been in the wind since his Season 6 prison break, Oscar re-emerged in classic form: a manipulative, verbose, and dangerous nemesis with a knack for drawing John Nolan into his orbit.
The main plot of the first half of the finale centered on Nolan and Nyla Harper tracking the escaped convict, who was hunting down a massive haul of diamonds he’d stashed years ago. Oscar’s return wasn’t just a fun callback; it was an exercise in pure menace. He manages to kidnap Nolan, forcing him to assist in the desert treasure hunt, providing a brilliant, high-tension showcase for both Nathan Fillion and Glave.
However, in a move designed to set up a continuing threat for Season 8, Oscar manages to escape the law once more. Despite Harper’s quick thinking—even enlisting the help of a kid with a drone for aerial surveillance—Oscar is whisked away in a dramatic helicopter rescue, leaving Nolan and Harper successful in recovering the diamonds but utterly defeated in recapturing the villain. Oscar’s recurring escape act maintains his status as a persistent, high-value adversary who can pop up at any time, a delightful headache for the Mid-Wilshire team.
The Return of the Worse: Monica Stevens
If Oscar’s escape was a classic villain win, the reappearance of the high-powered, morally bankrupt defense attorney Monica Stevens (Bridget Regan) was a strategic masterstroke that left the LAPD brass feeling utterly powerless. Monica had also been missing since her near-death experience in Argentina and was rumored to be working in the shadows. Her return in the finale’s final moments delivered a crushing blow to the Mid-Wilshire crew.
In a stunning reveal, FBI Agent Matt Garza informs Nolan, Grey, Lopez, and Wesley that the federal government is no longer pursuing Monica. Why? Because she somehow leveraged a massive trove of stolen, top-secret national intelligence to negotiate an immunity deal for all her past crimes. This is a villain who didn’t just escape; she won.
Monica’s triumphant, casual strut into the room, asking the enraged officers, “Miss me?”, served as a perfect, gut-punching cliffhanger. She is now essentially untouchable, transforming her from a powerful, white-collar criminal into a protected figure who can operate with impunity. This shocking development sets her up as a potentially season-long “Big Bad” for Season 8, a legitimate, powerful threat that the team can’t simply arrest their way out of. Her immunity deal is a terrifying prospect, allowing her to torment the characters from a position of legal safety, promising a frustrating, slow-burn battle for justice next season.
The Frustrating Chenford Tease
Amidst the high-octane villain drama, the finale delivered the most anticipated moment of the season: the reunion of Lucy Chen and Tim Bradford. After a season defined by their breakup, Tim’s journey through therapy, and their slow, tentative steps back toward one another—including secret hookups and emotional conversations—fans were certain this was the moment for a definitive reconciliation.
The scene started beautifully. Lucy returns home, utterly exhausted from starting her new Sergeant position on the night shift, only to find Tim waiting for her with a feast of her favorite foods. He’d done the work, addressed his self-sabotage, and was finally ready to be the partner she deserved. Tim begins his long-awaited, heartfelt speech, a full confession of his growth and a proposition for their future: he wants them to get back together, and he even suggests they move in together to give their rekindled romance a real, committed shot.
The devastating, yet very The Rookie-esque, twist? Lucy, overcome by exhaustion from her new schedule, falls fast asleep right as Tim reaches the crescendo of his speech.
“So you can trust me when I tell you, Lucy, I will never hurt you like that again. If we’re going to do this, we’re going to do this right. I want you to move in with me.”
His final line—spoken after realizing she’s out cold—is a defeated, yet loving, “To be continued.”
This ending was a masterclass in frustrating teases. It provided all the emotional commitment fans wanted, confirming Tim’s intentions and the inevitable direction of their relationship, but withheld the satisfaction of the actual, on-screen reconciliation. For viewers who have endured a season of will-they/won’t-they drama, the literal act of Lucy sleeping through the most important conversation of their relationship felt like a cruel joke, albeit a character-consistent and hilarious one that highlights the real-world scheduling issues now facing a Sergeant Chen and a newly-promoted Sergeant Bradford.
The showrunner’s intent, as later revealed, was to show they’ve “turned a corner” and that their reunion is now certain, but the delivery left the fandom collectively groaning for a definitive “yes.”
Setting the Stage for Season 8
The Season 7 finale successfully cleared the board of minor issues while raising the stakes for the next chapter.
- New LAPD Dynamics: Lucy’s promotion to Sergeant on the night shift opens up a whole new world of cases and challenges, creating a literal separation from Tim that will test their ability to make their relationship work. Celina Juarez’s graduation also means Nolan will be getting a new rookie, resetting his core mentorship role.
- Untouchable Threats: The escape of Oscar Hutchinson and the immunity deal of Monica Stevens leave the Mid-Wilshire team with two active, high-level threats they cannot easily neutralize. This shifts the focus from simple arrests to complex, strategic, long-term justice.
- Chenford Resolution: While frustrating, the finale confirmed that the emotional wall between Tim and Lucy is gone. Season 8 is now tasked with showing the how of their official reunion and new life together, rather than the if.
Ultimately, “The Good, the Bad, and the Oscar” was a classic The Rookie finale: action-packed, emotionally engaging, and built on dual cliffhangers. The return of its most compelling villains promises a difficult and politically charged Season 8, while the delightful, yet maddening, Chenford tease ensures that viewers will be counting the days until the show’s return to finally see if Tim’s question gets the answer it deserves. The wait for the next chapter will be long, but the high-stakes setup guarantees it’ll be worth it.
