The Rookie is officially back. Season 7 of the beloved cop procedural premiered on ABC last night, returning us to the activities within the Mid-Wilshire Division. The opening episode, titled “The Shot”, did not immediately pick up from where the chaotic May finale stopped, but that’s not something fans are likely to complain about, as a break from all the action created more room for scenes involving our favorite pair; Tim Bradford (Eric Winter) and Lucy Chen (Melissa O’Neil) aka Chenford. With plenty of time now passed since their heartwrenching breakup in Season 6, episode 6, both appeared to have healed from that undesirable outcome and look to be headed for a fresh start.
Amid all that played out in “The Shot” including the introduction of new rookies, Chenford easily stole the spotlight in the opening episode. That unpleasant negative tension that lingered between them post-break-up is completely gone, replaced by the very familiar chemistry that makes them such a delight to watch. With Lucy now a training officer, the episode sees them exhibit a fun camaraderie as they take a bet on who will be the better rookie trainer. As much as they try to keep it all professional, their lingering eye contact and general body language gives a subtle indication that they won’t be staying platonic for too long. However, showrunner Alex Hawley has cautioned that a bumpy road lies ahead for Chenford. Asked if their arc would again explore their slow-burn dynamic, Hawley told ScreenRant:
“Yeah, I mean, I think we are. I don’t think you could avoid it. Their chemistry is so dynamic. It’s just baked in. But part of the journey that they’re on is, what does it look like going forward? And are the feelings still there? And if they are, can Lucy trust him again? And if so, he’s still her supervisor, which means it’s not okay, right? So there are all these obstacles still, but I think, obviously, there’s a desire down at the core of this for that to happen.”
Lucy Brings Out the Best in Tim
Lucy and Tim represent the emotional core of this series and for all the right reasons. Their character dynamic works so effectively as both greatly complement each other. Winter recently sat down with Collider for an interview where he suggested that Chenford belongs to each other, explaining how Lucy brings out the best in Tim. Sharing with us how she’s able to so easily affect him positively, Winter said:
“I think she’s been one of the ones that’s really earned his trust first, and broken down his walls very carefully. It’s very calculated the way she’s managed to get him to open up. It hasn’t been forced. I think the things that she’s gone through on the job has also been something he’s taken very personal because he cares so much about his rookies, and it’s sort of opened up those doors to communication, which he swore he’d never do again with somebody on the job, and he does. She’s just a special character who brings out a lot of the trust and fun in the relationship.”
As much as we’d love for Chenford’s romance to be sealed for good, it does work better if the show keeps them as a slow-burn couple. Jumping right into a relationship after what they’ve been through would seem off. It might tug at our heartstrings to see all the reasons why they might not work, but watching them navigate these obstacles does keep things interesting, and we ultimately hope that they can surmount them.
