By the time Season 6 ofThe Rookiehad aired, fans of the beloved romantic union, Chenford, were left feeling pretty disappointed. Lucy Chen (Melissa O’Neil) and Tim Bradford (Eric Winter) after navigating several obstacles and finally kicking off a serious relationship. The Chenford ship ground to a halt, much to the disappointment of fans. Season 7 of the police procedural drama has since begun setting the pair on the pathway towards a possible reconciliation. Winter who plays Officer Bradford, has teased some interesting developments for the couple ahead of this season’s Valentine episode.
Much of the Chenford romance has been pretty much of the will-they/won’t-they variety. Speaking in an interview withTV Insider, Winter offered some much appreciated insight into the pair’s future and their Season 6 breakup. “They never broke up because they stopped loving each other,” he says. “They broke up because Tim didn’t feel he was good enough for her. And I think that’s what the fans have to understand… As a little time has passed, the wound is still there, but it’s healing. There’s a scab for Lucy. She’s trying to make amends with the situation the best she can.”
Winter’s comments does help to fan whatever is left ofthe embers of the pair’s romance. While Lucy might be willing to stand by Tim’s side through his challenges, the officer must bewilling to accept the help being offered. The actor goes even further to preview the show’s Valentine episode, teasing that the pair will find themselves “in a very tricky situation” and they’ll have to “check themselves.” Sounds pretty intense. Winter explains, saying:
“Tim and Lucy find themselves in a very tricky situation…a moment. And again, like I said, these two have never stopped caring about each other. So you put two people in a compromising, weird position, and feelings come out. Maybe a little bit of their thoughts come out…I can tease that you’re going to get a moment where they have to check themselves.”
Chenford Just Endured a Major Scare
While the show is seemingly trying to set the stage for the pair possibly working their way back to each other. In Season 7, Episode 3, “Out of Pocket,” showrunnerAlexi HawleyandThe Rookie’s creative team, seemed to throw a spanner in the works of a Chenford reconciliation engine with the reintroduction of Rachel Hall (Jasmine Mathews). Lucy’s college friend and Tim’s ex-girlfriend,Hall has been absentfrom the show since the Season 2 finale. Howver, while such a return has the potential to be awkward, possibly triggering a love triangle.The Rookiehaveopted to go a different routewith Hawley explaining:
“With Tim and Lucy broken up, it felt like a good opportunity to do that — but not to do the expected, which is to make it a love triangle. I thought that would ultimately be manipulative to the fans in a way that I don’t like to be."
Tune in to ABC on Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET to watch all-new episodes ofThe Rookie. You can also catch up with past episodes on Hulu in the US.
The Rookie
