The Rookie season 8 may wind up fulfilling all of Chenford fans' wishes, but the show will be making a mistake by giving viewers what they want. Throughout The Rookie, one of the driving forces between Tim Bradford (Eric Winter) and Lucy Chen (Melissa O'Neil) is that the pair have obstacles severely impeding their relationship's progress, albeit some major and some minor.
When Tim was still Lucy's training officer earlier in the series, it felt unlikely that the pair would lean into the romantic chemistry that viewers could see building. Knowing Tim was in a position of authority over Lucy, their romance would've gone against his moral code completely. Regardless, some of their best moments were when their romance was mythical.
As The Rookie veered into uncharted territory throughout season 4 with Lucy and John Nolan (Nathan Fillion) having survived their rookie year, Tim and Lucy's futures continued to stay tangled professionally as their romantic fate grew closer. Even so, the pair didn't fully crash into a romance until The Rookie season 5, when the shows dynamics (especially Chenford's) entirely.
Tim and Lucy's relationship has been one of the highlights of The Rookie since the beginning. However, after watching their romantic relationship build up quickly during The Rookie season 5, crumble throughout season 6, and spark back to life in season 7, the show appears to be moving them into a new phase in The Rookie season 8.
Unfortunately, that new phase could create more of an issue than a resolution when it comes to Tim and Lucy's romantic relationship.
Tim Asked Lucy To Move In With Him In The Rookie Season 7's Finale
Their Relationship Problems Seem To Be Resolved
Tim Bradford and Lucy Chen in The Rookie season 7, episode 18
After cooking an array of her favorite foods as a gesture, Tim proceeded to try and lead Lucy into a conversation about moving in with him to make things easier between them. The issue is that Tim and Lucy have yet to get back together, nor do they appear to have tackled the problems they had in their relationship.
While The Rookie season 7, episode 15 revealed that the exes had talked through a lot of their issues while compromised by a drug-induced crime scene, viewers never saw the discussion or heard a resolution. Frustratingly, Lucy understood she'd already forgiven Tim, but the problems that existed in their relationship before their harried season 6 breakup were never touched upon.
Although they've moved past the breakup that Tim orchestrated to punish himself, their pre-existing problems have yet to be addressed on screen, even with them cropping up consistently. Despite the lack of communication, Chenford fans were hopeful for forward momentum in the finale. Regardless, Tim asking Lucy to move in with him during The Rookie season 7's finale felt shockingly contrived.
BTS Spoilers Make It Seem That Miles Will Move Into Lucy's Apartment
This Could Leave Tim & Lucy Living In His House
Tim, Celina, Miles, and Lucy outside the elevator in The Rookie season 7
Lisseth Chavez as Celina Juarez and Deric Augustine as Miles Penn in The Rookie.
Tim looking at Lucy in The Rookie season 7, episode 5
Melissa O'Neil as Lucy Chen and Eric Winter as Tim Bradford in The Rookie season 7 episode 3
Melissa O'Neil as Lucy Chen and Eric Winter as Tim Bradford in The Rookie season 7 episode 4
According to some behind-the-scenes spoilers from cast members, it's possible that Miles Penn (Deric Augustine) could be moving into Lucy's apartment with her current roommate Celina Juarez (Lisseth Chavez). Both Chavez and O'Neil have spoken about Lucy's living situation, and the allusions to the idea that Tim and Lucy may be living together in the first episodes of the season are heavy.
After The Rookie season 7 saw Miles and Celina continuing to bond over their roles in Mid-Wilshire, it seems that he'd be a good replacement for Lucy should she choose to move out of the apartment. While Tim has more than enough space for Lucy, the idea that the pair could be living together leaves me uneasy about what's next for Chenford.
Lucy Moving In With Tim So Quickly Still Seems Premature
Their Problems Were Never Genuinely Addressed
While the rumors of Miles taking over Lucy's space in the apartment are unsubstantiated currently, the idea that Lucy may accept Tim's proposal to move in with him after such minimal progress feels deeply unearned. Though the characters were said to have talked through their existing issues, not seeing them have a conversation about the problems in their relationship feels cheap.
After watching Tim and Lucy's journey from the very beginning, glossing over fundamental pieces of their relationship seemed like the wrong move from The Rookie writers. Instead of diving into a storyline that allowed viewers to see the pair wrestle with the push and pull of compromising, we're left with reassurance that it happened and nothing to show for it.
The Rookie's big Chenford moments have usually felt hard-earned. The audience has watched for years waiting for the couple to show care, attraction, and love for one another, but watching them repair their relationship with a flimsy co-habitation storyline fails to meet the show's typical standards. Instead, The Rookie will take one step closer to removing Chenford from the show's drama entirely.
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Sources: Brooke/X, Brooke/X
