After an excruciatingly long wait, The Rookie Season 7 is finally airing on the 2025 TV schedule, and it hasn’t been without some intensity, and I’m not even talking about the action. I'm talking about how we're still trying to deal with the heartbreaking Season 6 breakup between Tim Bradford and Lucy Chen. However, thankfully, Eric Winter is offering some perspective on the surprising moment, and his take on it all is something I totally agree with.
In Season 6, Episode 6, “Secrets and Lies,” Tim was getting into more solo ventures involving his military past, which led to him lying to Lucy and their eventual breakup. Tim noted they couldn’t get back to the way they were after what had happened. While it was hard to come to terms with, the two seem to be doing okay as friends and colleagues. However, that doesn’t mean Tim still doesn’t regret what happened.
Now, Winter, who plays the fan-favorite police Sergeant, told Parade where Tim’s heart was at with the breakup, and I can’t say I disagree with this perspective:
Tim clearly cares about her. He broke up with her because he cares about her. It was a true statement of, ‘It’s not you, it’s me, I’m not good enough for you, and I don’t think you deserve the drama I could cause in your life with my past and all that.’ So, he, again, did what he thought was the best move, but probably regrets aspects of the way it went down and wishes he could have had the confidence or the smarts to be able to at least talk to her about it first, where he’s at, how he feels. But that’s just not Tim’s way. He had to learn the hard way, I guess, with his decision.
Tim and Lucy, also known as “Chenford,” have been arguably the most loved ship on The Rookie, and that’s why their sudden breakup was so surprising. With Season 7, it’s clear that there is still something between them. While it is nice that they can mostly have a good friendship and work relationship, Winter was certainly not wrong when he said Tim probably regrets the way the breakup happened.
For context, Tim made some bad decisions when his military past was brought up, and some guys from the military came into the picture. So, it’s not surprising to know that he would have done some things differently if he had been given the chance to go back in time.
Of course, it is tough to see Tim and Lucy only as friends and colleagues, and there are still some awkward moments between them. It’s also hard to predict where the show will take them from here. However, it sounds like it could just be a matter of time before both of them, or at least Tim, confront their feelings about the situation. He might not have made the right decision in Season 6, but there's always time for them to have a discussion about all this and possibly turn the situation around.
There was some Chenford conflict in Season 6 beyond the breakup and lying, and considering all that, it seems like things may just stay the way they are, at least for now. It might be good for them to not date for the time being too and focus on work and other things, especially since Lucy is still hoping to make detective.
Whether or not Chenford will come back together is unknown, but luckily, there is a lot to look forward to as Season 7 goes on. The show did address the exit of Aaron Thorsen (Tru Valentino), who transferred to the North Hollywood division, and introduced a new detective who is proving to be a fun obstacle for Wesley (Shawn Ashmore). Additionally, following the prison escape in the Season 6 finale, things are going to be as tense as ever, and fans won’t want to miss what happens.
New episodes of The Rookie air on Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET on ABC and stream the next day with a Hulu subscription.
