One of the big questions heading into The Rookie season 8 revolves around Chenford’s relationship status, and the upcoming episodes are under pressure to get their inevitable reunion right. Chenford, aka Tim Bradford and Lucy Chen, are the central couple of the ABC police procedural series. So, it’s important that The Rookie season 8 gives them the love and attention they require.
Since the beginning of The Rookie, fans have been rooting for Chenford. The writers might not have intended for their relationship to be romantic, but their chemistry was undeniable, and it was only a matter of time before they got together. They didn’t get their happily ever after when they did, though. Tim and Lucy still have many obstacles to face; they’re just new ones.
The Rookie Season 7 Ended Without Tim & Lucy Getting Back Together
Lucy Fell Asleep On Tim
Tim and Lucy broke up in The Rookie season 6 after Tim realized he wasn’t in the right place to be in a relationship. He wanted to be the man that Lucy deserved. Meanwhile, Lucy’s (and Tim’s) communication skills left much to be desired. Since then, Chenford has yet to rekindle their romance, even though their reunion is all but a guarantee.
Tim and Lucy hooked up a couple of times over the course of season 7’s 18 episodes. However, if anything, all that did was set them back. They were falling back into bed together without having a real talk about their feelings, breakup, etc. It only stunted their development, which might be why The Rookie season 7 ended without a Chenford reunion.
Sure, Tim and Lucy technically had a deep and emotional discussion about their relationship in The Rookie season 7, episode 15. It happened while the two were accidentally high, though. We also didn’t see the majority of their important conversation, as episode 15 was one of the show’s infamous true crime episodes that featured mostly only body cam and security footage.
Flash forward a few episodes, Tim and Lucy almost rekindled their romance during the season 7 finale of The Rookie. Lucy returned home from her night shift to find Tim making breakfast for her. She sat on the couch while Tim cooked and subtly introduced the idea of them moving in together. Unfortunately, for him, Lucy had fallen asleep and missed everything he said.
Season 8 Must Address All Of Chenford’s Issues Before They Reunite
They Haven’t Solved Their Problems
Ultimately, Chenford’s relationship status is up in the air heading into The Rookie season 8. Tim will likely try to talk to Lucy again about not only getting back together, but also moving in together in the upcoming episodes. The ABC cop TV show can’t cut corners and wave a magic wand to fix all of Tim and Lucy’s problems, though.
That doesn’t mean The Rookie has to draw out their reunion (like what happened in season 7). All the series has to do is make Tim and Lucy sit down and have a productive conversation. They must address all the issues that led to their breakup and build trust to ensure they won’t make the same mistakes. Only then can Chenford reunite.
Perhaps Tim and Lucy made a breakthrough while they were trapped in a creepy basement together in The Rookie season 7, episode 15. However, one would think that the writers would want the audience to see that. Since that didn’t happen, Tim and Lucy obviously still have many problems to tackle before they can get back together and maintain a healthy relationship.
Tim & Lucy Have Another Hurdle To Overcome In Season 8
Lucy Is On The Night Shift
Even if they are able to accomplish all of the above, Tim and Lucy still have another obstacle to face in The Rookie season 8. As some might recall, Lucy became a sergeant towards the end of season 7. However, the only open sergeant position at the Mid-Wilshire station was during the night shift, and Lucy had no choice but to accept it.
As a result, Tim and Lucy are now on different schedules at Mid-Wilshire, meaning they won’t be able to spend much together. Tim will be working the day shift alongside the other Rookie characters. Meanwhile, Lucy will be clocking in just as Tim is leaving. One could see how this could become a big problem for Chenford come season 8.
We have already seen the differing schedules be an issue for Tim and Lucy in the ABC series. They could have gotten back together during the season 7 finale had Lucy not fallen asleep right after coming home from her tiring night shift. So, when The Rookie returns with season 8, Chenford’s problems (hopefully) won’t disappear with the flick of a wrist.
The show also can’t cut corners with Lucy’s new storyline. Sure, it would be easy for everyone if a sergeant position during the day shift magically opened during the season 8 premiere. That would be lazy, though. Plus, this serves as a great opportunity for The Rookie season 8 to feature new tension between Chenford after they get back together.
The Rookie season 8 is expected to premiere in January 2026 and consist of 18 episodes, similar to season 7’s schedule.
- Release Date
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October 16, 2018
- Showrunner
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Alexi Hawley
This story originally appeared on Screenrant
