Tim Bradford and Lucy Chen’s slow burn romance is undoubtedly one ofThe Rookie’s greatest achievements, as the couple has had many memorable moments throughout their love story. The ABC police procedural began without the intention of building a romantic relationship betweenTim and Lucy, affectionally dubbed “Chenford” by fans.However, their chemistry was undeniable. Viewers knew that it was only a matter of time before the twoRookiecharactersgot together.
Seven seasons later (and looking ahead to an eighth),Tim and Lucy’s dynamic is one ofThe Rookie’s biggest draws.It doesn’t matter if they’re together or broken up — (most of) the people love Chenford. Their raging popularity is thanks to a wide variety of emotional, game-changing scenes featuring Tim and Lucy over the course ofeveryThe Rookieseason. Thankfully, their story isn’t over yet, though, meaning fans can look forward to many more defining moments in their relationship in future episodes.
10Lucy Becomes Tim’s Rookie
The Rookie Season 1, Episode 1
Of course,one of Tim and Lucy’s biggest moments originates from when they metin the very first episode ofThe Rookie. Right out of the gate, a romance between the two would’ve been taboo. Lucy was fresh out of the police academy, and she was assigned to be Tim’s rookie (or, as Tim put it, Lucy was his “boot”). A relationship between a training officer and their rookie is certainly a no-no, meaning viewers would have to wait a long time before Tim and Lucy could realistically be together.
In addition to their difference in rank within the LAPD, Tim’s strict and ruthless teaching style prevented any romantic feelings between him and Lucy inThe Rookie’s early days. Nevertheless, many audience members saw the vision. Eric Winter and Melissa O’Neil had great chemistry, after all. Creator/executive producer/showrunner Alexi Hawley had no choice but to start planting seeds of a possible relationship between Tim and Lucy that was anything but platonic. However,they certainly didn’t get off to a great start in the pilot,which only made their close connection later on all the more satisfying.
9Tim Saves Lucy After Caleb Kidnaps Her
The Rookie Season 2, Episode 11
“Day of Death” is undoubtedly one ofThe Rookie’s best episodes, and its best moment is when Tim saves Lucy. Caleb Wright, Rosalind Dyer’s protégé, abducted Lucy, and Tim spent the episode’s entirety trying to find her. His desperation oozed off him. Thankfully, Tim’s (and the LAPD’s and Lucy’s) hard work paid off, and he was the one to find Lucy in a barrel buried underground. Once they pulled her out,Tim performed CPR on her, saving her life.When Lucy opened her eyes, reality set in, and she started sobbing, causing Tim to pull her into a tight embrace.
It was all over when Tim held Lucy after bringing her back to life, which is arguablythedefining moment in their relationship.
The season 2 midseason premiere was a turning point inTim and Lucy’s relationship inThe Rookie.Tim’s frantic reaction to Lucy’s kidnapping proved to viewers how close the two characters had grown,suggesting their arc’s trajectory would lead to love (and it did). It was all over when Tim held Lucy after bringing her back to life, which is arguablythedefining moment in their relationship.
8Tim Declines A Promotion So That He Can Continue Training Lucy
The Rookie Season 2, Episode 13
Just a couple of episodes after Tim saved Lucy’s life, he turned down a sergeant position so that he could see her through to the end of her training. Tim had passed the sergeant’s exam and was immediately offered a spot in North Hollywood. However, Tim wasn’t done training Lucy. He decided to hold off on his promotion, showcasing how much Tim cared about Lucy. They had certainly come a long way since their first meeting inThe Rookiepilot, andTim informing Lucy that he had declined a sergeant position proved he would always prioritize her over his career.
7Tim & Lucy’s First Kiss
The Rookie Season 4, Episode 22
It took Tim and Lucy four seasons and 76 episodes ofThe Rookieto kiss. However, they weren’t even together when this monumental moment transpired in Lucy’s apartment. Instead,Tim and Lucy locked lips to “practice” when they had to go undercoveras a couple inThe Rookieseason 5 premiere.
Of course, kissing only made Tim and Lucy confused about the status of their relationship inThe Rookie. Up until that point, they both thought of each other as friends. But once they injected some romance into their dynamic (even if it was just for “pretend”),Tim and Lucy couldn’t help but start to realize they had feelings for one another.The good news is that Chenford fans didn’t have to wait too much longer after their first kiss for them to start dating.
6Tim & Lucy Decide To Start Dating
The Rookie Season 5, Episode 8
About halfway throughThe Rookieseason 5,Tim and Lucy finally came to terms with the fact that their relationship was no longer platonic.However, their situation was tricky because they were dating other people. It all worked out in the end, though, when Ashley dumped Tim in season 5, episode 5, and Lucy broke up with Chris in episode 9, after she and Tim discussed their feelings for one another during the previous hour.
Deric Augustine
Miles Penn
Thepivotal Chenford scene came inThe Rookieseason 5, episode 8, when they sat outside Mid-Wilshire. Lucy explained that she was scared to start dating Tim because he was the “most important relationship” in her life and didn’t want to ruin it if they eventually broke up. Tim countered that it might be worth the risk. And just like that,Chenford became official,making this scene one of the most important moments in their love story.
5Tim Tells Lucy He Loves Her
The Rookie Season 6, Episode 2
After getting together, the next step in Tim and Lucy’s relationship was for them to tell each other, “I love you.” This moment came inThe Rookie’s 100th episodeafter they ran into some problems. Lucy wanted to take the detective’s exam, but she believed Tim didn’t want her to because he was worried about them repeating what happened between him and Isabel. Consequently, they fought. To resolve their issues,Lucy made Tim take a lie detector test, but she also asked him if he loved her, and he said, “Yes,“marking a significant milestone in their love story.
4Tim & Lucy Break Up
The Rookie Season 6, Episode 6
Unfortunately, Chenford’s bliss didn’t last too long after they exchanged “I love you’s.“Tim broke up with Lucy inThe Rookieseason 6, episode 6, when his past came back to haunt him, and he realized that he had some problems to work through. So,not believing that he was good enough to be with Lucy at that moment,Tim ended their relationship, much to her dismay. He completely and utterly broke her heart. This speed bump in Tim and Lucy’s romance has come to define the past two seasons ofThe Rookie, as it forever changed the former couple’s dynamic.
3Tim Apologizes To Lucy For Breaking Up With Her
The Rookie Season 6, Episode 10
Although Tim thought he was protecting Lucy when he broke up with her, all he did was leave her heartbroken. Still, his issues were a big concern. They were the reason why Tim left Lucy, and they wouldn’t be able to get back together until he processed his trauma. Tim knew this, but he also understood how his decision broke Lucy’s heart. So, at the end ofThe Rookieseason 6 finale,Tim apologized to Lucy and acknowledged he was to blame for ruining their relationship.
The moment betweenChenford inThe Rookieseason 6 finalemight feel small, especially because it didn’t result in them getting back together. However, Lucy looking at Tim with love in her eyes (after he promised to spend the rest of his life trying to repay the kindness she had shown him)confirmed that their love story was far from over.No matter how long it took, Tim and Lucy would eventually rekindle their romance.
2Tim Admits He’s Still In Love With Lucy
The Rookie Season 7, Episode 8
It was obvious that Tim was still in love with LucyinThe Rookieseason 7, episode 8. However, Tim saying it out loud while a wildfire raged around them immediately cemented its place as one of the couple’s most iconic scenes. They thought they were going to die. Tim telling Lucy that he loved her was inevitable, but Lucy predicting that he would say that before he even did (resulting in them bickering) made the moment all their own.It was just so Chenford-coded,and the intensity of the situation ensured that no one would forget it.
1Tim Asks Lucy To Move In With Him
The Rookie Season 7, Episode 18
Unfortunately,Tim’s confession didn’t lead to a Chenford reunion inThe Rookieseason 7. He still had some issues to work through, after all. Lucy was also wary about trusting Tim again. Nevertheless,Tim felt ready to get back together with Lucy in the season 7 finale,and he told her as much by the episode’s end. He even claimed that they should move in together. It’s too bad that Lucy didn’t hear him because she fell asleep on the couch.
ABC is holdingThe Rookieseason 8 (andWill Trentseason 4) for midseason, meaning it won’t premiere until early 2026 (perTVLine). Season 8 will contain 18 episodes that air weekly with no interruptions, with a potential exception or two.
Heading intoThe Rookieseason 8,Tim and Lucy technically aren’t back together.But their moment in the season 7 finale suggests that it’s only a matter of time before they rekindle their romance (even if Lucy was asleep for most of the conversation). PerhapsThe Rookieseason 8 will even feature them moving in together — well, they will if Tim has any say in the matter.
The Rookie
Cast
The Rookie follows John Nolan, a small-town man who embarks on a new career as an LAPD officer after a life-changing event. As the force’s oldest rookie, Nolan faces skepticism from superiors who view his pursuit as a midlife crisis.
